The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is arguably the coolest GM-made muscle car you can buy nowadays. It packs a big, supercharged V-8 engine and comes with a whopping 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels.

With that kind of power, the Camaro ZL1 packs more oomph than many sports cars out there and it even comes close to entry-level supercars. But can it actually compete with a full-fledged sports car beyond the horsepower war? The folks over at Throttle House wondered the same thing and brought together a Camaro ZL1 and a Porsche 911 Carrera S.

These high-performance cars are obviously very different. While the Porsche 911 is a rear-engined beast, the Camaro ZL1 features the more traditional front-engined layout.

The Porsche comes with 443 horses and 390 pound-feet on tap, so there's a 207-horsepower and 260-pound-foot deficit. On the other hand, the 911 Carrera S is some 500 pounds lighter than the Camaro ZL1. But the Porsche also features an overboost function and launch control, both of which enable the German coupe to sprint off the line quicker than its power figures suggest.

With these systems engaged, the 911 Carrera S leaves the Camaro ZL1 behind in no time in a quarter-mile race and crosses the finish line almost a second quicker.

The same happens during a rolling race. So while it's much more powerful, the Camaro ZL isn't quite as quick as the 911 Carrera S. It might stand a better chance during a one-mile race, because it's pretty obvious that the Camaro can match the 911's speed, but I guess that's a comparison for another time.