2007 Ford Shelby GT500 Meets Charger and GTO

GT500 Meets Charger SRT8 & Pontiac GTO
Let's Be Clear: The State of the Union is damn fine right now. Who'd have thought, even five years ago, that we'd be comparing three 400-horse-plus, V-8-powered performance cars from Detroit that cost little more than a fully loaded pickup? Behold Ford's Shelby GT500, Dodge's Charger SRT8, and Pontiac's GTO. And rejoice.

The GTO is the oldest, least expensive, least powerful, and probably most misunderstood car of this trio. Originally developed in the late 1990s by GM's Australian subsidiary Holden for a mere $50 million, it was snapped up by Bob Lutz to add much-needed pizzazz to Pontiac's moribund model line. It was the right idea, but the wrong badge: Despite a quick and dirty facelift, the soft, rounded styling, derived from Holden's Commodore sedans, just didn't jibe with America's perception of what a Pontiac should look like--especially a Pontiac GTO. Sales have been slow.

For $32,685, you get a 6.0-liter V-8 with 400 horses and 400 pound-feet of torque driving this 3777-pound coupe through a six-speed manual. You get 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds and the standing quarter in 13.3 seconds at 105.9 mph. Actually, you can probably get all that for less than $30,000 because dealers are in run-out mode, clearing cars before the GTO is officially discontinued this September.

The Charger SRT8 has a 6.1-liter V-8 with 425 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, starts at $35,995, and is only marginally less misunderstood than the GTO, mainly because Chrysler had the temerity to resurrect the Charger name on a four-door. At 4266 pounds, it's no lightweight, and it's available only with a five-speed automatic. Which explains why the SRT8 is three tenths of a second slower than the GTO to 60 mph and two tenths of a second slower over the quarter.

With 500 horses and 480 pound-feet of torque hauling 3990 pounds, it's no surprise the $41,950 GT500 easily nails the GTO and the SRT8 Charger, taking two tenths of a second off the Pontiac to 60 mph and six tenths off it over the quarter mile. But neither figure conveys the relentless urge of that supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 when you nail the gas. So try these: The GT500 is a full half second faster than either car from 45 to 60 mph and more than two seconds quicker to 100 mph. It's fast.

The GT500 also is the easiest to drive quickly when the roads start to sweep and swoop through the hills. Linear is the word that encapsulates the Mustang's demeanor: Every input--steering, braking, throttle--delivers smooth, consistent output. There's loads of grip front and rear, and you can easily tease the car out to the limits of adhesion, even on streaming wet roads. The live rear axle betrays its presence with the occasional sidestep over mid-corner bumps, but the GT500 just shrugs and settles back on line with minimal correction through the steering.