"It's music to the ears," said Camilo Pardo, designer of the Ford GT Mk II, after revving up his Ford GT Mk III just a few feet away from another American beauty, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. This quarter-mile showdown is one for the ages, folks, so let's jump straight in, because what we're witnessing today is nothing short of automotive poetry.
The hyperbolically gorgeous Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is claimed to go from 0 to 60 mph or 96.5 kph in just 2.6 seconds. However, Mat Watson from "carwow" put it to the test in another video and only managed to pull off 3.7 seconds. The interesting part is that Brooks Weisblat from DragTimes actually pulled off a 2.7-second blast-off using a delicate technique of wheelspin and slight breaking.
In any case, it's funny when you think about it, because the 845-hp Cyberbeast is 0.1 seconds faster while weighing 6,799 lbs. (3,084 kg), compared to the Vette's 3,494 lbs. or 1,585 kg.
Coming back to our Chevy Z06, also named the "American Ferrari," it has a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 that can deliver 670 hp (679 ps) with 461 lb-ft (625 Nm) of torque.
Now for the legendary Ford GT! This beauty is rocking a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that can deliver 650 hp (659 ps) with 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque and weighs 2,994 lbs. or 1,358 kg.
This Ford GT isn't just any old model, but 1-of-3 from a signature Ford GT third-generation series. The custom paint job is akin to an OEM execution where the car was taken apart.
Photo: carwow
The most exciting thing about this model is the signatures, or autographs if you will, from automotive legends. Peter Brock would be the first among them, the designer of the Daytona Coupe, followed by the late Bob Bondurant and Mario Andretti, both legendary Ford GT drivers from the '60s.
This car is so exceptional that Camilo Pardo won't even begin to think about selling it for under $1.5 million. But now that we're done admiring these polished gems let's see them hit the tarmac in this all-American 1/4-mile showdown.
They only went for a single drag race, where the Corvette Z06 driven by Mat Watson took the lead like a pro. At least during the first few seconds of the race, because after the Ford GT started hitting those higher gears, it was endgame for the Chevy.
After an action-packed race that looked ripped out of a movie, it was a beautiful photo finish, with the Ford crossing the finish line mere tenths of a second ahead of the Chevrolet Corvette. They both scored 11.2 seconds at the 1/4-mile finish line.
Photo: carwow
After that exemplary race came a few 1/2-mile roll races where the Ford GT stumbled a bit because Camilo couldn't hear Mat's "GO" signal too well due to the engine sound. But they tried until everything was right as rain.
The naturally aspirated Corvette was faster and won, while the GT couldn't quite cut it because of turbo lag issues. The moral of the story here is to get a supercharger.
Lastly, they went for a break test where the Ford GT won by a landslide. The Corvette was so slow to break after reaching the cones, that it was at least a car length in front of its competitor.
That meant two victories for the Ford and just one for the Chevy. Everything considered, it was a well-balanced race with two shining American-made jewels that I'd love to see time and again.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News