If you’ve spent any time at all trolling the wild, rugged landscape that is an online performance enthusiast forum, you’ll know that bench racing is pretty much par for the course. Quoted performance numbers and test session lap times are ammunition for these sorts of debates, but all that ends the second you step into the real world. This is where it really matters, as documented in the following 11-minute, 10-second video from our friends at DragTimes. Hit play, and you’ll bear witness to the second-generation Ford GT running head-to-head with the Ferrari 488 Spider in an all-out acceleration test down a half-mile strip of blacktop.

Foot Down, Horizon Incoming

This particular straight-line battle took place at the half mile Wannagofast drag event in Immokalee, Florida.

The video starts with a quick interview in the garage where we see DragTimes host Brooks Weisblat talking about his weapon of choice before heading to the event. And I gotta say - it’s hard to squelch my envy at seeing the guy’s setup. I mean, who doesn’t want a lift with a pair of Ford GTs, a Tesla Model S, and a McLaren 720S?

Then it’s off to the races, with Brooks saddling up with some his fellow supercar-driving amigos, including a few more McLarens and a Mercedes SLR.

Cut to the race track, and its go-time against a red and black Ferrari 488. Revs are heard from all, and the Italian Stallion is sounding good. However - we’ve seen the Blue Oval work its magic against Ferrari in the past, and a quick glance at the spec sheet reveals that these two are pretty evenly matched. The Ford GT comes with a mid-mounted 3.5-liter V-6, which is boosted by two turbos to produce 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque, all of which is routed rearwards through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Thanks to the carbon-intensive construction, the GT weighs in at 3,400 pounds.

Meanwhile, the Ferrari is equipped with a 3.9-liter V-8, which is also boosted by twin turbos. Max output for the Prancing Horse is rated at 660 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque, with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sending it to the rear wheels. Curb weight tips the scales at 3,362 pounds.

The two combatants then line up. If this were a battle of aesthetics, the Ferrari would take it thanks to that phenomenal red and black paint. But this isn’t about looking good. It’s about going fast. As such, the Ford GT is set in “V-Max” mode, which means the suspension is dropped and the rear wing is fixed in a down position.

After staging, the tree is lit, and the two take off for the horizon. Off the line, the Ford GT gets a jump on the Ferrari, with the driver in the red car caught sleeping at the lights. The Ford immediately pulls ahead and walks the Ferrari - DragTimes. By the half-mile mark, the Ferrari is a world away.

The final numbers tell the story. The Ferrari posts 125.4 mph at the quarter mile and 154 mph at the half mile, while the Ford posts 128.4 mph at the quarter and 156.3 mph at the half mile. It’s a clear victory for the domestic.

Maybe it had something to do with the spoiled aero and all those GoPro cameras. Beyond the late start, it’s hard to pin the loss entirely on the driver - these machines are automatic everything, just foot down and head forward, with launch control activated on both cars.

Afterwards, we get an in-car POV of the Ford GT’s best pass, which provides a nice clear view of the speedometer.

The video ends with a few race previews after Brooks talks about some channel updates, including the new wheels and tires for his McLaren and his search for a Ford Mustang GT500.

Overall, it’s a fun battle, but we have to wonder what would happen should you threw these two supercars a few corners. At that point, something tells me the tables might turn towards Italy…

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Read our full review on the 2017 Ford GT.

Read our full review on the 2017 Ferrari 488 Spider