Can Shelby beat M3

So my dad bought an Lime Rock M3 recently and I take it out sometimes and drive around. It's a fantastic car and my friends think the car's awesome. I'm more about the drive though more than the prestige of the M3. I'm into cars that give the best adrenaline rush, prestige/attention is secondary to me.

Before my dad was considering what car to get, I suggested the Shelby. Because it was cheaper than the M3, but I believe it is more bad ass and possibly faster than the M3. All I know is Shelby is said to be the best sports car for the money. I guess the only thing you have to be willing to forgo is the prestige of it not being a european luxury car. But in the end, I don't care what the car looks from the outside because I will be inside it. But he didn't want to consider the Shelby because American cars are not reliable and European cars were better. But I don't know if that's more of an opinion or fact.

But I took my M3 out and I raced it alongside a Ford Mustang GT at a stoplight. And that other guy was able to keep up with me, even though my car was 2-3 more expensive. So I'd wonder if a Ford Shelby would blow the M3 away if a guy in a Mustang GT was able to keep up with a less expensive car. I don't know if he modded it, but even if he did he probably still paid less than this M3. I really wanted to consider the Shelby because I had a feeling it would be faster than any Mercedes or BMW in the same price range.

Only other car I have driven faster than an M3 was the Lamborghini Gallardo for a groupon offer I redeemed. M3 doesn't come close to a Gallardo obviously, but I wonder if a Ford Shelby could in terms of acceleration.