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Shelby GT500 Drag Races C8 Corvette, Forced Induction Makes the Difference

Remember the Corvette ZR-1 from the fourth generation? That was an American sports car that could show European supercars a thing or two in terms of performance. Chevrolet continued to squeeze more out of the fifth and sixth generations, but the C7 came full circle with the supercharged LT5 engine of the ZR1.
Shelby GT500 and C8 Corvette drag race 83 photos
Photo: Hennessey Performance Engineering
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If you Google search for it, the first unsponsored result is “2019 Corvette ZR1 Supercar” from the golden bowtie’s website. The question is, how does the C8 stack up?

We’re a few years away from the next ZR1, and this time around, the blown small-block V8 will be swapped with a twin-turbo DOHC engine with a flat-plane crankshaft. Some sort of hybridization is also in the offing. As for the answer to that question, there’s no denying the C8 platform has more potential than the C7.

The Stingray, for example, puts the power down better than its predecessor thanks to the weight distribution of the mid-engine layout. Better traction off the line means better acceleration, and this is more than obvious if you watch drag racing videos.

Hennessey has recently pitted the C8 with the Z51 Performance Package against muscle car royalty, the pumped-up Shelby GT500 that eclipses the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat in terms of horsepower. However, the ‘Vette has the upper hand when launching from a standstill despite the Mustang’s wider rear tires (315 vs. 305).

By the end of the quarter-mile run, the immense horsepower rating of the Ford Performance brawler has snatched victory from the free-breathing Stingray. From a roll at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), the advantage of the Shelby GT500 is obvious once again.

The Texas-based tuner highlights that both cars are stock – for now. The C8 is gearing up for a twin-turbo implant with 1,200 horsepower on deck (1,217 PS) as well as a number of lesser options such as a supercharging kit.

As for the ‘Stang, Hennessey offers two upgrades in the guise of the Venom 1000 and Venom 1200. The first of them is supercharged while the 1,200-horsepower package features two snails instead of a blower.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

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.
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