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The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and BMW M8 Coupe Competition are about the same size, have similar nought to 60 times and can run the quarter-mile in around 11 seconds, but which one’s actually quicker off the line?

In theory, that would be the M8, because, unlike its challenger, it is all-wheel drive. Officially, the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint takes 3.0 seconds, 0.5 seconds faster than the most powerful street-legal Ford ever made, and the M8 will keep pushing up to 190 mph (306 km/h) with the optional M Driver’s Pack, while the Mustang has a maximum speed of 180 mph (290 km/h).

In terms of power, the GT500 holds the upper ground, with 760 HP and 625 lb-ft (847 Nm) of torque produced by its supercharged 5.2-liter V8, which drives the rear wheels through a Tremec 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The top-spec M8 Coupe has 617 HP and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) and uses an 8-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission and an M-tuned xDrive all-wheel drive system with a rear-wheel drive mode.

Then there’s the price. While the Shelby GT500 has an MSRP of $72,900, the M8 Competition Coupe starts at $146,000. That’s a $73,100 difference, or double the money, not counting any options, which would otherwise get you a brand new, 350 HP Porsche 718 Cayman S. So, does the Bimmer justify its huge premium over the Mustang in terms of what it can do in a straight line acceleration?

Source carscoops.com