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he 2020 C8 Corvette Z51 and the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 are both impressive American muscle cars, but which is the better option for you? A close competitor in this segment is who will offer more power, handling, and overall performance.
In order to determine which car would be a better option for your needs, consider how they compare with each other in terms of Horsepower (HP), Torque (ft-lbs), Weight (pounds), Maximum speed (MPH) Power-to-weight Ratio. First, let’s look at the specs:
2020 C8 Corvette Z51 vs. 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 – Horsepower (HP):
The new Corvette Stingray will be delivering 460 horsepower, which is 50 more than its predecessor but still significantly less than the GT500. However, when you compare the power-to-weight ratios of these two cars—the Corvette is the better performer with an estimated performance of 5.86 versus 0.65 for the GT500. Obviously, horsepower isn’t everything, and without a price tag, it’s hard to determine who offers better value in this category.
2020 C8 Corvette Z51 vs 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 – Torque (ft-lbs):
The Corvette Stingray comes with an estimated 405 lb-ft of torque, which is a 10-percent increase over the outgoing model. The Mustang also comes with 350 lb-ft of torque, but it’s estimated at 0.62. Here, torque isn’t everything, and without a price tag, it’s hard to determine who offers better value in this category.
When all is said and done, the Corvette might come out on top with its estimated power-to-weight ratio of 5.86. We do not directly compare the Mustang and an equivalent GT500 muscle car, but we do general information about the GT500.
For example, when you look at the specs for a 2018 Mustang GT500, it hits 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and comes in at 837 pounds with a 408-horsepower engine. However, that is still significantly heavier than the Corvette, which weighs under 3,000 pounds.
Now we will compare these two cars to their closest competitor, the 2020 Camaro SS 1LE and the Corvette ZR1. The 2nd Generation C8 Corvette was released in January of 2020, and it has an estimated 563 horsepower. On the other hand, the Chevy Camaro SS 1LE has a 250 horsepower rating, which is 40 more than the C8 Corvette. Coming in at 710 pounds with a 662 horsepower engine, it is about 2/3rds lighter than its competitor. The power-to-weight ratio for both of these models is 0.77 compared to 0.67 for the Shelby GT500.
In general, the C8 Corvette is a bit lighter and offers 30 more horsepower than its closest competitor. However, this is a pretty close race as these two cars are incredibly close in terms of power-to-weight ratio, and they come at an affordable price range. The bottom line is that these are great vehicles to consider if you are looking for an option with a high-performance machine but also a really affordable price tag.
2020 C8 Corvette Z51 vs. 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 – Weight (pounds):
The 2020 C8 Corvette Z51 has an estimated weight of 3,780 pounds, and the Shelby has an estimated weight of 3,076 pounds. These figures clearly illustrate that the GT500 is going to be a bit faster and more agile on the road than its 4th Generation Corvette brother. However, the power-to-weight ratio for both of these models is 0.67 compared to 0.65 for the Shelby GT500.
2020 C8 Corvette Z51 vs. 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 – Maximum Speed (MPH):
The 2020 Shelby is capable of going 200 mph, but we do not know what top speed the new Corvette is capable of achieving yet.
2020 C8 Corvette Z51 vs. 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 – Power-to-weight Ratio:
As mentioned above, this is where the Corvette beats the Mustang and all of its main competitors (Camaro SS 1LE and the GT500) by a significant margin. The Corvette has an estimated power-to-weight ratio of 0.67 compared to 0.65 for the Shelby GT500 and 0.77 for both of its closest competitors.
Moreover, the power-to-weight ratio is a more effective comparison because you should be able to get more performance and better handling out of a lighter vehicle. So, while horsepower might not matter as much, the lower weight and higher power-to-weight ratios clearly make the C8 Corvette a better machine.
2020 C8 Corvette Z51 vs. 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 – Price:
The Shelby’s $73,995 starting price is about $1400 more than what you’ll pay for the Corvette. Moreover, all sorts of add-on packages are available for both cars (here). However, the Mustang Shelby GT500 is going to be more expensive than the C8 Corvette Z51.
