There was a time not too long ago when American muscle cars were seen as nothing more than straight-line warriors that couldn’t go around corners. Oh, how things have changed.
Fast forward to 2020 and Ford is producing two extremely capable variants of the Mustang that are just as good through the corners as they are in a straight line. These are, of course, the Mustang Shelby GT350R and the Mustang Shelby GT500. Which of the two is better around an autocross course? Steeda has the answer.
Looking solely at the spec sheet, it would be easy to give the advantage to the Shelby GT500. After all, it features a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 engine churning out a remarkable 760 hp and 625 lb-ft (847 Nm) of torque and mated to a dual-clutch transmission. The Shelby GT350R, on the other hand, seems somewhat underpowered by comparison as its naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V8 has 526 hp and 429 lb-ft (582 Nm) and is coupled with a six-speed manual transmission.
Related: At 4,225 Pounds, The 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 Is One Heavy Brute
The autocross course run by Steeda in the video is quite tight and technical and really puts the two cars to the test. While the Mustang GT500 tested came equipped with the Carbon Fiber Track Package including carbon fiber wheels, the circuit was simply too technical for all of its 760 hp to be usable. It finished up with a best time of 50.3-seconds.
As for the GT350R, its power deficit actually gives it an advantage because the driver is able to fully utilize all the grunt without things getting too out of hand. It recorded a best time of 49.8-seconds.