Discontinued in 2020, the Mustang Shelby GT350
was designed as a thrilling track-ready muscle car. Easily the biggest highlight of the GT350 is its notoriously high-revving

5.2-liter “Voodoo” V8
, which makes its peak 526 hp at a stratospheric 8,250 RPM. However, it always had a direct competitor in one German coupe.

• BMW M4 CS (F82)
  

  Engine/Motor

  3.0-liter twin-trubo inline-6

  Horsepower

  453 hp

  Torque

  443 lb-ft

  0-60 MPH

  3.8 seconds

  Transmission

  7-speed DCT

• 

  2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
  

  Engine/Motor

  5.2-liter V8

  Horsepower

  526 hp

  Torque

  429 lb-ft

  0-60 MPH

  4.6 seconds

  Transmission

  6-speed Tremec manual

The F82 generation M4 is easily one of the most beautiful and desirable European sports cars of the last decade. This is especially true of the CS variant, which bumps the M4’s power by about 30 hp and torque by 37 lb-ft and features a more aggressive, track-tuned suspension and additional body aero bits. As a result, the CS is 0.2 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the base M4. But while the M4 and GT350 are fierce competitors in terms of performance and pricing, the two couldn’t be much more different in every other sense.

The M4 is twin-turbocharged while the GT350 features a naturally aspirated V8. The American track weapon also uses a traditional Tremec six-speed manual transmission while the CS gets a quick 7-speed DCT. The M4 also can’t hope to match the Mustang when it comes to its exhaust note, but will the German sports car be able to out-muscle the GT350 in a straight line?

That’s exactly what Carwow and Mat Watson set out to find out, pitting the GT350 against its era-equivalent German nemesis in a 1/4 mile drag race. The results are shocking.

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The Race

Shelby GT350 Vs M4 CS Drag Race Results

Even tuned to 600 hp, the Shelby GT350 struggled to put its power down as well as the M4, and ultimately lost all three drag races. And there are several good reasons for that.

Being twin-turbocharged, the M4 CS’s power is more readily available throughout the rev range, giving it a slight performance edge in a straight line. Another reason why the M4 was able to walk away from the Mustang is its seven-speed DCT, which ensures the M4 is always in the right gear and has maximum power.

Finally, of the two cars in this drag race, one had quite a bit more power than advertised – and it’s not the tuned Shelby. Most gearheads already know modern BMW engines are notoriously underrated from the factory. There’s no running away from it. In fact, BMW claims 453 hp for the M4 CS at the crankshaft, but owners are easily able to measure that same power at the wheels. A good ECU tune will also bump the power output of this twin-turbo inline-6 by well over 500 whp.

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The Shelby GT350 Is More Than Just The Sum Of Its Parts

The Shelby GT350, on the other hand, proved to be faster without launch control because it needs at least 5,000 rpm to be launched properly without bogging down. With launch control engaged, which locks the RPM to 4,000, it clocked a 13.1-second 1/4 mile. But despite being slightly slower in a straight line, the GT350 is more of a driver’s car, emphasizing skill and screaming-loud exhaust note. Its naturally aspirated engine requires the driver to time the shifts just right for optimal performance. This makes it a blast around a track or a canyon road.