It won despite a slow start.
The current-generation Shelby GT500 has received a lot praises since its debut a few years back. The Mustang’s dynamic performance and straight-line performance won over many critics. The flat-plane crank V8 makes any muscle car enthusiast happy.
Shelby GT500 is powered by a supercharged V8 of 5.2-liters. It produces 760 horsepower (567 Kilowatts) as well as 625 pound-feet (847 Newton meters). According to the factory, the car can sprint from 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h), in 3.3 seconds. We tested the car several years ago and were not surprised by its performance.
The GT500 has raced against many cars over the years. It raced head-to-head with super sedans, from Germany, and other top quality muscle cars. GT500 was not always the fastest, but it never lost. Today’s GT500 drag race on the strip is no walk in the park, as it faces a Dodge Challenger 392T/A.
The GT500 is capable of matching (and sometimes beating) the Challenger Hellcat during drag racing. The Shelby will be the victor, and the 392 T/A will not be beaten by the “tamer” 392T/A. This is a comparison between fast and faster.
The Challenger 392T/A is no slouch despite the power difference. The 6.4-liter V8 produces 485 horsepower (356 Kilowatts) as well as 475 pound-feet (511 Newton-meters) from its 6.4-liter engine. These are impressive numbers but the GT500 is over a second slower in the sprint from 0-60 mph. According to factory figures, it completes the task in 4.5 seconds and 1.2 seconds less than the Shelby.
How does this translate at the drag strip? The GT500 completed the quarter in 10.94 seconds and 127.03 mph on the first run. The second run was slightly slower, with the GT500 crossing the line in 10.97 seconds at 126.77 miles. The first run of the Challenger 392 T/A was 12.01 seconds at 114.3 mph. The second run took 12.06 seconds and was at 114.17 MPH.
On the strip, the two muscle cars are not even close. The GT500 won each of the best runs by 1.07 seconds, and was faster than the Challenger T/A at 12.92 mph. Even more remarkable is the fact that the GT500 started slow in the second run, but still managed to pass the 392 in the first lap.
The numbers prove that Shelby’s performance has not diminished over the years. If that seems too slow, you can search far and wide to find one the 225 KR models. These Shelbys are very powerful and will not be cheap.