We drove a $50,000 Ford Mustang GT and an $86,000 Chevy Corvette GS to see which we liked better — here's the verdict (F, GM)

The Corvette and the Ford Mustang don't make for a pure head-to-head matchup, but they do have similar V8 engine specs.
The Corvette is the more aggressive-looking of the pair — and it costs more.
In the end, though, the Mustang GT is hard to argue with.

Comparing the Corvette and Ford Mustang isn't exactly fair.

The Mustang GT should go up against the Chevy Camaro SS. But the only Camaro we've tested came with without the Super Sportiness — there was a perfectly fine turbocharged four-banger under the hood.

So I decided to make this more of an engine-on-engine contest, which led me from the 460-horsepower 5.0-liter Mustang V8 to the 460-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 under the hood of the redoubtable Corvette Grand Sport.

From this pugnacious premise, I figured I could explore which of my two most favorite American sports cars offered the best experience, taking into account that my 'Stang came with a six-speed manual while the GS had an eight-speed automatic and also that the Mustang was a hardtop while the Vette was a convertible. No matter, really, as I've driven automatic 'Stangs with droptops and sampled the available seven-speed stick in hardtop Vette.

Weather was quite similar: late autumn in Los Angeles for the Mustang, summer in New Jersey for the Vette. I didn't have to worry about cold ties or slick roads.

Read on to discover the victor in this battle of classic American sports-car nameplates.

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First up, the spectacular new Mustang GT. The Mustang has been in the Ford lineup since 1965 and is in its sixth generation.

I have traditionally been deeply impressed with 'Stangs. The updated 2018, in fastback 5.0 trim, was no exception,

"Obviously, this is a Mustang, so it can haul in a straight line," I wrote in my original review last year.

"Onramp runs and passing on the freeway are tons of fun. When the back end hunkers down and the tires grab, the joy is palpable. Yeah, let's face it, I loved the car. The gas bill might take some getting used to, but the 2018 Mustang GT is an excellent plaything. You'd want to drive it every single weekend. And then you might even want to spend the money and drive it every day."

The Mustang looked good in the Southern California sun.

As the Mustang ages, Ford has internationalized it. (The car is very popular overseas.) The overall effect is to continue presenting the Stang, after over five decades, as a sports car with global appeal, versus a stonking old American muscle car.

The color was "Triple Yellow," and yes, it was very, very yellow indeed. Optioned out the wazoo it came in at about $50,000 (although our tester wasn't officially stickered).

Let's get to the good part: that magnificent, naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8.

At 460 horsepower, the power is a bump on the 2017 car, thanks to re-engineered fuel-injection technology. And how's this for Blue Oval cool? The engine is nicknamed "Coyote" and produces 420-pound-feet of torque.

"The real trick with the V8-motored Stangs these days is to deliver German-sports-car-level performance without grinding the backwoods American edge off," I wrote.

"This is harder than it sounds. But Ford has done it, and even sneakily altered the Stang's looks by streamlining the exterior. But that engine continues to rock 'n' roll."

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