This week’s Drag Race video features a quarter mile drag race between the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V coupe and the 2015 Ford Mustang GT fastback. The Cadillac is powered by a twin turbo V6 with 464 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque and that power is sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Mustang is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 with 435 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, with the power traveling to the rear wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Cadillac weighs 3,803 lbs and the Mustang GT weighs 3,729 lbs (both from official figures), so the luxury coupe is a little heavier and a whole lot more powerful than the Mustang – but how does that translate into real-world performance?
Well, it leads to a beatin’ for the Mustang.
When the green light drops, the Mustang GT hops out to a slight advantage, but when the Cadillac ATS-V driver finally gets the car moving – it doesn’t take long for the twin turbo luxury coupe to catch and pass the Mustang. As the two continue down the track, the ATS-V continues to pull and in the end, the new Caddy coupe lays down an awesome 12.13 at 112 miles per hour.
Unfortunately, we don’t get to see the time for the Mustang GT, but it was more than a few car lengths behind the Cadillac ATS-V.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
