Unexpected Rivals: 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 vs 2019 Subaru STI S209 (Road and Track)
A 760-hp Mustang and a 341-hp Subaru square off …
This story originally appeared in the February 2020 issue of Road & Track.
The land felt tailored to the job at hand. The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the 2019 Subaru STI S209 can seem unlikely rivals. One is a 760-hp, supercharged, V-8-powered, dual-clutch, 4200-pound, rear-wheel-drive coupe costing just over $70,000. The other is a wide-body, limited-edition, 3400-pound family sedan with less than half the power, half as many cylinders laid out flat, a $64,000 sticker, and a turbocharger, plus a six-speed manual and all-wheel drive. But the Mustang GT and WRX STI on which these cars are based have always stepped on each other’s toes. The GT500 and S209 are the uppermost leaves in their evolutionary trees, sharpened versions of aging models, compelling performance for comparable money. The Ford is available to anyone with the means, while just 209 S209s will be sold in the United States.
