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Check Out a $800 C4 Chevy Corvette Holding Its Own Against a $30k 2017 Mustang

Does anyone think that pitting a 1986 Chevy Corvette from the fourth generation against a relatively modern 2017 Mustang V6 is going to bring any revelations? It kind of does, because although the encounter was a friendly one, there are some interesting conclusions to be drawn by the end of the third drag race.
$800 C4 Chevrolet Corvette races $30k 2017 Ford Mustang V6 23 photos
Photo: Becker/YouTube
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We have seen countless amazing drag racing passes involving both the Mustang and Corvette. After all, it’s only natural to have witnessed just about everything with the heritage these two models have accrued over the years. But, as the saying goes, nothing stays the same while the only thing the remains constant is change. Or something along those lines.

Seeing a 1986 Corvette competing with a fairly new 2017 Mustang is like trying to compare apples with oranges; or, because this analogy is already overused, let’s say a rotary phone with an Android smartphone.

Still, when it comes to the automotive industry, things aren’t looking so different, actually. The engine for both cars is up front, there are still four wheels, the coupe body style has two doors (irrespective of what automakers try to say with those coupe-SUVs), and we could go on.

There’s a three-decade difference in technology between these two cars, yet the results were closer than anyone would imagine just by seeing the pair idling next to each other. Actually, we specifically like how the beat-down L98 ‘Vette holds on to dear life when trying to race the Mustang for bragging rights.

The two pals decided the drag scenario should include three runs – either because it was meant to be or due to the errors the drivers committed during the first attempts. Probably this will remain an unsolved mystery for all eternity, but it doesn’t even matter because the journey is again more important than its finale.

We're not even going to spoil the result in advance, so let’s focus on the technical specs before diving into the action with the video embedded below. The ‘86 C4 brings 240 horsepower to the party (along with $200-worth of unspecified tunes), while the 2017 Mustang was already at an advantage with 300 hp in stock form. Then, the owner also chipped in another $1,500 for some Roush upgrades – a cold air intake and a catback exhaust.

The real kicker is that Chevrolet’s Corvette has always been well ahead of its time, and the platform is great even today for those looking to go fast without drilling a hole in their pockets.

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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