Stars and (drag) strips forever: Ford Mustang Dark Horse vs Chevrolet Corvette Z06 vs Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

This isn’t the first time we’ve had some crazily powerful Americana on the Carwow drag strip – but today’s trifecta is seriously special. We’re pitting the most extreme versions of three American icons – the Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Corvette, and the Dodge Challenger – against each other in the ultimate test of good old-fashioned horsepower.

All three of these cars were designed for drag strip supremacy, but how do they match up to one another? Let’s take a look at the stats first…

Ford Mustang Dark Horse

The Mustang is the archetypal muscle car, and has been since the 1960s. The latest model doesn’t have too much in common with its predecessors, though, besides the V8 engine and the long-bonnet coupe styling. The Dark Horse is the range-topping ‘regular’ Mustang, though the mad track-focused GTD is also available if you really want to go wild.

The Dark Horse model pushes out 507hp and 567Nm of torque from its 5.0-litre, naturally-aspirated V8 engine. This goes to the rear wheels via a ten-speed gearbox. The Mustang Dark Horse weighs in at 1,811kg, and in the States costs just over £47,000. Shed a tear for us in the UK, where our Dark Horse model only has 453hp and costs nearly £70,000…

Chevrolet Corvette Z06

The Corvette is one of the most storied American nameplates ever since the second-generation – the iconic ‘Stingray’ model – was launched in the 60s. Nowadays it’s as close as you can get to an American supercar, because it now has its engine mid-mounted just like the Ferraris or Lamborghinis it goes up against. The model we have here is the Z06, albeit fitted with the massive rear wing from a ZR1.

That engine is a 5.5-litre, naturally-aspirated V8 which pushes out 670hp and 625Nm of torque to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It weighs 1,685kg and costs from £88,555 in the US.

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

We’ve had Ford, we’ve had General Motors – now here’s the third part of the Detroit Holy Trinity. The Dodge Challenger was first introduced in 1969, but the generation we’re testing here was produced from 2008 – 2023. We’re testing the most extreme of the bunch – the SRT Demon, which was specifically designed for the drag strip – so it’s in with a good chance here.

Its 6.2-litre V8 engine is supercharged, helping it to push out 819hp and an absolutely crazy 972Nm of torque. This goes to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s the most powerful car here by some margin, but it’s also the heaviest at 1,941kg – and it’s wearing slick drag-racing tyres, too. In the US it costs from £62,625.

So which of the Detroit ‘Big Three’ will take the win on the Carwow drag strip? You’ll have to watch the video to find out. Just make sure you listen to some Springsteen first to get yourself in the right mood…

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