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2020 Shelby GT500 Takes On McLaren 720S With Predictable Results: Video

There’s no denying the fact that the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is an incredible machine that punches way above its price. This is a car that’s highly capable on the track, to the point where it outruns much more expensive vehicles with no problem. But there’s a limit to the car’s performance, as we can see in this video where the GT500 is pitted against the mighty McLaren 720S.

This battle certainly isn’t fair on any level, really. The McLaren 720S starts out at a whopping $300k, compared to the GT500’s base price of around $73k. The Shelby also weighs a ridiculous 1,000 pounds more, though its 5.2L Predator V8 does produce 50 more horsepower in stock form. Unfortunately, that just isn’t enough to overcome the severe weight advantage in this particular showdown.

However, this GT500 does have a couple of mods, including a cold air intake, 93-octane tune, and high-flow catalytic converters. Thus, it makes 800 horsepower at the wheels, which helps bridge the gap between it and the McLaren 720S just a touch. Both cars are wearing stickier Toyo R888R tires, so that’s a wash.

From a roll on the highway, the GT500 does jump out to a small early lead, but the 720S wastes no time pulling ahead and leaving it several car lengths behind. The second race goes pretty much the same way, with the McLaren easily pulling ahead for the win. Finally, a third go produces exactly the same results, so there’s no denying them.

Ultimately, however, this showdown doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Despite its power advantage, the GT500 is just too heavy compared to the svelte 720S to make up that gap. It would need much, much more power to compensate for that added heft, and we’ve all seen what happens when you throw too much at these cars, at least with a stock bottom end.

We’ll have more on the GT500 very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Mustang news, Mustang Shelby GT500 news, and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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Comments

  1. Yes, and so it goes…

    Reply
  2. Thee dumbest thing I’ve
    ever seen or heard of in
    my life, a sports car vs.
    a muscle car!

    Bet you Chevy lovers
    won’t put the damn
    thing up against a Chevy
    Corvette, why? Because
    you know that thing will
    kick that ass!
    All because the Shelby
    kick that vette’s ass up
    and down the track,
    knowing ain’t no more
    Chevy Carmaro vs
    Shelby GT 500,
    Because Chevy can’t put no
    more horsepower in the Carmaro
    over the Vette, otherwise all the
    sales would go over to the
    Carmaro, so you leave it out
    of most competition,
    and throw the Shelby GT in
    it! All because the
    MUSTANG IS THE # 1
    SALLING MUSCLE CAR IN
    THE WORLD AND YOU
    HATE IT!

    Trivia question:
    WHY HASN’T THE
    FORD F-150 BEEN
    INVITED TO THE
    MOTOR TREND TRUCK
    OF THE YEAR COMPETITION?

    Could it be because the
    Ford F-150 is THE BEST
    SALLING TRUCK IN THE
    WORLD THREE YEARS
    IN THE ROW AND SOME
    MO!!!!’

    Reply
  3. Ford Mustang, series F,truck’s de best…
    Corvette fibBrett’s lost track of all the Fords he’s owned over the years and how much he’s spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

    Reply
  4. You do realize this race most likely would have looked different if it was a drag race ! A Mustang is more of a 1/4 car as far as gearing so being impressed with the results of this race is kinda not . Gear down and let them two beautiful cars go then see what happens, at let better results comparing the two !

    Reply
    1. it still would’ve lost. 1000lbs is a lot, especially when it comes to racing.

      Reply
  5. I need a 570s. Like yesterday.

    Reply
  6. Check out Automotive Performance on YouTube. Rudy bought his GT500 from us and it is wicked. Several tunes fun to watch.

    Reply

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