Ford Mustang Mach 1 Drag Races Toyota Supra GTS, Can't Catch a Break

Of course, you can always do some online research before going out, but beware, as you may be overwhelmed by the amount of online content available. And with that comes a plethora of different opinions from different people, and sometimes soaking up too much information before making a buy may be confusing. Either way, we weren't going to miss out on watching a race between the Mustang Mach 1 and the Supra GTS, Australia's top-of-the-line Supra.

The Mach 1 may not be the fastest Mustang to be offered in Australia, but then again, it wouldn't have seemed fair to bring along the R Spec version, which should have north of 650 horsepower on tap. While the Mustang Mach 1 is rated for 480 horsepower and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque, the Supra GTS is slightly less capable, with 382 horsepower and 368 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque.

Both cars are sending power to the rear wheels, and both make use of automatic gearboxes. The Mustang's V8 may have more grunt than the Supra's twin-scroll turbo inline-6, but weighing these two cars will reveal another crucial performance factor. While the Mach 1 is rather heavy at 3,922 lbs (1,779 kg), the Supra GTS only weighs 3,317 lbs (1,505 kg), and that pretty much evens the odds going into the race.

For the first run, both drivers make use of launch control to achieve that ideal start. The Supra GTS immediately takes control of the race, and there's nothing the Mach 1 can do to catch up. They're trying to simulate a street start for their second run, with all the driver aids turned back on and comfort-mode engaged. This time it's the Mustang that jumps ahead, but its Japanese opponent isn't falling back.

And by the end of the run, we get to see the same result as in the first run, with the Toyota claiming 1st place. So, for the third run, a rolling start is in order, and automatic gear changing is selected. They start from 31 mph (50 kph), and once again, the Toyota proves its superior capabilities, taking the lead and maintaining it all across the finish line.

The Mustang's driver is eager to catch a break, and after having the car shift from fifth gear to second when they started the rolling race, he asks for another run, but in manual mode. This time, the Mach 1 seems to be off to a slightly better start, but the result remains unchanged. Looking at the onboard telemetry results, it seems that the Mach 1 can reach 62 mph (100 kph) from a standstill in 4.86 seconds.

It goes across the quarter-mile (402 meters) finish line in 12.89 seconds with a trap speed of 114 mph (185 kph). On the other side of the track, the Supra GTS is slightly faster up to 62 mph, as it only needs 4.49 seconds to get up to speed. Not only that, but it's also capable of completing the quarter-mile run in 12.55 seconds at 116 mph (187 kph). At the end of the day, it seems that the Mach 1 only sounds better than its opponent but is ultimately slower overall.