The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, with its supercharged V8 and 760 horsepower, is claimed to be faster from zero to 100 mph and back down to zero than the hallowed McLaren F1. It’s a silly metric that hardly anybody uses or is familiar with, but I guess faster is faster.
The McLaren F1 LM, which was a lightened, more powerful and aerodynamic version of the regular McLaren F1, achieved the 0-100-0 sprint in 11.5 seconds. The GT500 did it in a claimed 10.6 seconds, according to a Ford press release.
I think it’s safe to assume that you and I both are pretty familiar with reading zero to 60 times. It’s a metric everyone uses, so we have a pretty good grasp on where a car falls compared to everything else when we hear the number. But 0-100-0? Who even uses this? What’s the context, besides other stratospheric cars every so often?
Anyway this was achieved, reports the company, through the use of the car’s power, fat brakes (16.5-inch front rotors) and the dual-clutch system. Dual-clutch transmissions are generally said to help cars shift faster than humans can themselves, thus being integral in setting faster laptimes and acceleration sprints.
The GT500 will not have a manual option, which drew the ire of Mustang and Shelby fans. A Mustang with no manual? Feh! So, this 0-100-0 stunt feels a little like Ford trying to convince us the dual-clutch road was the right path.
But then I have to ask. Would you, a potential buyer, prefer being able to brag about a claimed statistic that is rarely used, or drop the statistic and row your own gears?