Ford Mustang Drags Porsche 911 Turbo S, Someone Plays Catch(-up) and Doesn't Release

The Ford Mustang was born in 1964 and has been in continuous production since then – it currently holds the honor of being the Blue Oval's longest-manufactured nameplate. It also has a sad honor – it's the only passenger car left for sale in America, where it currently retails as a seventh-generation model, starting at almost $32k for the 2024 model year. Its most powerful mainstream variant is the 500-hp Dark Horse, equipped with the classic 5.0-liter Coyote V8.

Meanwhile, the Porsche 911 has also been around since 1964 and has reached the eighth iteration (992), with the German automaker recently announcing the mid-cycle update complete with the series' first-ever hybrid variant. However, it has little to do with the front-engined Mustang as it's still a rear-engine design, and the latest 911 coupe starts at no less than $120k! Its most powerful option is the 911 Turbo S model, of course.

So, you would be hard-pressed to find anything in common – except for the fact they were both revealed in 1964 and that their current flagships, the Mustang GTD and 911 S/T, retail for incredible MSRPs of $325k and $290k, respectively. Interestingly, all the logic goes down the drain when these sports cars hit the track at the local quarter-mile dragstrip. There's no need to take our word for granted, as we have an eloquent example.

The good folks over at the racing-focused ImportRace channel on YouTube are, again, at the Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, to show us another Street Car Takeover encounter (or two) of the third-degree. The first skirmish takes place during the day between a Coyote-equipped S197 Ford Mustang and a whiter, younger Porsche 911 Turbo S. Normally, you would think the latter has the upper hand in such a skirmish.

But, as always, we need to expect the unexpected at the quarter-mile dragstrip because the aftermarket realm can always intervene. Such was the case here as the Mustang GT wasn't stock, quite obviously – a feeling confirmed by the great start from the Turbo S and the incredible recovery race performed by the Ford pony car. In the end, the surprise occurred, and the Ford won the skirmish: 10.26s versus 11.09s. Later during the night, the Porsche tried to make amends and fought against a fresh S550 Ford Mustang that was bouncing with anticipation all over the track.

Apparently, this was no ordinary Porsche – it was Cleetus McFarland's unit, albeit with someone else at the helm. This time around, this was a classic case of 'it's close but not close enough.' However, once again, it was the Ford Mustang that performed the quarter-mile kill after winning the skirmish with an 11.25s pass against its opponent's 11.3s effort.