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Toyota Supra vs. Bullitt Mustang Is an Epic Drag Racing Disappointment

America versus Japan - that right there is the kind of stereotype that makes a competition interesting. And the rivalry between the two countries burns brightest in the auto industry. We can think of no adversary more iconic or better suited to take on the new Toyota Supra than the Ford Mustang Bullitt.
Toyota Supra vs. Bullitt Mustang Is an Epic Drag Racing Disappointment 2 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot/CAR magazine SA
Toyota Supra vs. Bullitt Mustang Is an Epic Drag Racing Disappointment
Ford deserves a pat on the back for making the Mustang global and keeping it that way. Thus, this drag race happens not in Florida but South Africa. And the Bullitt isn't any old Mustang. Though it lacks the track-focused pedigree of a GT350, it makes up for it with iconic movie styling and a decent engine.

The Supra is pretty cool and all, but the Mustang makes way more power and should know a thing or two about drag racing. Yet that's not what happens in the drag race because the Japanese car wins by at least two car lengths.

So what happened? Well, the easiest thing to do is to blame the 6-speed manual in the Bullitt. The Supra's ZF 8-speed might not be lightning-quick, but it can do a better job than us humans. Clue number two is the 13.5-second quarter-mile time of the Ford.

Car & Driver got it to do 12.6 seconds, and the roads they used looked inferior to this track. But we know the Supra can also dip into the 12-second world even when stock. Obviously, you need to look for the exact tire pressure, the best shift points and take traction control into consideration, which the South Africans may not have done.

The specs can still be deceiving. While the Supra is rated at 335 horsepower, the dyno test has shown it potentially has closer to 400 ponies. The Bullitt makes more power than the normal GT, but it's still 300 pounds heavier. So which would you have, why, and does the outcome of a drag race factor into your decision?

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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