The current flagship version of the Mustang before the GTD arrives takes on a base Corvette for bragging rights
- The U-drag race reveals differences in handling, braking, and cornering, beyond just speed.
- Both cars offer similar power, but the Mustang weighs over 350 lbs more than the Corvette.
- Price disparity between the two cars adds an intriguing element to this performance test.
Ford has long lacked a true rival to the Corvette; on the other hand, after axing the Camaro, Chevrolet doesn’t currently have a direct competitor to the Mustang either. However, it’s fascinating to compare the two when you line up the base Corvette against Ford’s most distinguished Mustang that isn’t the GTD. In this U-Drag Race, the differences become immediately apparent.
Read: Muscle Duel Between Ford And Cadillac Shows One Clear Winner
U-drag races are great because they highlight far more than outright power. The cars do a typical drag race but then have to turn around and get back to the finish line as fast as they can. This allows us to learn about the cars’ braking, handling, and top-end speed all in one test.
Comparing the Specs
First and foremost, let’s talk specs because these two are remarkably similar on paper. The Corvette makes 495 horsepower (369 kW) while the Mustang Dark Horse makes 500 (372 kW). The Chevy offers 470 lb-ft (636 Nm) of torque and weighs 3,662 pounds (1,661 kg), while the ‘Stang has to get by with just 418 (566 Nm) and tips the scales at 4,016 (1,821 kg).
In short, these two cars offer almost identical power but the Dark Horse has less torque on offer and is significantly heavier. However, the Mustang costs significantly less, $74,155 to be exact, compared to the Vette that retails for $95,405 (both cars as tested). That said, the Corvette is a mid-engine Porsche rival while the Mustang is, despite Ford’s efforts, still a front-engined pony car. So, how do they fare in this particular test?
Race Results: Corvette vs. Mustang
In race one, the Chevrolet gets a big jump and rockets off the line much faster than the Ford. Down the quarter mile, the Corvette takes a one-second lead into the braking zone, out-handles the Mustang, and then gets back to the start almost two seconds ahead. In race two, we get an almost identical result with another sizeable gap between the two cars at the end.
According to Edmunds, the Corvette was over a second faster to 60 mph (96 km/h), exactly one second faster to the end of the quarter mile, and 1.3 seconds faster through the whole race. It also out-cornered the Dark Horse by pulling 1.23G in the turn compared to the Ford’s (still respectable) 1.22G.
The Verdict
That all said, what matters here is winning, and the Corvette did that in every aspect: acceleration, handling, and braking. That’s the difference between a genuine mid-engined supercar and a good front-engined sports car.
