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The 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Coupe
Patrick Rall's picture
By Patrick Rall May 22 2012 - 11:29am

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang runs stock 11.60s, bests ZL1 again

A few weeks ago, General Motors made big news when they offered video of the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 running a stock high 11 second quarter mile but the battle of high end muscle cars has just heated up as the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 has turned out a stock quarter mile time of 11.6.
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While General Motors did the testing on their own that resulted in the 2012 Camaro ZL1 running in the 11.90s, the stunning 11.6 quarter mile time for the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 actually comes via the folks at Motor Trend. They were able to get a 0-60 time of just 3.5 seconds en route to turning out an elapsed time of 11.6 with an incredible track speed of 125.7 miles per hour. For comparison, Motor Trend ran a 12.1 at 117.4 miles per hour so based on their results, the new super ‘Stang is a full half second faster in the quarter mile while also offering 8 more miles per hour. Click here for a look at the Camaro ZL1 running in the 11s, with video.

Aside from the fact that the folks at Motor Trend were able to turn in a quarter mile time a half second better in the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 than in the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, it should be noted how the two cars were tested. The quarter mile time of 11.6 by Motor Trend was during tested where there were certain time limitations where the Camaro ZL1 11 second track times were accomplished by GM, who would have had as much time and practice as they could have wanted in working to get the best time possible. Based on that, it would make sense that if someone with drag racing experience was handed a 2013 GT500 and a good amount of time to learn the car – we could see stock quarter mile times into the lower 11 second range.

General Motors claimed the top of the muscle car class when they unveiled the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with 580 horsepower and 556lb-ft of torque but with an official rating of 662 horsepower and 631lb-ft of torque, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang stepped up and reclaimed the title for being the most powerful muscle car on the market. Next, GM went ahead and showed off their Camaro ZL1 running a stock quarter mile time in the high 11 second range and then the 2013 GT500 comes out with quarter mile times in the 11.60 range. Right now, the Camaro ZL1 still holds the bragging rights of being the best handling muscle car with an impressive Nürburgring time of 7:41.27 – a time that bests some well known supercars from Porsche, Lamborghini and Audi. Ford doesn’t have an answer for that 7 minute ‘Ring time but there have been plenty of images and videos of the 2013 GT500 lapping the famed German road course and back in February, a TorqueNews reader caught a GT500 test vehicle in a trailer sporting some well-worn tires and Nürburgring decals back in February (click here for more on that interesting spyshot). Based on this, we fully expect to hear some Nürburgring results for the new super ‘Stang soon.

The one key advantage that the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has over the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is the magnetic ride control system that has allowed the high end Camaro such incredible handling capacities. The new GT500 does offer an electronic adjustable Bilstein suspension package as part of the $3500 SVT Performance Package which could be enough for the new Shelby Mustang to be able to take the ZL1 on a road course – with the help of those 662 horses, of course.

As we head into summer, we can certainly expect to see more results from performance tests with the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as these two super muscle cars go head to head in a horsepower battle that hasn’t been seen since the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Source: Motor Trend

