GT500 & Corvette Duke It Out!

Check out the new Car & Driver.

The new Shelby GT500 ran a disappointing 12.9 @ 112 mph. Not really
any faster than the previous 4.6 Terminator Cobra. (Hopefully we don't
have another '99 Cobra fiasco happening.)

The Corvette ran 12.8 @ 113 / 0-60
--
They also raced two low-milage examples of the '68 GT500 & '68 427
Vette.

'68 GT500 -- 13.9 @ 103
'68 427 Vette -- 13.8 @ 105

Patrick

In reality both cars will perform better than that.
Which will actually be faster? Hard to say so far.
The Mustang has the 100-hp advantage, but it comes
wrapped with a heavier weight penalty. Power wars!

I'm glad they dumped the fog lights from the GT500.
SVT really does know how to make Mustangs look good!

Thanks,
Scott



wrote:
>
> Check out the new Car & Driver.
>
> The new Shelby GT500 ran a disappointing 12.9 @ 112 mph.
> Not really any faster than the previous 4.6 Terminator
> Cobra. (Hopefully we don't have another '99 Cobra fiasco
> happening.)
>
> The Corvette ran 12.8 @ 113 / 0-60
>
> --
> They also raced two low-milage examples of the '68 GT500
> & '68 427 Vette.
>
> '68 GT500 -- 13.9 @ 103
> '68 427 Vette -- 13.8 @ 105
>
> Patrick
>

wrote:
> Check out the new Car & Driver.
>
> The new Shelby GT500 ran a disappointing 12.9 @ 112 mph. Not really
> any faster than the previous 4.6 Terminator Cobra. (Hopefully we don't
> have another '99 Cobra fiasco happening.)
>
> The Corvette ran 12.8 @ 113 / 0-60
> --
> They also raced two low-milage examples of the '68 GT500 & '68 427
> Vette.
>
> '68 GT500 -- 13.9 @ 103
> '68 427 Vette -- 13.8 @ 105
>
> Patrick

I saw that and I wondered how the GT500 does the same quarter as the
4.6 Cobra (03-04) with a 110 horse advantage. Something doesn't add up.

JohnV@nn wrote:
> wrote:
>> Check out the new Car & Driver.
>>
>> The new Shelby GT500 ran a disappointing 12.9 @ 112 mph. Not really
>> any faster than the previous 4.6 Terminator Cobra. (Hopefully we don't
>> have another '99 Cobra fiasco happening.)
>>
>> The Corvette ran 12.8 @ 113 / 0-60
>> --
>> They also raced two low-milage examples of the '68 GT500 & '68 427
>> Vette.
>>
>> '68 GT500 -- 13.9 @ 103
>> '68 427 Vette -- 13.8 @ 105
>>
>> Patrick
>
> I saw that and I wondered how the GT500 does the same quarter as the
> 4.6 Cobra (03-04) with a 110 horse advantage. Something doesn't add up.

When it comes to high horsepower cars with manual transmissions there is
a law of diminishing returns when it comes to 1/4 mile times. It also
makes driver skill very important to achieving a good ET. My guess is a
combination of poor shifting and throttle control and lack of traction
is the reason for the seeming low time for the GT500. The time quoted
for the Vette makes me think the driver wasn't up to the task on that
day and/or track conditions were horrible.

The new Shelby is close to 3,900 pounds isn't it? A Corvette is not
over 3,200. 20+% more weight is going to require 80-90 horsepower for
par. There you go.

HerkyJerky wrote:
> The new Shelby is close to 3,900 pounds isn't it? A Corvette is not
> over 3,200. 20+% more weight is going to require 80-90 horsepower for
> par. There you go.

