Ford Mustang GT Drag Races Shelby Cobra, Dodge Viper: Video

YouTube channel CarWow is known for pitting vehicles against one another and turn them loose in a straight-line race to see which one reigns supreme. While they’ve taken unlikely competitors like the Ford Transit Custom and raced them, sportscars often make their way to the drag strip, particularly the Ford GT, which CarWow has raced against two other GTs, a Chevy Corvette, and a Dodge Viper. This time, they borrowed a new set of vehicles, putting a 2019 Ford Mustang GT on track alongside a Shelby Cobra and 1998 Dodge Viper to find out which one has the most get-up-and-go.

Here’s the kicker: all three vehicles have the same horsepower rating – 460 horsepower, to be exact. The Shelby (which is a modern replica, not the real deal) sources its power from a 5.0L V8, as does the Mustang GT. The Viper, meanwhile, features a 8.0L V12 powerhouse. All are rear-wheel-drive, but of the three, only the Mustang features launch control, which could help it get off the line faster than its competition.

And it does – at least at first. In the first of two quarter-mile runs, the Ford Mustang GT is quickly overtaken by the Cobra, which lunges into the lead with the Viper in hot pursuit, leaving the Mustang in the dust. From there, it’s the battle of the “snake” cars – the Viper and the Cobra take off, with the advantage going to the Cobra by a longshot at the line.

The second race goes about the same. The Mustang is left floundering while the Cobra and Viper duke it out, and yet again, it’s the Cobra breaking the finish line first. However, in a half-mile race, the Cobra is overtaken by the Viper at the finish, while the Ford Mustang GT is, again, left behind.

The Cobra’s victory can be attributed to its massive rear tires, and, of course, the fact that it’s so much lighter than the competition. The Mustang is the heaviest of the three, which could account for its lag. But there’s at least one area the Ford Mustang GT excels in, and that’s stopping distance. In a brake test from 70 mph, the Mustang rocks to a halt much faster than the other two thanks to its ABS – something the Viper and Cobra lack.