Shelby GT 500 Vs. Dodge Charger

Shelby GT 500 Vs. Dodge Charger

A no better classic matchup can be delivered than the 2009 Shelby Mustang GT500 and the 2009 Dodge Charger, especially if one considers the high-performance Charger SRT8 thrown into the mix. The GT500 is a two-door coupe, while the Charger is offered only as a four-door sedan in a nod to baby boomers that want their beloved muscle car of the past, but now must to find space for the little ones.

Charger Specifications

1. 
   
   The performance Dodge Charger R/T model.
   The 2009 Charger's base engine is a 178-horsepower 2.7-liter V-6 generating 190 pound-feet of torque. The SRT8 model, however, features a 425-hp 6.1-liter Hemi V-8. The Charger is placed on a 120-inch wheelbase. Its 200 inches long, 74.5 inches wide and 58.2 inches tall. Its curb weight is rated at 3,728 pounds, according to automotive.com.

GT500 Specifications

2. 
   
   The fully loaded Shelby Mustang GT500.
   The rear-wheel-drive GT500 is equipped with a supercharged 540-hp 5.4-liter V-8 that provides 510 pound-feet of torque. It weighs 4,000 pounds and sits on a 107.1-inch wheelbase and is 188.1 inches long, 55.6 inches tall and 73.9 inches wide, according to Car and Driver magazine.

Charger Features

3. 
   
   The Dodge Charger SRT8.
   The Charger is offered in four trims: The basic SE, the mid-range SXT, the performance-oriented R/T and the high-performance SRT8. The R/T model features a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 generating 368 hp. A Daytona R/T option package also provides additional performance and badging items. Standard features are the driver/front passenger airbags, power mirrors, tilt steering wheel, keyless entry, center floor console and air-conditioning, according to automotive.com and edmunds.com.

GT500 Features

4. The GT500 is equipped with standard 18-inch alloy wheels, hood-mounted heat extractors, cruise control, a rear spoiler, air-conditioning, leather bucket seats emblazoned with the Cobra logo, a 500-watt audio system and CD changer, satellite radio and a power driver's seat. The GT500 convertible is equipped with a power-operated soft top, according to edmunds.com.

Charger Performance

5. Equipped with the 6.1-liter Hemi V-8, the Charger can sidle up to the GT500 any time and perform in equal measure. It can reach 0 to 60 in 4.6 seconds with an electronically controlled top speed of 165 mph. The Charger is easier to handle in city stop-and-go driving than the GT500 and opens up like a beast on the highway, according to edmunds.com.

GT500 Performance

6. The GT500 is a bit on the obese side with its 4,000-pound frame. Its size makes the 540 horses under the hood perform some hard work. Yet it achieves 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds and 11.9 seconds in the quarter-mile at 120 mph. Its top speed of is an electronically controlled 155 mph. The GT500 also suffers from body flex on the hairpin turns.

Side-By-Side

7. The Mustang Cobra GT500's base price is about $46,000. The base Charger starts about $24,000, while the Charger SRT8 version begins at around $38,970. All prices are as of 2009. The Charger is the more versatile of the two cars, but its four-door sedan configuration may turn away muscle car purists. The base Mustangs and Chargers overall are fine cars for the daily driver. The GT500 and SRT8, however, are perhaps too much car for the commute to work and grocery store runs