M8 Competition, Shelby GT500 Duel Ends in a Draw
All-wheel-drive BMW M8 juggernaut lays it all out on the line against the newest Shelby Mustang under the Floridan night lights.
There’s a new behemoth from Bavaria in town. The M8 rolled into showrooms nearly a year ago, making a massive splash on the racing circuit. It even held off both the new Porsche 911 and Corvette C8.R to take the top spot in its class at this year’s Daytona 24.
But could it do the same against the new Shelby GT500? Recently, Brooks Weisblat of DragTimes hopped in an M8 Competition to battle a blue example at Palm Beach International Raceway in Palm Beach, Florida. How would the Bavarian leviathan fare against the small pony? Only one way to find out.
“Initially, I was supposed to bring a Tesla Model S P100D — or the performance [model] — to race against the GT500,” said Weisblat, “and my Huracan to race against the GT500 […] As a last resort, there was a BMW M8 there.”
According to Weisblat, the battle looked lopsided on paper. The GT500 has 760 horses on tap from its 5.2-liter supercharged V8, charging through the rear via a seven-speed dual-clutch. The M8, on the other hand, had 640 horses to deliver to the corners from its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 through an eight-speed automatic. Both are close in weight, though, as the pair are within 100 pounds of each other.
The M8 and GT500 faced-off in a best-of-four under the cool Floridan night. The BMW won the first race, crossing the line at 126.42 mph in 11.318 seconds. The GT500 hung-on though, knocking out a time of 11.197 seconds at 132.49 mph. In the end, Weisblat’s reaction time saved the day.
The second time around, though, the GT500 got the better launch. The blue pony arrived in 10.553 seconds at 134.64 mph, the white Bavarian in 10.974 seconds at 127.13. Two down, two to go.
On the third dig, Weisblat got the jump on the horse, his M8 finishing in 11.030 seconds at 126.85 mph. The GT500 was faster at 133.50 mph, but could only take second with a time of 11.089 seconds.
The fourth and final race saw Weisblat hold the lead for most of the dig. Alas, the GT500 caught up and passed the M8 in time to take the win. The two were close at the line, where the M8 crossed in 11.194 seconds at 126.61. The GT500 locked down the win in 11.189 seconds at 132.96.
The pairing turned out to be evenly matched. We’d still take the M8, though, as we can’t imagine enjoying a long drive in the blue pony.
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