I raced every generation of Ford Mustang to see how far this Muscle car has come

I’ve got a sudden urge to don a stetson and grab a hot dog, probably because today I’m surrounded by all seven generations of the Ford Mustang. Yee haw.

That’s enough of the American stereotypes. I’m a huge fan of the Mustang, and I want to find out which one is fastest in a drag race. Let’s take a closer look at the stats.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Mk1 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

This rather stunning thing is a Mustang Shelby GT350 from 1966, and it’s actually been signed by tuning legend Carroll Shelby himself. Under the bonnet is a 4.7-litre supercharged V8 with 446hp and 569Nm of torque. That’s a lot even by modern standards.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic gearbox, but there’s a problem. When this car was being unloaded from the truck, the folks from the Petersen Museum, who kindly lent it to us, noticed a problem with the engine. Because of this car’s provenance, we can’t risk running it today. Gutted.

Mk2 Ford Mustang King Cobra

Thankfully, the Mk2 Mustang is working. This 1978 King Cobra has a 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine with just 141hp and 339Nm of torque. I’ve got a 1.8-litre Mazda MX-5 which is more powerful than that.

That (lack of) power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox, and the car weighs 1,240kg. Today, this car is worth around £25,000.

Mk3 Ford Mustang GT

This is a third-generation “Foxbody” Mustang GT from 1987. It has a 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 with 228hp and 407Nm of torque. That’s almost as much as a Golf GTI – wow!

It drives the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, and this car tips the scales at 1,378kg. It’s also worth around the same as the King Cobra.

Mk4 Ford Mustang Bullitt

Next up we have the Mk4, and this is a Bullitt version designed to commemorate the Steve McQueen movie from 1968. It has a 4.6-litre naturally-aspirated V8 with 269hp and 413Nm of torque.

It’s also rear-wheel drive, and it has a five-speed manual gearbox. The Bullitt weighs in at 1,470kg, and it’s worth around £15,000.

Mk5 Ford Mustang Bullitt

This Mk5 Mustang is also a Bullitt edition which, like the Mk4, just means it’s dark green and has some additional styling trinkets. Under the bonnet is a 4.6-litre naturally-aspirated V8 with 320hp and 441Nm of torque.

This car has rear-wheel drive and a five-speed manual gearbox, and it weighs 1,610kg. Expect to part with around £20,000-£25,000 for one of these in 2026.

Mk6 Ford Mustang Bullitt

Completing the trio of Highland Green Mustangs we have the Mk6 from 2018. It has a 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine with 487hp and 569Nm of torque, driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.

And this is the first car here with launch control, which should make getting off the line much easier. It weighs 1,755kg, and is worth around £40,000.

Mk7 Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finally, there’s the latest Mustang. This is the Dark Horse, and it has a 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 with 507hp and 567Nm of torque. While we do get the Dark Horse in the UK, we get a detuned version with 453hp. Boo.

It drives the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic gearbox with launch control, and this is the heaviest car here tipping the scales at 1,810kg. This car costs around £50,000 in the US of A, but the slower version we get in Blighty will set you back £71,000.

So those are the cars, but what will happen? It would make sense for the latest car to be the fastest, but anything can happen in a Carwow drag race. Check out the video to see how it pans out.

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