This episode of Cammisa Ultimate Drag Race is certain to ruffle a few people, namely those with a passion for the Mustang. Why is that? The Dark Horse featured in the video below takes on its closest rivals with a manual, whereas the Camaro SS and Challenger Shakedown are auto, which makes it all the more unfair for the Mustang.
The only American sports coupe of the three with a DOHC V8 and two throttle bodies, the Dark Horse isn't the lightest car of the three. Tipping the scales at 3,980 pounds (1,805 kilograms) in this particular specification, the 500-horsepower pony slots right between the LT1-engined Camaro and 392-powered Challenger. The declared curb weights for these vehicles are 3,788 and 4,340 pounds, meaning 1,718 and 1,969 kilograms in the metric system.
As one might expect, the Mustang hooks up better than the Challenger from a dig. That Camaro, however, launches even better. Not surprising anyone, said Camaro proved quickest in the quarter-mile: 12.2 seconds compared to 12.5 and 12.5 for the other two. The manual-equipped Mustang clocked 115 miles per hour (185 kilometers per hour) at the quarter-mile mark, therefore besting the Challenger by 3 MPH. As for the Camaro, make that 118 mph (190 kph).
Why did Jason Cammisa choose a manual for the Dark Horse and autos for the rivaling pony car and muscle car from Canada? For starters, the Camaro and Challenger are on their way out, and their successors aren't expected to feature manuals. The Camaro is believed to come back in the form of an electric sedan, whereas Dodge previewed the next-gen Charger with electric muscle. What's more, combustion versions may be limited to the 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six twin-turbo in combination with the ZF-supplied 8HP of the current-generation Charger and Challenger.
The other reason for picking a manual is the second race of the video. Starring a German coupe, a Japanese coupe, and a British sports car with a mid-mounted V6, this drag race is the one that actually matters because all four contenders are equipped with six-speed manual transmissions. Had the Dark Horse featured an automatic, it would have kept up – or beaten – the torquier and lighter Chevrolet Camaro SS.
Photo: Hagerty on YouTube
The rarest breed of the bunch is the Lotus Emira. Some call it an Evora with nicer exterior design cues and a much nicer interior, although it's not as simple as that. The Toyota-sourced V6 in the middle is similar to the Evora, though, a supercharged unit rated at 400 horsepower and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm). In a vehicle that weighs 3,240 pounds (1,470 kilos), that should be incredibly fun in the twisties.
A bit of a porker at 3,745 pounds (1,699 kilograms), the M2 allegedly makes 453 ponies at the crankshaft. Emphasis on allegedly because go-faster Bimmers are intentionally underrated. The same applies to the significantly lighter Toyota GR Supra. Packing the B58 engine from which the S58 of the M2 was developed, the Supra is advertised with 382 horsepower and 368 pound-feet (just under 500 Nm).
It's hard to describe how well the Emira gets off the line compared to the front-engined contenders, but alas, the M2 eventually comes into its own. The Bimmer crosses the finish line in a staggering 12.2 seconds at 119 miles per hour (192 kilometers per hour), followed by the Dark Horse and Emira in close succession. The math says the Supra should be the slowest of the lot, which it is at 12.9 clicks.
What is especially surprising about these two drag races isn't how well the Mustang held its own, but how the Challenger Shakedown recorded 12.5 seconds compared to 12.6 for the Emira. Then again, the Lotus is a corner-carving machine rather than a quarter-mile strip slayer.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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