In the market for an American performance coupé and in a pickle when it comes to picking your poison? Should it be a sports car? Should it be a muscle car? Tough choice, right?
Well, lucky for you, this guy took both the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette and the 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 on a circuit to tell you how each of them behaves when pushed hard on a winding course.
A track battle that doesn’t focus on lap times
Now, let’s get one thing straight. These two cars are not exactly direct rivals for plenty of reasons.
Sure, they’re both RWD and they both pack V-8 engines but the C8 Vette has its heart mounted behind the driver, while the GT500 is front-engined.
What’s more, the difference in power is quite sensible, as is the difference in weight.
To cross the Ts and dot the Is, the Corvette’s V-8 cranks out 490 horsepower at 6,450 rpm and 465 pound-feet of torque at 5,150 rpm. The GT500’s, on the other hand, produces 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque.
But while the Shelby is way more powerful, it’s also heavier than the Chevrolet Corvette. The former tips the scales at around 4,225 pounds, while the latter comes in at 3,366 pounds.
With these figures in mind, remember that Speed Phenom’s neatly laid out video is more about how these two performance cars feel on the track, and not necessarily what lap times they managed to pull off.
In fact, the video’s description clearly states that “the context for this breakdown is not focused on sheer lap times, however it’s based on feel. How are they as track cars for an average enthusiast?"
So, there you have it. Want a track car of the American ilk and don’t know what to pick? Here’s a video that’s bound to help, especially since the guy’s language is so clear, concise, and accessible even to complete car noobs.
