2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Races Charger Hellcat, One Gets Demolished

On paper, this shouldn’t be such a straight-on execution, although that’s what it ended up being. Here are the numbers: The 2020 Shelby GT500 is powered by a hand-built 5.2-liter "Predator" V8, sending 760 hp (771 PS) and 625 lb-ft (847 Nm) of torque to the road via a Tremec TR-970 DCT seven-speed dual clutch automatic. Yes, that’s quite a mouthful, but this is quite a car. It’s the greatest factory-standard Mustang ever made from a performance standpoint.

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, on the other hand, isn’t exactly a flagship car anymore, at least not since the Hellcat Redeye variant was introduced for 2021. That would have been such a great matchup because the Hellcat Redeye’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8 is rated at 797 hp (808 PS) and 707 lb-ft (959 Nm) of torque. It also has a reinforced eight-speed auto, plus various other mods.

Unfortunately, it was the regular Charger Hellcat that took on the GT500 here, relying on “just” 707 hp (717 PS) and 650 lb-ft (880 Nm) of torque. Even so, it’s got a little more torque than the Mustang, so maybe that comes in handy during the pull (this was a rolling race). There’s also not that much between them in terms of weight, with the Charger Hellcat carrying around an extra 300 lbs (136 kg), roughly.

We really thought this was going to be a good race, both competitive and exciting - although naturally, it was never going to be a draw. In the end, it was a serious pounding, to the point where it likely wouldn't have mattered where they raced and whether it was from a roll or a standstill. Sheesh.