Weight is definitely a factor but times for both cars are low IMO. I
have a Mustang that makes about 425 rwhp and 460 rwtq at 2,500 rpm. It
has a T-56 six speed with 3.55 gears and launching is a tricky affair.
Especially with street tires. A GT500 with a good driver and slicks
should easily dip into the high to mid 11 second range and could get
into the 10s with a few relatively cheap and easy tuning tricks
......like a smaller blower pulley.

that to was the first thing that came to mind. the mustang being heaver
than the vette. mp

Driver skill(with regard to manual transmissions) definitely plays a big
part in 1/4 mile race times BUT the biggest factor is a little thing called
power-to-weight ratio(PtW). Acceleration is directly tied to PtW therefore
PtW is king at the strip. The straight dope is as follows:

2006 Ford Shelby GT500
Engine: 5.4L
500 SAE NET HP / 3,920 lbs == .128

2006 Chevrolet Corvette
Engine: 7L
505 SAE NET HP / 3,132 lbs == .161

1968 Ford Shelby GT500
Engine: 428CJ CID
335 SAE GROSS HP / 3,780 lbs == .088

1968 Chevrolet Corvette
Engine: 427 CID(L36,L68,L71,L88)
390-430 SAE GROSS HP/ 3,210 lbs == .121-.134

Yet another $.02 worth from a proud owner of a 1970 Mach 1 351C with a PtW
of .103 @ http://community.webshots.com/album/18644819fHAehGJAjt

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Check out the new Car & Driver.
>
> The new Shelby GT500 ran a disappointing 12.9 @ 112 mph. Not really
> any faster than the previous 4.6 Terminator Cobra. (Hopefully we don't
> have another '99 Cobra fiasco happening.)
>
> The Corvette ran 12.8 @ 113 / 0-60
> --
> They also raced two low-milage examples of the '68 GT500 & '68 427
> Vette.
>
> '68 GT500 -- 13.9 @ 103
> '68 427 Vette -- 13.8 @ 105

Power to weight ratio is important but the area under the torque curve
is definitely better on the GT500 which helps to equalize its power to
weight ratio being higher. Kenne Bell blown Mustangs will run about the
same ETs as a centrifugal blown Mustang that has 40-50 more PEAK rwhp.
The GT500 should have a huge advantage in this area which, in the end,
should allow it to rule at the drag strip even though it is a porker.

Grover C. McCoury III wrote:
> Driver skill(with regard to manual transmissions) definitely plays a big
> part in 1/4 mile race times BUT the biggest factor is a little thing called
> power-to-weight ratio(PtW). Acceleration is directly tied to PtW therefore
> PtW is king at the strip. The straight dope is as follows:
>
> 2006 Ford Shelby GT500
> Engine: 5.4L
> 500 SAE NET HP / 3,920 lbs == .128
>
> 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
> Engine: 7L
> 505 SAE NET HP / 3,132 lbs == .161
>
> 1968 Ford Shelby GT500
> Engine: 428CJ CID
> 335 SAE GROSS HP / 3,780 lbs == .088
>
> 1968 Chevrolet Corvette
> Engine: 427 CID(L36,L68,L71,L88)
> 390-430 SAE GROSS HP/ 3,210 lbs == .121-.134
>
> Yet another $.02 worth from a proud owner of a 1970 Mach 1 351C with a PtW
> of .103 @ http://community.webshots.com/album/18644819fHAehGJAjt
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Check out the new Car & Driver.
>>
>> The new Shelby GT500 ran a disappointing 12.9 @ 112 mph. Not really
>> any faster than the previous 4.6 Terminator Cobra. (Hopefully we don't
>> have another '99 Cobra fiasco happening.)
>>
>> The Corvette ran 12.8 @ 113 / 0-60
>> --
>> They also raced two low-milage examples of the '68 GT500 & '68 427
>> Vette.
>>
>> '68 GT500 -- 13.9 @ 103
>> '68 427 Vette -- 13.8 @ 105
>
>

HerkyJerky wrote:
> The new Shelby is close to 3,900 pounds isn't it? A Corvette is not
> over 3,200. 20+% more weight is going to require 80-90 horsepower for
> par. There you go.

My surprise was not at the Vette beating the GT500 by a tenth; it was
at the GT500 running the same quarter as the 03-04 Terminator cars.