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Comments

Derrick wrote on May 22, 2012 - 11:37am
I know I'm a Camaro fan guy, but I'm not really that overly impressed by the time. Perhaps as you said, with more opportunity, they'll get a better time out of the car. 11.6 out of 662hp just seems a tad slow..
Anonymous wrote on May 22, 2012 - 12:10pm
"11.6 out of 662hp just seems a tad slow.." Yes unless you're driving a ZL1 :)
Derrick wrote on May 22, 2012 - 1:03pm
I could drive a 505hp Z06 and get a faster time.... just expecting a lower time is all..
Anonymous wrote on May 30, 2012 - 2:38pm
Yeah and that Z06 is 600 - 700 lbs lighter. Weight makes a HUGE difference. Don't you know that?
Mike wrote on July 21, 2012 - 2:34pm
Actually, with professional drivers, the Z06's were running 3.6-3.9 0-60 and 11.7-12.2 @121-125mph in the 1/4, BY PROS. I know for a fact that unless you have a lot of racing experience or a professional driving background, you might run 0-60 in 3.9-4.2 and a 1/4 in 12.2 at around 121-122mph or so, in a stock car.... Pls the Z0 s 3250lbs while the base 2013 GT500 is 3890lbs and if you order all the track goodies and such, you take the weight to 3975+ lbs... I'd do a base 500 with no rear seats, light battery, carbon hood and smaller 18 or 19" light weight wheels ad run 1/4-1/2 tank of gas.... Ths would take my 500 down to about 3745lbs....
phil wrote on July 24, 2014 - 7:39am
I ran 11.6 at 126.9 with my 07 z06 corvette in 80 degree weather.
Mike wrote on July 21, 2012 - 2:39pm
Actually, with professional drivers, the Z06's were running 3.6-3.9 0-60 and 11.7-12.2 @121-125mph in the 1/4, BY PROS. I know for a fact that unless you have a lot of racing experience or a professional driving background, you might run 0-60 in 3.9-4.2 and a 1/4 in 12.2 at around 121-122mph or so, in a stock car.... Pls the Z0 s 3250lbs while the base 2013 GT500 is 3890lbs and if you order all the track goodies and such, you take the weight to 3975+ lbs... I'd do a base 500 with no rear seats, light battery, carbon hood and smaller 18 or 19" light weight wheels ad run 1/4-1/2 tank of gas.... Ths would take my 500 down to about 3745lbs....
fordsux wrote on May 22, 2012 - 1:56pm
I love how ford biased magazines and such always compare the next year model mustang against the current camaro example, 2013 shelby vs 2012 zl1. Also when the 2010 ss came out the biased magazines were comparing it to the 2011 gt. This goes to show that ford is playing catch up to chevrolet as usual!
Realistic wrote on May 27, 2012 - 4:20pm
How is it catch up. Both cars coming out for sale around same time. I believe we are all in 2012. 2013 badge means nothing. All available this spring. Face it, Ford dominates in speed. I have a 2011 gt, car is faster than Camaro ss easy. Raced one, both stock, easy win for my gt. I also weight 300 lb. I believe that they also compared 2010 Mustang gt and Camaro ss prior to that. New model has 5.0 they are going to compare. It sells magazine.
fordsux wrote on May 22, 2012 - 1:57pm
I love how ford biased magazines and such always compare the next year model mustang against the current camaro example, 2013 shelby vs 2012 zl1. Also when the 2010 ss came out the biased magazines were comparing it to the 2011 gt. This goes to show that ford is playing catch up to chevrolet as usual!
Anonymous wrote on May 22, 2012 - 3:43pm
Obama Motors is still using an out dated engine design hence the disparity in horse power when going head to head with the more modern 4 valve, double overhead cam, fuel injected, Whipple super charged, 351 CID, modular V8....WHEW! Add to that the Camero's portly dimensions that cause it to wiegh nearly 300 pounds more than the Shelby GT 500, and you've got the makings of an embarrassing also ran called, Camaro ZL1. No "biased" just the facts.
Reefblue wrote on November 22, 2012 - 3:24am
The 2011 Mustang GT is faster than the 2011 Camaro. The 2012 Mustang GT is faster than the 2012 Camaro. THe 2013 Mustang GT is faster than the 2013 Camaro. The 2013 GT 500 is faster than the 2013 ZL1 Camaro. Hows that? Read it over and over again and you will notice that there is pattern. The Mustang is faster than the Camaro year after year, even the 2013 V6 Mustang is faster than the 2013 V6 Camaro. The 2013 Boss 302 is faster than the 2013 1LE Camaro.
Anonymous wrote on May 23, 2012 - 9:53pm
WOW.....WOW....WOW just think motortrend took the stock 2012 boss 302 444 hp and give the ZLnone a run for its money and this gt500 is a beefed up suped up version just wait till livernois gets one of these can you say 8's in the 1/4 with a/c running. also looks like the gt500 is in zr1 catagory 0 to 60 3.5sec 11.6 1/4 from motortrend stock [man oh man] i love how ford doesnt kill hp like gm does to protect their rear ends [live on outdated live axle]
fordsux wrote on May 23, 2012 - 10:21pm
gt500 will never run an 8second qtr keep dreaming!
