[VIDEO] 670 HP C8 Corvette Z06 U-Drags the 760-Horse Shelby GT500, America Wins!

Edmunds certainly knows how to celebrate Independence Day! The matchup we’ve all been waiting to see is the focal point of the site’s newest U-Drag video, and it doesn’t disappoint! Up to this point, the undisputed stars of Edmunds’ best series have been the 2023 Corvette Z06 and the 2020 Ford Shelby GT500. So far, we’ve seen Chevrolet’s flat-plane mid-engine marvel take on everything from McLaren’s hottest mainline supercar to an 819-horse electric sled. Meanwhile, the most potent Mustang that Ford has minted in the model’s 58.5 years of production has flexed its muscles on several notable U-Drag contenders, including the greatest sports sedan of all time and a thrilling comeback against the vastly underrated G82 BMW M4. But these two American titans haven’t met face to face until now!

If previous matchups didn’t tickle your fancy, but you’re here for this heavyweight title fight, here’s all that you need to know before jumping straight into the action. This newly devised Edmunds test takes everything that we love about a quarter-mile drag race, a roll race, a braking test, and a high-g skidpad and blends them all together into one very video-friendly trial. In the name of fairness and fun, it is also customary to swap drivers and go again after running a single down and back!

Today’s gladiators represent the best that America’s proud and storied automotive sector currently offers. Both feature V8s displacing more than five liters that send their power exclusively to the rear wheels through fast-shifting dual-clutch automatic transmissions. The ways that each puts these similarities into action, though, couldn’t be further apart. The Corvette’s engine sits between the cockpit and the rear axle and doesn’t make use of forced induction. Instead, it makes its power with high-revs via its ‘Vette-first 180 crankshaft. The Shelby’s front-mounted cross-plane motivator displaces 5.2L and is fed extra air by the same 2.65-liter supercharger that GM mounted to a 6.2 to create the mighty C7 ZR1.

The cars’ differing layouts are underscored by vast differences in power, weight, and as-tested price. The Shelby doesn’t go easy on the dyno or the scale. Its supercharged mill belts out 760 horses, but they have to haul around a not-insignificant 4,168 lbs. The test car, owned by Edmunds, isn’t equipped with any of the big-ticket options like the “Golden Ticket” Carbon Fiber Track Pack or the hilariously overpriced dual-painted stripes, leaving it with a quite reasonable $81,280 bottom line (in 2020 dollars). The 8,600 rpm Z06 peaks at 670 horsepower and checks in about 400 lbs. lighter than its rival, but when equipped with the Z07 track package, carbon fiber wheels, and the top-shelf 3LZ equipment group as the test car is, its MSRP balloons from its base just under $110,000 to right around double that of the modestly spec’d ‘Stang (side note: those prices don’t include the Greedy Dealer Syndrome (GDS) that has plagued both models). What’s most interesting is that both Detroit stallions register within one-tenth of each other in weight/power ratio, meaning that we should be in for one heck of a tight – and excellent sounding – battle! As per ushe, we don’t play spoiler around here, so we will close by saying take it away, Edmunds, and GO CORVETTE!!!

Source:
Edmunds / YouTube

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