American cars almost always had the upper hand when it came to raw demeanor, loud firepower, and overall size. To test this theory, Sam CarLegion, the YouTuber who likes to race all sorts of makes and models against one another, gathered an extraordinary trio for a disputed game of tag.
Today's special guests are two GT superstars and a deceptively out-of-place wildcard: a muscle-bound American demigod, a cutthroat German dive-bomber, and an Audi. Since that doesn't do much to lift the fog away from this downright intercontinental duel, we'll introduce them by first and last names.
A Shelby Mustang GT500, a Mercedes AMG GTS, an Audi RS 5 – quite an unusual gathering, given that the Audi is the knife to the proverbial gunfight in this play. Why so? Because it is outgunned, outnumbered, outpaced, outclassed, and outrageously all-wheel drive.
This traction advantage is the car's highest card, but it falls short in every other aspect that matters. Let's call them one by one: the GT500 has the biggest everything – displacement, power, torque, and weight. 5.2 liters, eight V-disposed cylinders, 760 bhp/770 PS (turbocharged), 625 lb-ft (847 Nm), 4,171 lbs. (nearly 1,9 tons), rear-wheel drive.
The AMG also has a V8, but it's just a four-liter, although it has two turbochargers slammed on it. As a result, it produces 515 bhp (522 PS) and 494 lb-ft of torque (670 Nm), rear-wheel drive. The significant advantage comes from the 500 lbs. less body mass it has to carry around. 3,627 lbs., or 1,645 kg, is a powerful tables turner.
402 bhp/ton on the Mustang vs. 313 bhp/ton on the AMG. Before we continue, let's present the RS 5: the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 that only has 444 bhp and 442 lb-ft (450 PS and 600 Nm), and the Quattro transmission makes it 3,990 lbs. heavy (1,8 tons). 244 bhp/ton, that's a low life expectancy in a drag race. The real question in this event is, "how badly will the RS 5 lose?"
But, because it uses all four wheels to move around, the RS5 shoots off the line, leaving the much sportier GTs in the dust. Not for long, though, because the AMG makes a very rapid comeback and shoots past the Audi just before the finish line. Sadly for the star-spangled cobra, the GT500 is utterly defeated.
The sky above the Canadian test track where Sam CarLegion records his automotive duels was under a layer of clouds on race day. Otherwise, a sundial would have sufficed to measure the differences. Play the video below that was uploaded yesterday and see for yourself: there's more fight in the European dog.
The second race is no different in the standings, with the impressive GT500 scoring another defeat. However, the Audi jumps the gun and takes off early, but even so, the Mercedes is hot on its tail, erasing the massive lead the Audi pulls on the start. Still, the Quattro wins – but gets disqualified for cheating.
The roll races give the American muscle a fighting chance. From 32 mph (50kph), the Shelby can use its turbocharged V8 and put the Audi back in its (third) place. But the GTS is unbeatable, as the Mercedes pulls away mercilessly.
Even more so, the final round, a manual-shift roll from 50 mph (80 kph), sees an immediate knock-out. With both turbos on rapid automatic fire, the Mercedes AMG GTS wins by several car lengths. Frankly, the only way it could get to the finish line faster would have been a teleport pad.
After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads. Full profile
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