Anonymous wrote on May 30, 2012 - 2:35pm
Hey buddy, The original poster was talking about a Livernois modded GT500. There are already modded GT500s running 8s and even 7s, so this will be no problem with the new platform.
Anonymous wrote on May 25, 2012 - 5:04pm
they got a 4200lb turd to run 9's so never say never . and 11.6 from 662hp is slow [LOL] i say insideline getting 0 to 60 in 4.0 sec and 11.70 from 635hp with less weight is a slow ZR1.
Anonymous wrote on June 18, 2012 - 3:47pm
You all are poorly misinformed... Does anyone remember the Bugatti veyron needing 100 more horsepower to read just 5 miles per hour faster in its top speed. That is because the faster you are going the more power you need to push it through the limitations of physics. Going from 11.9 sec quarter mile to say an 11.6 requires as y'all see nearly 100 more horsepower. To go from that 11.6 to even 11.3 with ONLY power changes not radials or auto or gearing, that would take probably another 60-80 horsepower. And the faster you go the more power needed, but that's when you need to make changes to the suspension etc so your not just spinning tires.
Anonymous wrote on June 18, 2012 - 9:01pm
you'r thinking about allout topspeed not qtr mile runs. just read and watched video of evolution running their 2013 gt500 and they got 9.95 sec qtr mile at 142 mph with 2900 $ in tires, pully and tune word is they gained 50+hp with just tune and pully change . wittnessing how much power these ford mod motors make with small changes this monster will be 1000+hp soon with stock internals no problem. remember the gt1000 supersnake the 6.2 zr1 has lightweight titanium rods and valves and lightweight billet forged steel crankshaft to make 638hp and those are highdollar parts, this thing has plain forged steel rods and crank making 662hp with 7000 rpm redline the ford gt's with twin turbo's are making 1200-1500hp on stock engine.
Anonymous wrote on June 18, 2012 - 9:42pm
My point was the relation between how much horsepower was needed to reach just a few more in TopSpeed it is similar to quarter-mile times dropping it just a few tenths of a second would require lots of tune into the suspension and power to the engine. i know evolution performance was able to get a nine second run out just a few things but that they were also using drag radials do that is a substantial difference. After that 9 Second run it's going to be harder for them to get an even lower time proving the point of way more horsepower is needed to drop the time even more. Is your 60 time of 3.5 and 2.5 doesn't seem like a big difference but the GT500 has 660 hp and dozen 3.5 if you got a Beran needs 1200 hp and all-wheel-drive to do it so that's the difference I'm talking about
Anonymous wrote on June 23, 2012 - 12:21am
So what you are saying the zl1 camaro needs 82hp to get even with the gt500 in hp then with the additional 400lbs of weight it'll need like 250 more hp because of physics just to match the 11.6 time of the gt500 [thats close to what livernois said they got] then to overcome even more physics to get fom 11.6 to 9.95 it'll need 500more hp to match the 9.95 time evolution has ran in the gt500 with just tune and tires then to match the 200mph speed of the gt500 it'll need what another 500hp because of more physics all told 1912hp. thats one bad hyperthetic piston streetlegal pushrod motor if i must say so but even the zr1 needed titanium rods and lightweight crank to make 638hp.
Anonymous wrote on June 23, 2012 - 1:02am
Your over dramatizing it a lot But yes I know what I'm talking about
Anonymous wrote on September 7, 2012 - 6:44am
I'm a ford guy hands down but with respect for the zl1 this camaro was built for track racing and although the gt500 would do well I'm sure the zl1 will have better lap times where as ford has been old school and do more 1/4 miles than tracks but I can see there moving to track based cars soon. If you wanted the track killer stang gotta go to Carroll Shelby at Shelby America those cars are way more track based the 2012 gt 350 had better times at road Atlanta than Ferraris own 430 scuderia. Shelby has always been the go to brand for American racing no questions asked......gm is a little to corporate minded
Reefblue wrote on November 22, 2012 - 3:06am
If you look at the MPH of the GT 500 [ 125mph ] and if you know anything about drag racing you quickly realize that the GT 500 is capable of running high 10's. A 125mph trap speed is equillivant to a high 10 second et, you should find that impressive considering the GT 500 can also run 200mph as well. The GT 500 is 600lbs heavier than the Corvette and costs much last. 11.6et and a 200mph top end and all for 60K dollars is impressive. You can't buy that much car for 60K dollars anywhere, try it, you will find out quickly how right I am. For less than the cost of a new ZR1 tou can buy a 2013 GT 500 Super Snake which makes 200 more hp than the base model GT 500.