Shelby GT500 Vs BMW M5 Competition Drag Race Is Neck And Neck

The BMW M5 Competition and Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 are V8-powered performance cars that go about things in slightly different ways. The GT500 puts a huge priority on speed, while this grade of the M5 still keeps a tow in the realm of luxury, while still being ridiculously quick. Let's see how they compare on the drag strip.

This GT500 belongs to the famous automotive YouTuber Shmee and has the optional Track Package that includes 20-inch carbon wheels, adjustable strut-top mounts, adjustable rear wing, thick-bolstered Recaro seats, rear-seat delete, and front splitter wickers. 

67 Photos

The Shelby has a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 making 760 horsepower (567 kilowatts) and 625 pound-feet (847 Newton-meters) of torque and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Ford's official figures say the car can cover the quarter-mile in sub-11-second times.

The M5 Competition boasts a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 making 617 hp (460 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm). It uses an eight-speed automatic that sends the power to both axles.

32 Photos

With the specs out of the way, it's time to race. The run is very close. Both models are side by side the whole way. The Mustang takes a narrow victory by covering the quarter-mile in 10.996 seconds at 129.4 miles per hour (208.25 kilometers per hour). The M5 is just a bit slower at 11.286 seconds at 123.86 mph (199.3 kph).

More GT500 Drag Races:

For race two, things get weird. The M5 has a slower quarter-mile time but crosses the line first. This is possible because of the BMW driver's reaction time of 0.87 seconds, versus 2.98 seconds for the Ford. The M5 Competition covers the distance in 11.173 seconds at 124.71 mph (200.7 kph). Meanwhile, the GT500 does it in 10.998 seconds at 129.97 mph (209.2 kph).

Based on the video analysis, the M5 gets across the line just 0.036 seconds ahead of the GT500. This distance amounts to just 7.05 feet (2.149 meters).