A used Ford Mustang is the easiest answer, and for most buyers it's the right one. Easy doesn't mean only, though, and CR 388 has a character all its own. The car that wins in the curves of North Carolina would be a different pick from the one that wins on a flat, fast, pine-flanked Panhandle run out toward Youngstown. We keep all three classic contenders on the lot, and we'll give it to you straight. Each one fits a different kind of weekend and a different kind of driver.
County Road 388 runs about 15 miles through Bay County as a former extension of State Road 388, connecting SR 77 northeast toward US 231 near Youngstown. Florida Highway Patrol has described it as "a long, straight road with very little scenery to look at," which is exactly the kind of driving where you want torque, a confident highway ride, and enough cabin comfort to arrive feeling like a person rather than a pretzel. Tight switchbacks this road is not. Flat Panhandle velocity is what you get.
Do This, Not That: CR 388 in a Used Performance Car
Our plain breakdown of CR 388 behavior sits in the table below, and the road rewards different things than a track day does.
| Situation | Do This | Not That |
|---|---|---|
| Long straight at posted speed | Hold a steady 60-65 mph cruise, let the torque stay relaxed | Feathering in-and-out of throttle on a V8 wastes fuel and builds heat |
| Approaching an intersection | Brake early; surfaces can be sandy at pulloffs from farm traffic | Threshold-braking from highway speed on loose edge pavement |
| Passing a slow-moving vehicle | One clean, confident pass using the full power band | Multiple tentative stabs at the throttle |
| Storm or afternoon shower (Oct. through early Nov.) | Back off 5-8 mph, rear-wheel-drive muscle cars lose traction fast on wet asphalt | Staying at highway speed on standing water |
| Tire condition before leaving Panama City | Check tread depth; the EPA has documented that stopping distance increases sharply below 2/32 of an inch of tread | Assuming "they look fine from the outside" |
Which Car Actually Fits This Drive
Handling-wise, the Camaro is the sharpest of the three. Its sixth-generation platform (2016-2024) shares a chassis with the Cadillac ATS, and you feel that through any corner you can find on the Gulf Coast. There's a genuine tradeoff. The interior is tight, rearward visibility is poor, and a two-and-a-half-hour run to Youngstown and back will remind your shoulders about the Camaro's width-to-cabin-space ratio. Pick it if you're going alone, running hard, and coming right back.
The Dodge Challenger is the opposite case. Stellantis ended production on December 22, 2023, which turns every Challenger on a used lot into a collector's piece with a clock on it. The Scat Pack 6.4-liter HEMI V8 delivers 485 horsepower and real back seats, and on CR 388's long straights that torque is right in its element. The downside is honest. At 4,200-plus pounds, it doesn't want to change direction quickly, and if the route changes or you find a snaking county road off SR 77, the Challenger's working harder than the other two. Take it for straight-line comfort and the theatre of that engine on an open road. Don't take it if you plan to explore the twisties.
Between those two sits the Mustang GT. Its 2022 and 2023 model year 5.0-liter Coyote V8 puts out 450 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, and the EPA rates those years at 15 city and 24 highway miles per gallon.
The highway number matters on a run like this. An independent rear suspension tracks straight-line stability well.
The cabin's more livable than the Camaro without being as heavy and committed as the Challenger. You get a better all-day car, which is what a Panama City-to-CR-388 weekend run really is.
Browse our used Camaro inventory alongside the Mustang options and decide which tradeoff fits your weekends. Our full pre-owned inventory changes regularly, and the performance segment moves fast.
See This Week's Performance Car Specials
One Honest Takeaway Before You Head Out
CR 388 is a road that rewards preparation over horsepower. Get the tires right before you leave Panama City. On a warm October afternoon on a dry Panhandle road, any of these three cars is an excellent way to spend a Saturday. Wet asphalt after a shower is a different animal, and October still sees afternoon rain in Bay County. Rear-wheel-drive cars need respect, not provocation. The fun is real. Arrive knowing what you're driving.
Start with the Mustang if you want one car to do everything. The used market has never had more of them, and the value is there right now.