The C8 Corvette has a $59,995 starting price. A Corvette with the same equipment as this new variant would cost you around $65,000. In addition, there are many different packages and add-ons that can increase the price by thousands of dollars. The result is that if you are looking for an affordable American muscle car, these two cars are absolutely worth your consideration.
2020 C8 Corvette Z51 vs. 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 – Performance:
The C8 Corvette is going to have more horsepower and a better power-to-weight ratio, which makes it a better performer on paper. The C8 Corvette also has a wider range of performance options like the available Z07 package. Moreover, it offers a better engine and transmission, but it is also significantly heavier than its competitor (the GT500). While there are many different things to consider here, this one goes to the C8 Corvette.
Summary:
In our opinion, both of these cars are worth your consideration if you’re looking for an affordable American muscle car with plenty of power under the hood. However, if you are looking for a sports car with a really high-performance engine, the Shelby is definitely going to be the better choice.
We like the fact that both of these cars are incredibly capable machines and that they can go toe-to-toe with any other muscle car in their class. They also have some really good technology features and value for your money.
The new 2020 C8 Corvette Z51 will provide great performance at a lower price than its predecessor, so it is definitely worth your consideration. However, we think its limited range of performance options means that this could potentially be the best choice between these two options (with a few add-ons).
The outcome is that these are two great options for people who are looking for an affordable American muscle car with plenty of power, performance, and technology features under the hood. In addition, they also have a great reputation and history in their class. However, we like the C8 Corvette Z51 a bit more than the Shelby GT500 because it will be cheaper and will provide better performance (if you add certain packages).
The two cars will likely be very competitive in their class, and both come at great prices for their performance capabilities. As we have already mentioned, both of these cars are very similar in terms of performance specs and power-to-weight ratios. Moreover, they also have a similar range of performance options and technology features under the hood. Both are also incredibly capable and agile on the road, making them great performers on the track if you decide to add some add-ons.
Furthermore, there are many different things to consider when making your decision, and these two cars have very different starting prices. All things considered, we think that the C8 Corvette Z51 might be a better choice for some buyers because it has better performance capabilities over certain ranges. If you are looking for an affordable American muscle car with plenty of power, you should definitely be considering both of these cars.
2020 C8 Corvette Z51 vs. 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 – Final Verdict:
We think that both of these cars are very similar in terms of performance specs, power-to-weight ratio, and features under the hood. However, they come at different prices. Therefore, these two cars are definitely worth your consideration if you are on a budget and you want to buy an affordable American muscle car with plenty of power under the hood. Moreover, the fact that they provide great performance at great prices and both have a solid reputation in their class.
The fact that both of these cars are going to provide great performance at a lower price than their predecessors. Moreover, the C8 Corvette will be more expensive than the GT500 in the future. Moreover, there are some important differences between these two cars that you need to keep in mind as well when making your purchase decision. For example, we think that the C8 Corvette is a bit more versatile because it’s equipped with a standard transverse engine, V8 (instead of a longitudinal engine).
The two cars will both be offered in manual and automatic transmissions, and they will both probably come with a similar range of powerful engines. In addition, both of these cars will come with different powertrain options like the standard engine and a range of more powerful engines that might include a V8.
Furthermore, both cars are extremely impressive on the track if you decide to add some add-ons. The C8 Corvette Z51 comes with a much wider range of performance options, and it also offers a 6-speed manual transmission.
Therefore, these can be good choices for people looking for an affordable American muscle car with plenty of performance under the hood. We think that the C8 Corvette is going to be a great choice for most people and we think that it’s going to provide a fantastic performance as well. However, The fact that the Shelby GT500 will have a much wider range of performance options. Therefore, if you are looking for an incredibly capable and agile muscle car, we do suggest that you keep this possibility in mind as well.
