With its new mid-engine platform and high-powered V8, there’s no doubt that the 2020 Corvette is one helluva performance machine. That said, some folks still want to see what the C8 will do on a racetrack when compared to a worthy competitor, say the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. As it just so happens, YouTuber Speed Phenom is on point with just such a comparison, taking both sports cars to Willow Springs International Raceway in Southern California for some hot laps.
The video clocks in at just over 10 minutes long, providing plenty of opportunities to see what these two machines will do. The specs for both are certainly impressive, with the 2020 Corvette doling out 495 horsepower from its naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 LT2. Meanwhile, the GT500 throws down with 760 horsepower thanks to a supercharged 5.2L V8.
However, while the Mustang has the power advantage, the 2020 Corvette has the weight advantage, cutting about 600 pounds compared to the portly Ford. The different drivetrain layouts also make a difference, with the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette shifting the heft over the rear wheels, and the front-engine Mustang offering more front-end grip.
As Speed Phenom points out, these two sports cars are completely different animals, and they cater to completely different audiences – Chevrolet fans will spring for the 2020 Corvette, while Ford Fans would go for the Mustang. The question is: which is quicker on the racetrack?
With that, Speed Phenom takes to the track, providing a side-by-side comparison as he clips the apexes. Clearly, this young man knows what he’s doing behind the wheel, wringing out as much speed as he can.
The end result is interesting, and for those readers who just want to know the final times, skip ahead to the 3-minute, 16-second mark. However, for those folks craving a little more nuance, stick around, as Speed Phenom does a good job dissecting the character of both the 2020 Corvette and the 2020 Shelby GT500.
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Comments
IDK if the comparison is fair and the results were expected. it is clear to me that any mid engine, low center of gravity, and probably lighter vehicle should perform on a track better than any car that is not. The way I see it, the C8-Vette is a dedicated track vehicle, whereas the Shelby GT-500 is still a pony car and more like a drag-strip weapon to compete with the likes of Chevy Camaro and Dodge. IMO, a tack performance comparison between the C8, Porsche, Acura NSX and Audi R8 would have been more meaningful
I don’t think any of these ‘comparison’ vids are going to change the minds of any potential buyers. Chevy/Corvette guys are gonna buy the ‘Vette, and Ford guys will spring for the Mustang. That’s the way car culture has been in America since there were Fords and Chevvies, and I don’t think that will ever change.
Additionally, a 600-pound weight saving in one car isn’t going to level the fact that the other car has a 250-horsepower advantage.
Real question is how long can Ford continue building the Shelby GT500 because there is talk that it may be discontinued in just a couple of years because the C8 Corvette is simply a superior design with it’s mid-engine layout and once Chevrolet introduces the Z06 or ZR1 variants with more horsepower, cars like the Shelby GT500 will continue to fall further behind.
Well Tom, you make good points. For years I owned only one sports car: a 2001 Mustang Bullitt–more of a roadster, but five-speeds and 265 horsepower in a reasonably light package. It came from the factory with a bad head design, so trick flow came out with a superior one. While I changed the head, I decided to forge the crank and the pistons, but for the sake of heritae I did not add anything to the 4.6 liter McQueen Tribute car, by Ford and the the McQueen family. How’d the car do? Got 96 thousand miles on the clock in 19 years and still have the car. And Tom, keep in mind that not only was a basic four-door 1955 Ford six cyl. my first car, my last name is Ford. And to your point that minds cannot be changed? I have owned a C8 since April 13, 2020, first GM car of any kind that I personally owned. Mostly, I’ve had a bunch of Mercedes compact cars and Porsche from various years and descriptions and although all but one Porsche and one M-B are gone/sold, I still have a 2012 Carrera with a mild horsepower uptick. Why did I get a C8 Corvette? Lets just say this new design changed my mind despite the Ford GT being one of the great driver’s cars of all time, V8 or six. After all, it won Le Mans in 2016. Not a 1, 2, 3 finish like 50 years earlier, but still, not bad. I think I looked at a lot of different factors and then made up my mind on what was being offered. My favorite Ford is the Shelby GT 350, latest version. The R is better, but I like the non-R version. Now I’ll never own one because I have a C8, instead. So strange.
i hate this. The GT-500 is a high powered Muscle car, the C8 Corvette is a high performance sports/super car. The Mustang should be compared to the Camaro ZL1 1LE, and the Vette should be compared to the Ford GT.