C8 Corvette vs Shelby GT500 Track Pack: Which Makes the Better Track Car?
Despite their vast differences, the C8 and GT500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack produce somewhat similar results.
While they’re vastly different vehicles by many measures, the C8 Corvette and Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 continue to be compared and contrasted by various media outlets and influencers. Mainly because, well, it’s about as close to a Corvette competitor that Ford makes, save for the ultra-expensive Ford GT. However, this latest comparison between these two machines isn’t about anything other than how they measure up as track day warriors.
YouTuber Speed Phenom, or Austin Everett as he’s known in the real world, just so happens to own both a C8 Corvette and a Shelby GT500 equipped with the optional Carbon Fiber Track Package. He also spends quite a bit of time at the track wringing out his vehicles, so he’s more than qualified to talk about the virtues of each.
On paper, these two cars couldn’t be much more different. The C8, of course, is packing a mid-mounted, naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter LT2 that produces 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The GT500, on the other hand, makes due with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 producing 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque. That may seem like a massive advantage, but the C8 has much less weight to move around, tipping the scales at around 3,600 pounds versus the GT500 at a portly 4,200 pounds.
So how do those numbers translate to on-track performance? Everett raves about the Corvette, for starters. “The way this car puts down the power,” he says. “The thing just hooks. What I really love about this car is its front end grip – I always have control over the front end. I don’t feel any understeer. The car just dead hooks.”
After some time in the GT500, Everett comes away equally impressed, but notes that the two cars feel very different. “This car is without a doubt faster than the Corvette,” he says. “It’s such a different experience. Both of them are phenomenal track day cars, but they achieve their performance in such different manners.”
Ultimately, Everett notes that the C8 is an easier car to drive fast than the GT500, and is more confidence-inspiring in the corners. It’s also cheaper to run and consumes tires at a slower rate. As far as lap times go, Everett managed a few 1:31s in the Corvette versus a best 1:29 in the Mustang, so it’s clear which car is quicker. But if the Z06 is what we think it’s going to be, the Shelby won’t hold that crown for very long.
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