The sixth-generation Mustang is old news, yet still relevant because the Shelby GT500 still is the most powerful Mustang – and most powerful series-production Ford vehicle – of all time. It's a bit on the heavy side, though, due to a curb weight of 4,168 pounds (1,891 kilograms). Be that as it may, the BMW M8 Competition in the video below is heavier still.
Tipping the scales at 4,295 pounds (1,948 kilograms), the M8 Competition is – for the time being – the pinnacle of M performance vehicles. Internal combustion-only Ms, that is, because plug-in hybrids like the XM are slowly being added to the lineup.
The good folks at Edmunds decided to drag race said vehicles despite them being different animals in many respects. Even their target audiences are worlds apart. The biggest differences, however, are hidden under the skin, beginning with all- versus rear-wheel drive.
Rather than a torque-converter automatic, the Ford uses a dual-clutch transmission with one less forward gear. The Shelby GT500 wasn't designed for outright speed, but getting up to speed as fast as possible. Dearborn's favorite son quotes 3.3 seconds to 60 mph (97 kph) and 10.7 seconds in the quarter mile, figures that Edmunds couldn't match over the course of two U-drag races. This format begins with a good ol' dig race to the quarter mile, followed by a braking zone, a 180-degree turn, and a pedal-to-the-metal run back to the start/finish line.
With said format, Edmunds also tests the stopping power and corner-carving capability of two given vehicles. The dash back to the start/finish line offers a good idea about how these vehicles would perform in a rolling start drag race. Despite having 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet (847 Nm) to play with, the Mustang's best quarter-mile time was 11.3 seconds at 132.8 miles per hour (213.7 kilometers per hour). The BMW clocked 10.8 seconds at 127.7 miles per hour (205.5 kilometers per hour) thanks to less wheelspin.
As for 0-60 acceleration, make that 3.0 seconds flat and 3.8 seconds, respectively, for these V8-engined bruisers. The twin-turbocharged Bimmer uses a 4.4-liter engine with 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Nm) to its name. For the next-generation 8 Series, which is due to enter production in 2026, the M8 line is expected to adopt the hybrid-assisted S68 of the XM.
Both the Mustang and Bavarian coupe showed their weight under braking, and both pulled 1.17 Gs in the hairpin turn. Curious about the final time? Spoiler alert: BMW for the win! The M8 Competition finished the U-drag race in 32.0 seconds flat at 140.3 miles per hour (225.79 kilometers per hour), yet the Shelby GT500 carried more speed (148.5 mph or 238.9 kph) over the line, one tenth behind the more expensive BMW.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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