Time and time again, the Shelby Mustang GT500 has proven itself to be a seriously fast car. Apart from the outgoing GT350/GT350R, the supercharged Shelby is the most track-ready Mustang ever made. In its latest test, the GT500 attacks the famed Hockenheim circuit in Germany, and the results are downright impressive.
As you watch the video, here’s a reminder of the car’s sinister performance specs. Its supercharged 5.2-liter V8 churns out 760 horsepower (567 Kilowatts), hitting sixty miles per hour in roughly three and a half seconds. The Shelby comes exclusively with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which fires off rapid shifts to make track driving that much easier. As we mentioned in our first drive, it is a serious machine around a track.
However, power isn’t everything when it comes to outright track performance. Even with all of that grunt, the Mustang laid down a lap time around Hockheim of 1:54.6. This is significant because it is exactly the same time – down to a tenth of a second – as a PDK-equipped Porsche 718 Cayman GT4.
Porsche’s mid-engined track star uses a 4.0-liter flat-six making 414 horsepower (309 Kw). With over 300 horsepower less than the Mustang, it achieves sixty mph just a tenth or two slower in 3.7 seconds. Both cars run quarter-miles south of 12 seconds.
Ultimately, either of these two are among the fastest track toys in the world and produce blistering lap times. The Mustang may have the leg up when it comes to straightaway power, but the Porsche handles itself in corners with more poise and consistency. It’s also worth mentioning that we’re not sure whether or not the GT500 in the video is equipped with the carbon fiber track package, which makes it a much sharper racing weapon. Regardless, it’s a hell of a lot of fun to watch around Hockenheim.
77 Photos