Shelby GT500 Faces Mach-E GT Performance In Mustang Family Drag Race
Can instant electric torque defeat gobs of internal-combustion horsepower?
At this point, you know all about the Mustang Shelby GT500. You also know all about the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance. Both cars wear Mustang badges, but each represents a completely different approach to performance. How does that shake out in a real-world showdown? We're about to find out.
It's time for a drag race, and this Mustang matchup comes from Edmunds. They had occasion to line up Ford's range-topping performance Mustangs, and yes we mean that plural because despite sharing a name, the GT500 is a muscular two-door pony car while the Mach-E is a four-door electric crossover. Those are two different segments, and these vehicles represent the pinnacle of each segment at Ford.
On paper, the Shelby GT500 wins easily. With 760 horsepower (567 kilowatts) from its supercharged 5.2-liter V8, it far exceeds the 480 hp (358 kW) in the Mach-E GT Performance. It's also lighter, but the electric 'Stang isn't without some mojo. It has a bit more torque than the GT500 – 634 pound-feet (860 Newton-meters) versus 625 lb-ft (847 Nm) – and that torque hits instantly.
Gallery: 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: Review
The Mach-E also sends power to all four wheels, helping it to reach 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The GT500 is a bit quicker at 3.3 seconds, provided the rear-wheel-drive muscle car gets traction. And as we learned in our own GT500 drag race experience, traction doesn't come easy. However, a drag race is more than just a sprint to 60 mph, and the Mach-E GT's electric powertrain can only hold maximum power for five seconds. So each vehicle holds advantages and disadvantages in this showdown.
Mustangs Love To Go Fast:
That's made abundantly clear in the first race from a standstill, as the Mach-E GT Performance absolutely destroys the GT500 off the line. By the time the Shelby gains traction, the Mach-E pulls a silent lead of several car lengths. And just as suddenly, the advantage shifts back to the supercharged V8 and its 280-hp advantage, closing the gap with jaw-dropping speed before crossing the finish line just ahead of the Mach-E.
Gallery: 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition
Two more races follow, including another dig race followed by a roll race. The Mach-E driver tries a different technique on the start to conserve that five-second power boost, but to no avail. And without the all-wheel-drive starting-line advantage, the crossover has no hope of winning from a rolling start.
So breathe easy, Shelby fans. Internal combustion still rules the Mustang roost. Will that change when a Shelby version of the Mach-E eventually arrives? Only time will tell.
Source: Edmunds via YouTube
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