LC 500 Takes on Mustang Bullitt in Interesting Drag Race
Nobody has accused the LC500 of being a drag racer, but it more than holds its own against a formidable foe.
Interesting Drag Race
The Lexus LC500 is a lot of things, including a beautifully designed car and a supremely comfortable grand tourer. But one thing most don't consider it to be is a world-beating drag racer. Regardless, that didn't stop the folks at Carwow from lining a new LC500 up against a Ford Mustang Bullitt recently for a drag race, and the results, well, they are a bit surprising.
Movie Car Redo
The Bullitt version of the Mustang pays homage to the iconic film of the same name, in which Steve McQueen drove one of the most famous movie cars in history. Today's version of the Mustang Bullitt is powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter Coyote V8 producing 480 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, which flows through a six-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels.
>>Join the conversation about the LC 500 vs the Mustang Bullitt right here in ClubLexus.com.
Similar, But Different
On the other side, the LC500 is also powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8, which in this case produces 471 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. That would seem to put the swoopy coupe at a disadvantage right off the bat, but the LC500's mill is mated to a quicker-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission.
>>Join the conversation about the LC 500 vs the Mustang Bullitt right here in ClubLexus.com.
Other Considerations
Then there's the issue of weight. The LC500 is quite portly, tipping the scales at roughly 4,300 pounds. The Mustang is no lightweight either but does weigh considerably less at 3,705 pounds. In terms of price, the more bare bones Bullitt is also considerably cheaper with an MSRP of $46,705 versus the LC500 at $93,050, but there's no comparison in terms of quality, materials, and luxury.
>>Join the conversation about the LC 500 vs the Mustang Bullitt right here in ClubLexus.com.
Decisive Victory
Taking all of this into account, one might reasonably expect the more powerful, lighter muscle car to outrun the grand tourer in a straight line. But you'd be wrong. The Mustang gets a bit of a jump on the Lexus at first, but the LC500 quickly rockets ahead and puts a large gap on the pony car before taking home a decisive win.
>>Join the conversation about the LC 500 vs the Mustang Bullitt right here in ClubLexus.com.
Photo Finish
However, in the first race, the Mustang driver didn't use launch control. So for the second go-round, he engages that to see if it makes any difference. This time, the pony car gets the jump on the Lexus but that lead quickly vanishes by the mid-point. The two cars reach the finish line at the same time, a result that can quite literally be called a photo finish.
>>Join the conversation about the LC 500 vs the Mustang Bullitt right here in ClubLexus.com.
Giving Credit
Amazingly enough, both cars record an identical quarter-mile time of 12.6 seconds, though Carwow says that the Mustang barely edged out the LC500. A pair of roll races prove incredibly close as well, while the Lexus handily wins the braking test. These results are certainly interesting, and if nothing else, prove that the LC500 deserves a bit more credit for its performance than we currently give it.
>>Join the conversation about the LC 500 vs the Mustang Bullitt right here in ClubLexus.com.
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