If you've ever dreamed of drag racing a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, you have to watch this video that Drag Racing and Car Stuff just dropped on YouTube. Which dream car are you betting on?
In the Far Lane: Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
With a list price in excess of $70,000 and fuel economy below that of most half-ton pickup trucks, it's safe to say that Mustang Shelby GT500 owners didn't buy them to save money. So, why would anyone buy such a car? For the thrill of the acceleration that's provided by the 5.2-liter supercharged aluminum V8 producing 760 horsepower and 625 ft-lbs of torque.
Ford engineers designed the Mustang Shelby GT500 to go fast and equipped it for a trip to your local drag strip from the factory. Do you doubt its race readiness straight off the showroom floor? Check out the standard Electronic Line-lock that locks the front brake while releasing the rear brakes while at the track. The Shelby GT500 in this race has the airbox lid, air filter, and hood vent rain tray removed to increase airflow and is on Toyo R888R tires.
In the Near Lane: Dodge Challenger Hellcat
The Dodge Challenger Hellcat is a little less expensive, but no one is buying a Hellcat because their minivan is too costly to drive to work. However, it may be a better bargain than the opponent in this drag race. A base price of around $60,000 gets you into a Challenger wearing Hellcat badges but expect that price to increase if you want the available 807 hp, 707 lb-ft of torque generating 6.2-liter supercharged V8.
A factory drag racer in its own right, the Challenger Hellcat offers features such as Drag Mode, trans-brake, and drag radial tires in addition to line lock, launch control, and race cool down. This particular Challenger Hellcat is running 17" Mickey Thompson ET S/S tires.
And the Winner Is?
Both cars sound incredible as they do their burn-outs, preparing for battle. Anticipation builds as the cars inch forward on the staging light, and almost boils over as the sound of V8 power bounces off the rev limiters. Finally, both cars leave the line simultaneously, but in the end, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 beats the Dodge Challenger Hellcat by almost one-half second. The following two races of the four-race series start and end similarly, but the final race appears too much for the Hellcat driver, as the Mustang leaves the line with an obvious advantage and wins by nearly six-tenths of a second.