Vintage Ford Mustang Mach 1 Drags Dodge Demon, and There's a Legendary Photo Finish

While Blue Oval fans might consider themselves neglected by this characterization, remember that so far, EcoBoost four-cylinder and Coyote V8 greatness only soars as high as the 500-horsepower Mustang Dark Horse. Meanwhile, for a bit longer, the 2024 Chevy Camaro can be had with up to 650 horsepower in ZL1 Collector's Edition form, among others.

Then there are also the various 2023 model year Dodges, including the seven 'Last Call' Challenger and Charger special editions. Those can easily rock the world of any Mopar enthusiast, especially if we think about the 3,300 examples of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 and its stable of 1,025 horsepower on E85. That's good enough to fight the novel EV hordes of Tesla Plaids, but that doesn't mean the 'older' and equally limited-production widebody SRT Demon sibling is too shabby either, at least in terms of extreme quarter-mile dragstrip performance.

And, as always, there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have an eloquent example. The videographer behind the Wheels channel on YouTube is a big fan of 'Thunder Mountain' - aka the Bandimere Speedway mile-high quarter-mile dragstrip in Colorado, and he never misses a chance to showcase some of the most terrific brawls that happened there. The Youtuber recently decided it was high time for another collection of the 'new versus old school' muscle car drag racing variety.

Luckily, this videographer is not adept at lukewarm appetizers, and from the get-go, we are presented with a decidedly interesting match-up. As such, in the left lane sits a dark and menacing all-black Dodge Challenger SRT Demon that looks ready to send any contemporary muscle car foe home in tears. Alas, on the other side, there was a vintage, elderly rival – a 1969 or 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 dressed proudly in Grabber Blue to honor its Blue Oval heritage.

Naturally, the uninitiated would probably be persuaded in a second into thinking that the newer Dodge Demon would easily win this brawl. However, connoisseurs know very well that one should always expect the unexpected, so we kept our fingers crossed for a brawl of the 'old vs. new' ages between the SRT Demon and the original Mustang Mach 1. Fortunately, the quarter-mile dragstrip gods smiled down on us with a large grin, and this brawl was one for all the ages – and decidedly some legendary photo finish material. In the end, there can be only one, with the electronic scoreboard showing an ET of 10.256s (at 131 mph/211 kph) for one and 10.259s (at 132 mph/212 kph) for the other foe.

By the way, we are not going to spoil the fun of seeing which is which, and we are also going to refrain from additional queries regarding the electronic scoreboard's decision to light up the victor's LED bulbs in what seems like the wrong position. Anyway, remember, that epic skirmish is just the start. From then on, there are also more than eight minutes of vintage versus modern glory – and each of the Three Detroit Greats had the chance to shine out like a bright quarter-mile dragstrip star or forever cover its name in shame!