From Jonathan Lamas,
Your Guide to Mustangs.
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What do you get when you pit a 5.4L Shelby Mustang against a 6.1L performance Challenger? Aside from the smoke and burning rubber, you’ve got yourself a genuine muscle car showdown.

In this article we’ll compare the 2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang and the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. In a previous comparison we pitted the Mustang GT against the Challenger SRT8. The goal was to see if the basic GT Mustang could hold its own against the performance Challenger. In the end, the lighter 4.6L Mustang was able to keep up with the heavier SRT8 Challenger in the numbers game. What about the Shelby GT500? Now that we’ve got an apples-to-apples comparison, who will drive away the victor?

Powertrain: The Shelby Puts Out More Power, and Possibly Better Track Times

First things first, let’s take a look at Dodge’s performance Challenger (MSRP $40,095). The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 features a 6.1L SRT HEMI engine which Dodge says can produce 425 hp and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. This 6.1L engine is designed to give the SRT8 power. Truth be told, it also weighs the car down. The end result is a curb weight of 4,140 lbs for the Challenger SRT8.

The Challenger’s power reaches the pavement with help from 20-inch alloy wheels featuring size 245/45 all-season tires. The car comes to a stop courtesy of 14-inch Brembo brakes fitted with four-piston calipers.

Now enter the 2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang Coupe (MSRP $42,170). For starters the name Shelby conjures up power and performance. In fact some might instantly think this car can really get up and go. You know what? They’re right. With its 5.4L V8 engine, the car is capable of outputting an estimated 500 hp and 480 lb.-ft. of torque. Although the Shelby GT500 Mustang is heavier than the GT we previously reviewed, it’s still lighter than the Challenger SRT8. The Shelby GT500 coupe weighs in with a curb weight 3,920 lbs. Put away the calculator. The Shelby Mustang is 220 lbs. lighter than the performance Challenger. It also produces 75 more hp than Dodge’s performance car.

The Shelby GT500 Mustang rides on 18 x 9.5-inch machined aluminum wheels with SVT center caps. It features P255/45Z18 front tires and P285/40ZR18 rear tires. Braking is achieved with the help of Brembo 14-inch vented discs fitted with four-piston aluminum calipers in the front and 11.8-inch diameter vented discs fitted with two-piston calipers in the back.

While the 2008 Challenger SRT8 is only available with an automatic transmission, the Shelby GT500 is only available with a Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission. Let’s be honest. Most performance vehicles are equipped with a standard transmission. Is this a weak point for the Challenger SRT8? You be the judge.

POWERTRAIN

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

• 6.1-Liter SRT HEMI V8 Engine
  
• 5-Speed Automatic Transmission
  
• 425 hp and 420 lb.-ft of torque
  

2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang

• 5.4L V8 Engine
  
• Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission
  
• 500 hp and 480 lb.-ft. of torque
  

Okay, we know that the Challenger SRT8 is heavier than the Shelby GT500. Will this impact its performance figures on the track? Let’s take a look.

According to a Car and Driver magazine test, the Challenger SRT8 can achieve 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds with a quarter mile in 13.3 seconds. No doubt about it, the performance Challenger is fast. What about the Shelby Mustang?

According to a road test in the July 2006 issue of Car and Driver magazine, the boys from Ann Arbor clocked their Shelby GT500 at 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds with the quarter-mile at 12.9 seconds. Although the Challenger SRT8 is quick, it does appear as though the Shelby GT500 is the faster of the two.

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

• Vehicle Curb Weight: 4,140 lbs.
  
• 0 to 60 mph: 4.8 sec (Car and Driver Test Results)
  
• 1/4 Mile Time: 13.3 sec (Car and Driver Test Results)
  

2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang

• Vehicle Curb Weight: 3,920 lbs.
  
• 0 to 60 mph: 4.5 seconds (Car and Driver Test Results)
  
• 1/4 Mile Time: 12.9 seconds (Car and Driver Test Results)