Since its launch a few years ago, the current-generation Shelby GT500 still receives a lot of praises. The hot Mustang won over critics, whether it's for dynamics or straight-line performance. Plus, that flat-plane crank V8 is music to any muscle car fan.
The Shelby GT500 uses a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 good for 760 horsepower (567 kilowatts) and a torque figure of 625 pound-feet (847 Newton-meters). Per factory claims, the car runs the 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) sprint in 3.3 seconds. When we tested it a few years ago, we said there is little reason to doubt those numbers.
Gallery: 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: Review
Over the years, the GT500 raced against various cars on the drag strip. It went head to head with super sedans from Germany and other top-shelf muscle cars. There might have been times when GT500 lost, but it wasn't too far behind when it did. But today's GT500 drag race is a walk in the park as it's up against a Dodge Challenger 392 T/A on the strip.
We already know the GT500 can match (and at times; beat) the Challenger Hellcat in a drag race. With that, the "tamer" 392 T/A won't stand a chance against the mighty Shelby. In other words, this is a comparison of fast versus faster.
Despite the power difference, the Challenger 392 T/A is no slouch. Its 6.4-liter V8 packs 485 horsepower (356 kilowatts) and 475 pound-feet (510 Newton-meters). Those are good numbers, but it's also over a second behind the GT500 in the 0 to 60 mph sprint. Per factory figures, it does the task at 4.5 seconds, 1.2 seconds behind the Shelby.
So how does that translate on the drag strip? The GT500 finished the quarter at 10.94 seconds at 127.03 mph for the first run. It had a slightly slower second run, crossing the line at 10.97 seconds at 126.77 mph. As for the Challenger 392 T/A, its first run was 12.01 seconds at 114.38 mph. The second run posted 12.06 seconds at 114.17 mph.
The two muscle cars aren't even close on the strip. For each of the car's best runs, the GT500 was ahead by 1.07 seconds and carried 12.92 mph more than the Challenger T/A. What's even more impressive, the GT500 had a slow start in the second run but still passed the 392 early in the race.
If anything, the numbers show that the shine hasn't come off the Shelby's performance even years after its launch. But if that's still too slow for you, you'll have to search far and wide for anyone selling one of 225 KR models. Those special Shelbys have about 900 horsepower, and it won't come cheap if the first owner decides to sell it.
