Even famed tracks such as Orlando, Florida-based Orlando Speed World sometimes fail in the face of great action. No worries, though, because this epic battle was still put into the proper perspective.
The videographer behind the Drag Racing and Car Stuff account on social media is keeping us entertained until Christmas hits us with its cheerful atmosphere. So, he resolved to bring us a quarter-mile battle that is equally traditional on so many levels.
Given that we are dealing with a skirmish between a Shelby and a Porsche, one can take a pick regarding the proper category to inscribe them. It’s America vs. Import. It’s RWD vs. AWD. It’s a front- versus rear-engine setup. And it’s Mustang versus 911. If we think about it for a moment, I’m pretty sure we can come up with some more...
Anyway, let’s stay focused on the encounter between an all-black (even the wheels are dark), beastly Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, and a serene, light-blue Porsche 911 Turbo. In America’s corner resides a hand-built 5.2-liter aluminum alloy V8-equipped predator (pun intended) that’s a regular darling of the quarter-mile tracks around the nation.
Over in the right lane sits a Porsche 911 of the 991 series (as far as we can tell, feel free to point out if we are mistaken) that only looks tame because of the chosen paintjob. In reality, it’s a Turbo beast that depending on the model year, could arrive at the party with up to 572 horsepower. It might not sound like much against Shelby’s 760 ponies but do remember that it’s also a light all-wheel-drive machine.
As such, no wonder the 911 leaves better of the mark, initially taking the lead and putting the GT500 on hot pursuit. An issue with the track’s electronic scoreboard robbed us of the final ETs and trap speeds, as it showed the result solely for Porsche’s lane (10.82s at 128 mph/206 mph). We did notice the blinking light, though, indicating another win for America.
By the way, from the 1:17 mark, there’s also a Ford-exclusive battle to put the GT500’s ET into a 10.15s perspective...
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. Full profile
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