Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 vs. BMW M5 Competition Drag Race Is Very Close

The quad-cam V8 is officially rated at 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet (847 Nm) of torque, but as it’s often the case with quarter-mile bruisers, those numbers don’t mean anything without optional equipment. The Carbon Fiber Track Package without a hyphen between carbon and fiber is the option to get because it comes with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 performance tires, carbon-fiber wheels, a rear-seat delete, and a catch can.

Tipping the scales at 4,250 pounds (1,928 kilograms), the 2020 model year Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Carbon Fiber Track Package accepted the challenge of a 2020 model year BMW M5 Competition in bone-stock guise. Slightly heavier at 4,400 pounds (1,996 kilograms), the Bavarian sports sedan is more or less an Autobahn cruiser with corner-carving capability.

The Munich-based automaker never intended the M5 Competition for drag racing, which makes the following video all that more interesting. Rated at 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Nm) of torque, the German interloper also happens to rely on a couple of turbochargers instead of a positive-displacement blower for boost. What’s more, the Bimmer uses the good ol’ ZF 8HP automatic instead of a dual-clutch tranny like the ‘Stang.

Filmed at the Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida, a drag strip boasting an elevation of 30 feet, the clip begins with a victory for the GT500. On the second and final run, the M5 Competition digs better and manages to cross the finish line first by approximately half a car’s length.

Of course, the very clever all-wheel-drive system and similarly clever launch control had a huge role in the Bimmer’s win. The Bavarian manufacturer is also known for downrating its horsepower and torque figures, and turbochargers aren’t as sensible as blowers are to Florida’s heat.