Watch this Foxbody Mustang perform an enormous wheelie in this drag race against another classic ‘Stang.

The latest generation of Mustang, and especially the upcoming GT500, gets all the headlines these days, but there’s something to be said about the understated grandeur of the old ‘80s Mustang.

Built on the Fox platform which underpinned so many of Ford’s cars in the ‘80s, the third-generation Mustang initially launched with a 4.2-L V8 with the lowest power of any V8-equipped Mustang--just 120 measly horsepower. This was all due to the oil crisis of 1979 and skyrocketing fuel prices making big muscle cars like the Mustang incredibly unpopular.

It wasn’t until 1987 that the Mustang regained a proper 4.9-L V8 with between 200 and 235 horsepower, depending on the model year.

This particular Foxbody ‘Stang is an LX trim, which means it’s at least newer than 1984. Not that it really matters, because under the hood is a 427 cubic-inch (7.0-L) small-block engine running on 94 octane and given a 150 shot of nitrous. Power goes through a 2-speed transmission specifically for drag racing, while a parachute at the rear stops this car on short tracks.

RELATED: Check Out This P-51-Styled Mustang From Roush

Opposite is another Mustang, but this one is even older. The 1966 Mustang sports much of the same drag-race upgrades as its newer brother, but has a 363 cubic-inch small-block under the hood instead. It also sports nitrous, but it seems to do a better job of keeping it contained than the Foxbody Mustang does.

You can tell based on the incredible air the front tires get after launching off the line. Although the Foxbody Mustang should have the heavier front end with its larger-displacement engine, it still pops a huge wheelie as it rockets down the track.

That enormous leap didn’t seem to cost it any time though, as it finished in 9.1 seconds at 146.2 mph. The older Mustang finished in an even faster 9.01 seconds at 147.78 mph, proving that size isn’t everything.

One of these Mustangs even gets into the 8s in a subsequent race. Check out the video above to see which one.

NEXT: Mustang GT Takes On Camaro SS In Quarter-Mile Action