C8 Corvette vs Shelby 500 - The Winner Is . . .

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It's funny how different yet still somewhat similar certain cars can be. The Mustang and the Corvette have never been great foes, but they have been known to cross paths in more ways than one and based on the type of driving experience you're looking for, choosing between them can be straight forward.

The Mustang is your typical muscle car. Big, loud, reasonably comfortable. It can easily double as a grand tourer over long distances, and naturally, it's way cheaper to purchase than a Corvette. The latter does offer a more dynamic experience though, seen as how it's pretty much a traditional supercar - which is especially true for this latest C8 variant with its mid-engine layout.

This LT2 V8 engine powering the Corvette C8 is derived from the C7 Stingray's LT1 unit, featuring a 6.2L displacement to go with 490 horsepower (497 ps) and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque.

This is a naturally aspirated engine, mind you, and if you pay extra for the optional sports exhaust system, the output grows to 495 hp (502 ps) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of torque. It's not a lot but on paper, you can rocket to 60 mph (97 kph) in less than 3 seconds, which is always impressive. Also, since there's no manual option, you're left with just an 8-speed dual clutch automatic, which should please just about anyone.

As for the Shelby GT500, it uses a hand-built 5.2L 'Predator' V8 unit, working alongside a 2.65L supercharger. Peak output is rated at 760 hp (771 ps) and 625 lb-ft (847 Nm), with everything going to the rear wheels via a Tremec seven-speed dual clutch automatic.

On paper, the two should be very close as far as their quarter mile times are concerned. However, these two here, both of which supposedly stock, appear to underperform, with the flagship Mustang crossing the line in 11.2 seconds at 127 mph (204 kph), and the Corvette in 11.8 seconds at 114 mph (183 mph).

We could argue that these results aren't very reliable, but in the end, it was the more powerful car that won, which is often the case.

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Source: Sergui Tudose

Posted 9/16/22