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Stock Z06 Takes On Stock Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT500
Here’s how these un-modified American thoroughbreds fare at the drag strip
by Khris Bharath, on1000 horsepower fire-breathing monsters are a common sight at almost any drag strip these days, but I’m sure most people would like to know how some sports cars perform out of the box.
Well in their latest video, Wheels shows a bone stock C7 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 taking on a Shelby Mustang GT350 and Shelby Mustang GT500. Let’s see which one comes out on top. The showdown took place at the Mission Raceway Park up in BC, Canada.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The C8 Z06 might be out, but the C7 Z06 was no slouch either. In the yellow corner, we have a very bright highly desirable C7 Z06. Under the hood of this beast lies Chevy’s 6.2 liter supercharged LT4 V-8 engine. In stock form, this engine produces 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. You could get the Z06 with either a seven-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic, with power going to the rear wheels.
Shelby Mustang GT350
Next, let’s move on to the Shelbys shall we? In the grey corner, we have a Shelby Mustang GT350. Under the hood of this pony car lies a naturally aspirated 5.2 liter V-8 with a flat-plane crank. It produces 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. Although it sits below the GT500 in the model range, don’t dismiss it just yet as you get a six-speed manual transmission, which should definitely offer up a spirited drive.
Shelby Mustang GT500
Finally, in the blue corner, we have the Shelby Mustang GT500. Ford has gone to great lengths to distinguish the GT500 from the 350. For starters, it looks far more aggressive, especially with that body kit and giant wing. Although the engine displacement on the GT500 might be the same as the GT350s at 5.2 liters, it is supercharged and as a result, produces 700 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque.
This engine uses a cross-plane crank, which should definitely help it sound more rumbly. Ford has gone hi-tech with the gearbox and has thrown in a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It’s now time to see how these numbers translate on the track.
Z06 vs GT350
For round one, the Z06 lined up against the Shelby Mustang GT350. The lights go out and it was neck and neck, pretty much all the way to the ¼ mile line, although the Mustang did beat the Chevrolet by the thinnest of margins. It was 12 seconds dead for the GT350 against the 12.06 seconds for the Z06.
Z06 vs GT500
For round two, we had the Z06 now take on one of Ford’s finest muscle cars to date, the mighty GT 500. Both cars pull some elevens to put some heat into the rubber before lining up at the Christmas tree. The hammer drops and, unfortunately, the Z06’s driver had a poor reaction time and it was no contest from the get-go. The GT500 was gone, managing to complete the standing quarter-mile in 11.17 seconds against the Z06’s 13.26 seconds.
To sum it up
So a definitive win then for these Shelbys. However, someone in the comment section mentioned the GT350 not being stock, as the stock car runs a 12.3. As far as the Z06 is concerned, I think it was down to the driver. It would have been much closer if it wasn’t for the poor RT. I really can’t wait to see what the new Corvette C8 Z06 can do on the drag strip. Watch this space.
