11 photos
Photo: Drag Racing and Car Stuff" YouTube channel
It's not every day that you see a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 utterly defeat a holy trio like the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, a 392-ci (6.4L) HEMI Charger, and the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 down the quarter-mile. So when you get the chance to witness such an event, you best keep your eyelids wide open and blink as little as possible.
First, the Shelby went against the Charger, and while the latter won the start, the former caught up midway and crossed the finish line after 10.02 seconds at 147.13 mph or 236.78. The Dodge was close, at 10.94 seconds, going 124.02 mph or 199.59 kilometers per hour.
The FordMustang Shelby GT500from the S550 Mustang generation is truly something to be reckoned with. Such a machine is armed with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 that pumps out 760 hp and 627 pound-feet (847 Nm) of torque. This baby can hit 60 mph in 3 seconds. Our model might even have some extra oomph, given its track performance.
According to the videographer from the "Drag Racing and Car Stuff" YouTube channel, the Charger came with a 392-cubic-inch or 6.4-liter supercharged HEMI V8 SRTengine. This engine version is usually found on theScat Pack trim, which produces 485 hp and 475 lb-ft or 644 Nm of torque. Now, because the times between the two were so close, this Charger might also have an ace up its sleeve.
Photo: Drag Racing and Car Stuff" YouTube channel
The second race was between the Mustang and a Hellcat. It was basically a rerun of the first attempt against the Charger. The Challenger was first off the line, but Ford's pony crossed the finish line first after a whopping 9.67-second time at 148.48 mph or 238.95 kph. The Hellcat took 10.95 seconds and was much slower, at 130.72 mph (210.37 kph).
The stock Dodge Challenger Hellcat has a 6.2-liter Hemi V8 engine that can also output serious firepower, rated at 717 horsepower and 656 pound-feet (889 Nm) of torque. However, if you opt for the Hellcat Redeye or theChallenger SRTSuper Stock, you get the High-Output Hemi V8 that produces 797 hp with 707 pound-feet (958 Nm) of torque.
After bringing down the Dodge brand, the Ford Mustang switched to Chevrolet and battled the mighty Corvette C7 Z06 in the third and final round. The Shelby GT500 finished in 9.94 seconds, going 143.75 miles per hour or 231.34 kph, while the 'Vette did it in 10.58 seconds at 133.43 mph or 214.73 kilometers per hour.
The Corvette Z06 has a parachute strapped to its back, which didn't come out of the factory, but a stock C7 was equipped with a 6.2-liter V8 powerplant that produced 641 hp and 650 lb-ft or 881 Nmof torque. As it turns out, the Z06 needed much more to beat the undefeated Shelby.
One of the most ambitious Shelby models from the S550 era was the 2020 Bold Edition Super Snake that came as a fastback coupe or soft-top convertible. The limited-run series came in Twister Orange or Green Lime with black stripes, and Shadow Black with green stripes, all with black wheels. In fact, this model is so rare that only 30 were made out of 500 Super Snakes.
Photo: Shelby American
They didn't call it Bold for nothing! This pony had a version of the Coyote V8 from the Mustang GT that delivered 710 hp. However, there was an even more powerful version with 825 horsepower.
A more recent variant (2021) of the Shelby GT500 came out of a specialized garagefrom Texas that modified its innards to produce a whopping 974 rear-wheel horsepower and 691 lb-ft (937 Nm) of torque on the dyno. And yes, it's only running on the special E85 formula that the Dodge Demon 170 also loves to drink when it wants to reach its full potential of 1,025 hp.
However, that's still not enough, and the team at Late Model Racecraft wants to make it go even faster, aiming for 1,050 or 1,100 hp. This monster should be able to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.0 seconds, which is hypercar territory.
The seventh-gen S650 2024 Shelby Super Snake is your safest bet if you want an even more modern (and official) approach. Made only in 250 units for the US market,it was revealed as the highest-performing Shelby Super Snake at a special event by Barret-Jackson in Palm Beach, Florida. This puppy has two variants, both with the fourth-generation Coyote 5.0-liter V8.
Photo: Ford
One makes 480 hp, while the other also has a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger that brings those rookie numbers to more than 830 hp. Also, if you get the manual version, you can brag about the nifty Shelby shifter ball. The asking price for a beauty like this starts at $159,995.
The final destination is the Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800, otherwise known as the "Ford Performance Electric Vehicle Demonstrators," which was forged to "target several new quarter-mile NHRA world records for electric vehicles."
Before it became the 1800, it was dubbed the 1400, because it produced a 1,400-hp venomous bite via its electric powertrain that, back in 2021, cleared the 1/4-mile in 8.128 seconds at the Norwalk, Ohio, drag strip.
After a significant boost in power, the Cobra Jet managed to release 1,800 horses down the track of the National Hot Rod Association Winter Nationals. It crossed the finish line in 7.759 seconds, going 180.14 mph or 298.9 kilometers per hour, which is astounding, to say the least.
