A marvelous combination of a track-ready sports car and pure-bred American muscle car, the latest Shelby GT350 comes with a 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated flat-plane crankshaft ‘Voodoo’ V8 mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and produces 526 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. All of this twisting power goes straight to the rear wheels as the engine revs up to 7500 rpm. It’s also one of the few American Muscle cars to feature a flat-plane crankshaft, resulting in better engine response and a smoother exhaust note.
Along with the ‘normal’ GT350, Ford also sold the GT350R, which is a more track-focused version of the road car. It featured a larger front splitter, a bigger rear spoiler, stiffer suspension, and was lightened to perform better on track. The coolest feature, apart from the unique engine, was that the GT350R could be optioned with carbon-fiber wheels from the factory – the first production car ever to do so.
The GT350 can do the 0-62 mph sprint in just 4.5 seconds, on par with some more expensive sports cars. However, since its introduction in 2016, the GT350 hasn’t gotten any faster, and pitting it against any of these spacious, five-door family cars will result in nothing but embarrassment.
Here are some of the fastest family cars that can obliterate the Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 in a straight line.
8 Lexus IS-500 F-Sport (4.3 Seconds)
The Lexus IS 500 F-Sport is a new entry into the family car market. It is a facelifted version of Lexus’ popular IS model, but with a great big naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 from the LC500 in it. It produces 475 hp and 396 lb-ft of torque through an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Unlike the IS 350 and IS 300h, which are available with an all-wheel-drive, the IS 500 is a rear-wheel-drive-only model. It can do the 0-60 mph sprint in a time of 4.3 seconds, a little faster than that of the Mustang GT350. However, the Lexus is definitely the more luxurious of the two.
7 Bentley Bentayga Speed (3.8 Seconds)
The Bentayga is Bentley’s attempt at a luxury SUV aimed at a wealthier clientele. Bentley has recently facelifted the Bentayga and with it, added the fastest and most powerful version – the Bentayga Speed.
It features the same 6.0-liter Twin-Turbo W12 as in the normal Bentayga W12, but power has been increased to 626 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque – propelling the 5600-lb SUV from 0-60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. It comes at a price though with a fuel economy rating of 12 mpg. However, Bentley owners do not bother with trivial matters such as gas prices.
6 BMW X5M Competition (3.7 Seconds)
The BMW X5M was one first of the high-performance SUVs to enter mass production. It paved the way for all the popular ‘super-SUVs’ and with the introduction of the X5M Competition, it can still hold its own against the likes of the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, and Bentley Bentayga.
It comes with the 4.4-liter Twin-Turbo V8 from the M5 Competition, producing the same 625 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, resulting in a 0-60 mph time of just 3.7 seconds. This makes this large family SUV as quick as many supercars.
5 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat (3.5 Seconds)
The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is a wholly ridiculous idea put into production. It currently holds the record as the fastest and most powerful SUV on sale with its massive 6.2-liter Supercharged Hellcat V8. It has 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque going to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission, resulting in a blisteringly fast 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds.
With automakers embracing the electric motor to power their cars, Dodge went a completely different way and stuffed their most powerful stock engine in a family car. Whilst ridiculous, we are very glad they did.
4 Audi RS6 Avant (3.1 Seconds)
The Audi RS6 Avant has always been the go-to family car for when practicality and speed are needed. From the original, with the 4.2-liter Twin-Turbo V8, to the ridiculous Lamborghini-derived 5.0-liter Twin-Turbo V10.
The modern RS6 utilizes a Porsche-designed 4.0-liter Twin-Turbo V8, producing 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, going to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission and Audi’s brilliant Quattro system. It does 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds and looks much better than its rivals in terms of design.
3 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Turbo S e-Hybrid (3.0 Seconds)
The Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid Sport Turismo is a mouthful to say. It is Porsche’s first proper go at making an estate car. It is based on the Panamera platform, which itself is shared with the Audi A6. It features the same engine as that of the RS6, but with added electric power, culminating in a total power output of 697 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque.
This allows the Turbo S Sport Turismo to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3 seconds flat, all while returning a fuel efficiency rating of 48 mpg. It is a massively impressive car and great for Porsche owners who need more space for their families.
2 BMW M5 Competition (2.9 Seconds)
The BMW M5 is the original super saloon, the car that showed that family cars can be as fast as sports cars. With the current F90 model, BMW introduced the M5 Competition, a more focused version of the normal M5, with upgraded handling parts, aero parts, and more power.
The F90 was also the first M5 to come with an all-wheel-drive, but luckily it has different modes to choose between all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive, making it the power sliding smoke machine everyone loves. It does the 0-60 mph sprint in a claimed 2.9 seconds, however, reviewers have gotten it to achieve that speed well below what BMW claimed. It also makes more power than the claimed 625 hp when tested on a dyno.
1 Tesla Model X (2.5 Seconds)
Finally, we get to the quickest of the large family cars and the one which turns the most heads – the Tesla Model X. With its simplistic styling, massive windscreen, and Falcon doors, it is by far the coolest of the cars on this list.
In the current top, P100D trim, the family SUV will accelerate from 0-62 in a mere 2.8 seconds, which is faster than most supercars and even some hypercars.
However, soon there will be the new Model X Plaid, which has three electric motors, 1,020 hp, 1,050 lb-ft of torque, and has a claimed 0-62 mph time of 2.5 seconds – all this in a vehicle that weighs 5500 lbs. It is an utterly ludicrous machine (wink wink), but we’re ecstatic it exists.
Read Next
About The Author
More Stories
Toyota Automatic Transmission: Shifting Gears with Precision
8-Speed Transmission: Navigating the Road to Efficiency and Performance
Add Another One To The Stick Shift List — The 2023 Acura Integra Will Get A Manual Transmission!