GT Mk IV

Make
Ford
Segment
Coupe

The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the big daddy in the range, with 755 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque being channeled to the rear wheels thanks to a supercharged 6.2-liter V8. This is a supercar slayer like no other. It may command a hefty premium over the already capable 650-hp Z06 but the additional power and chassis upgrades make it a formidable competitor both in a straight line as well as on the track.

This particular model features the quick-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission which is useful in a drag race as well as a freer-flowing exhaust system that may have liberated a few extra ponies too. The massive static rear wing is less beneficial but still looks pretty damn cool.

The Ford GT meanwhile is an actual supercar, although judged purely on the numbers you may be forgiven for thinking that the ZR1 has already got this race in the bag, but the devil, as always, is in the details. Behind the driver sits a 647-hp 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, very impressive from such a small capacity motor but it is over 100hp less than the ZR1.

The 550 lb-ft of torque is a full 165 lb-ft short of the ZR1 too, but the GT is around 220-pounds lighter, has a faster 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and active aerodynamics. Thanks to exotic carbon fiber construction and complex suspension design it costs around four times more than the ZR1 does. Sure, it will most likely beat a ZR1 around a circuit, (or maybe not) but in a straight line? Well, DragTimes went down to Palm Beach International Raceway to find out.

The final results are a lot closer than you might expect, the Ford GT is definitely the faster car but only by a narrow 0.158-seconds in the first race. Taking the GT driver's quicker reaction time into account, the actual difference is only 0.064-seconds. While it did have a fractionally higher trap speed, the active aero was not enough to let the GT pull away significantly at higher speeds.

A win for the Ford GT then, but a moral victory for the ZR1 underdog. The remaining races only served to reaffirm how close these two are, perhaps there really is no replacement for displacement, even in today's high-tech world.