In the cold Canadian land of drag racing, the fastest car to the finish line is king! It's a pretty simple concept that all participants usually tend to agree upon... but that wasn't the case for today's race. Because while this Mustang certainly had the chops to prove that muscle cars sound better with a V8 than with AA batteries, its driver couldn't decide if he wanted to win or lose.
Before we get to the climax of that amazing plot twist, let's first meet our royal subjects. We'll start with the 2019 Honda Civic Type R that went under the hammer and had its intercooler, downpipe, exhaust, and intake systems tuned. The post-surgery chart shows a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine that can propel this baby forward via its 480 hp (487 ps) and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque.
As a comparison, a fresh off-the-conveyor belt 2023 Type R has a 2.0-liter inline-four turbo VTEC engine that can output 315 hp (319 ps) with 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque and will cost you $43,000 and change. Comparing the stock version with the one from race, we can clearly tell there's quite a difference pony-wise.
Next up, we're greeted by an all-time favorite from the 'Sam CarLegion' YouTube channel, the Kia Stinger GT. The 2019 black beauty dons a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that can output 410 hp (416 ps) with 390 lb-ft (529 Nm) of torque. It too went under the knife and got a custom tune enhancement, but left everything else untouched.
There's quite the difference between it and the brand new 2023 Stinger GT2 with the 3.3-liter V6 that can deliver 368 hp (373 ps) and 376 lb-ft (510 Nm) of torque. We don't have a price tag on the tuned one, but the GT2 will put a $52k dent in your savings account.
Last and certainly not least, we have the 2017 Mustang GT. Modifications include the intake and exhaust systems, along with a clutch upgrade. This 5.0-liter V8 American purebred can whip out 460 hp (466 ps) with 430 lb-ft (583 Nm) of torque.
While no price has been revealed in this case either, a brand-new (base) 2023 GT Fastback V8 with 480 hp (487 ps) will set you back almost $42,000. But if you want to go all out with the Dark Horse edition, you'll get 500 hp (507 ps) for $58,000.
Now that we have the entire picture, let's finally move on to the tarmac fight. During the first race, it seemed like all three floored it at the same time, but just a second after that, the Stinger GT took lead with the Mustang in second and Honda in third.
By the time they got to the finish line, there was no chance of keeping up with the Kia, but interestingly enough, the Mustang came in second by the skin of its teeth next to the Type R, in a regular photo finish.
The second time around, the Mustang had an amazing start and won by about two or three car lengths in front of the Kia, which in turn was about a car ahead of the Honda. Then, they of course needed a third deciding race, and this is where the Mustang lost it all on account of a bad start. After it was all said and done, the Kia won by a landslide again, the Honda actually finished second, with the old muscle car in third place.
There's nothing sadder in a race than seeing a great performing vehicle lose because of poor driving skills, but at the end of the day, the Mustang did prove its worth and technically was the best out there, although the Stinger GT went home with the prize. Who knows, maybe we'll get the chance to see this Ford in action again at the Dunnville Autodrome drag strip from Ontario, Canada, where this entire shebang took place.
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
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