2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 Picks Fight With C7 Corvette Z06, Almost Regrets It

We never get tired of seeing the 2020 Shelby GT500 go to work. It’s such a beast. Powered by a hand-built 5.2-liter “Predator” V8 unit, it puts down 760 hp (771 PS) and 625 lb-ft (847 Nm) of torque, in part thanks to a stock 2.65-liter supercharger. It’s so badass you literally can’t get it in some parts of the world, like Europe. At least not via an official Ford dealer.

On paper, this is the most powerful street-legal Ford ever, and that’s saying something when you also have the Ford GT to consider. The former can rocket to 60 mph (96 kph) in the mid-3-second range and is a bona fide 10-second car over a quarter-mile. It also has a high-performance Tremec seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, capable of shifting in just 80 milliseconds.

Fighting against this modern-day flagship Mustang is a little bit like fighting against an older Rocky Balboa. You might be able to out-maneuver him, but you’ll also have to deal with a lot of raw power, and that’s never easy, especially if you’re racing in a straight line.

So then what chance does a “lowly” C7 Corvette Z06 have against what is pretty much the pinnacle of American muscle? Well, the Vette is no pushover, and this one in particular features a cold air intake mod. That means a few extra horsepower (low double-digit range) are added to an already impressive arsenal that reads 650 hp (659 PS) and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque.

The two cars raced each other from a roll twice, and both times, it was very close. So if you’re going to go at a Corvette Z06, you best come prepared.