This March seems to be a month full of fierce competition. March Madness turned friends into foes as brackets were drafted and dreams were dashed, and the presidential primaries got even more heated. Even Batman and Superman were fighting in Hollywood's latest superhero flick, though nobody's really sure why.
It seems in the spirit of the season, then, to take a look at some of the top car rivalries of all time.
Toyota vs. Honda
The two big Japanese manufacturers have a long and turbulent history together. Sub5Zero explained that Honda was founded in an act of seeming defiance – Soichira Honda went his own way and created the company's first car, the T360 pickup, despite the protestations of Japan's manufacturing leaders. The two brands bump heads frequently with their sizeable control of the family sedan market, though the source noted their supercars like the NSX and Supra sometimes scuffle, too. Maybe's there's good feelings underneath it all, though: Honda's founder shared pistons with Toyota prior to World War II.
VW GTI vs. Ford Focus ST
These two hatchbacks both bring the heat. The VW GTI has the street cred, according to Popular Mechanics:
"For hot-hatchbacks devotees, the VW GTI is as revered as the Porsche 911 or the Chevy Corvette. This is the car that defines the segment."
Pretty high praise, to be sure. But Ford brought its A-game with the Ford Focus ST, generating 247 hp and 266 torque, surpassing the GTI in engine performance. However, the Focus ST is a bit heavy, and doesn't have the GTI's 258 lb-ft torque at 1500 rpm.
The verdict: Tie. Popular Mechanics decided that the two vehicles are rather evenly matched – a perfect opportunity for Ford and VW to raise the stakes next year.
In Sept. 2008, Nissan and Porsche sent representatives to fight each other to prove whose car was better (just kidding, this never happened … that we know of).Nissan GT-R vs. Porsche 911 Turbo
Speaking of the Porsche 911, it's caught up in its own little rivalry. Perhaps "little" isn't the right word – Jalopnik readers named this feud as one of the top 10 most vicious car rivalries of all time. Nissan threw some serious shade back in 2008 when they decided to start setting some lap records on the tracks in Nürburgring, Germany – also known as The Royal and Impenetrable Kingdom of Porsche (unofficially).
Of course, Porsche went into full get-off-my-lawn mode and took its 911 model to Turbo status. Nissan boosted its GT-R, Porsche responded with their own updates, and the two cars took the track to see who reigned supreme.
Wrote Raphael Orlove in a post for Jalopnik:
"Sure, the monomaniacal focus on lap times got a bit silly, but it was an epic battle for sports car dominance nonetheless."
Ford Mustang vs. Chevrolet Camaro
Both manufactured in Detroit, the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro have been fighting since they were first introduced. The Mustang shook up the U.S. car market when it arrived on the scene in 1964, and Chevrolet – who was churning out Corvairs and Novas – knew they had to up the ante, Sub5Zero explained.
"The Mustang and Camaro have been fighting since they were first introduced."
Thus were the competitive circumstances of the Camaro's birth on a fateful day in 1967. Did the Camaro bow under the weight of the pressure, and all the hopes and dreams riding on it? No, it rose to the occasion, proving a formidable opponent to the Mustang in the ensuing decades.
There may be a whiff of change in the air, though. USA Today reported that the redesigned Mustang has set itself apart as the favorite, with its updated engine and suspension. The proof is in the numbers: Ford sold 113,607 Mustangs in the first 11 months of 2015 – a 55.4 percent increase in sales, while Camaro sales were down 9.5 percent, with Chevrolet selling only 72,136 of the cars during the same time period. Don't think this fight is won, though – it's very possible the Camaro will make an epic comeback.
If you'd rather take a break from all the competition, head to NJ State Auto, where you can find the best car to suit your needs, at an affordable price.