Tuned Shelby GT500 Slays European Exotics in Drag Race

Maserati & BMW owners tried their hardest against the almighty Shelby Cobra but the venom was simply too potent. 

While we anxiously await the return of the Shelby GT500, it’s worth remembering just how fast the previous generation was. Even in stock form, these mighty Mustangs were quite capable of blowing away most everything at the time in a straight line. And when you do a little tuning, as the owner of this particular Shelby GT500 did in the above video from YouTuber Audi HD, they respond extremely well.

In this case, slight tweaking is all it took to extract a claimed 720 horsepower. And when you go to the trouble of doing all that, why not test it out against some of Europe’s finest performance machinery? In this case, that means a little bit of drag racing against everything from a BMW M3 to an Audi RS7 Sportback. Both pretty powerful machines in their own right. And both obviously not 100 percent stock, either.

Race number one takes place against the silver Bimmer, and it’s really no contest. The Mustang walks off the line with little drama and pulls out immediately. After that, the gap only narrows before both cars cross the finish line. Heck even the next contestant, a Maserati Quatroporte, gives it more of a race. Next, our Shelby GT500 driver catches a Mercedes CLS driver sleeping at the wheel, so that one’s a snorefest.

The European driver victims just keep lining up and the Shelby just keeps knocking them down like bowling pins. Well, except for a mishap against a C-Class AMG, where evil tire spin gives the Benz a victory. And a nasty sounding Audi RS7 gets the best of him at the end. But still, it’s nice to see this Mustang driver refusing to back down from anyone. Not to mention an American pony car racking up wins across the pond!

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.