These two old school muscle cars go head to head in a race to decide who's faster: GM or Mopar?
When it comes to classic muscle cars, two years stand out amongst the crowd of vintage vehicles. Those years are 1970 and 1969, which saw the production of some of the most remarkable American muscle cars ever to hit the streets of Detroit. Two cars that take the title for most excellent cars to have ever torn up the roads in that time frame are the 1969 Pontiac GTO and the 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda. These cars were known mainly for their engine options which included power output figures of between 370 and 426 horsepower. The ‘Cuda, in particular, is a car that has remained popular in the public eye since its initial conception. So what happens when these cars go head to head in a race to be the fastest car.
Under the hood of 1970, Plymouth ‘Cuda is a 426 ci Hemi V8 with a rated horsepower output of 426 horsepower, which was blisteringly fast for the time. That power is out to the ground by a set of 4.10 gears which makes this thing extremely fast. At 3768 lbs, this 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda is a relatively light car for the classic muscle car era of the1970s. Powering the GTO is an incredible 400 ci Ram Air IV V8 which produces 370 horsepower and 445 ft/lb of torque to the 4.33 gears, which is more than enough to blast this masterpiece down the quarter-mile in a show of grace and brutality. So how do these iconic American Legends compare on the drag strip?
As the cars lined up for the race that would make or break their reputation as the fastest classic muscle car, the drivers had a thick air of tension. As soon as the light turned green, both cars shot down the line, with the ‘Cuda taking the lead at 11.81 seconds compared to the 12.10 second GTO pass. Round two held similar results, with the ‘Cuda swooping in for the win. Finally, the third race showed the same results, with the GTO’s time slipping because it spun the tires at launch. Ladies and gentlemen, the results are precise; in this battle of Mopar vs. GM, Mopar wins!
