Camaro flexes its LS1 muscles in front of the Danish crowd.
This European drag racing video comes to us from the YouTube channel of Martin Romeo B and it features an eighth-mile battle between a 4th generation Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and an E60 BMW M5 sedan. Based on the fact that the horsepower numbers in the details are based in “hk,” we believe that this race takes place in Denmark. However, there is no question that this American muscle car is beating the European super sedan somewhere outside of North America.
The Competitors
We don’t have much information on these vehicles, but we know that the 4th generation Chevrolet Camaro has some bolt-on upgrades that lead to around 400hk or 395 US horsepower. We also know that the BMW M5 in the far lane has 550hk or 542 US horsepower while a stock E60 M5 has 507hk (505 American ponies), so the German sedan is also modified, but we don’t have any idea what has been done to it – or if that number is even accurate.
However, with 507 stock Swedish horsepower, the BMW has more power than this lightly modified Camaro – but the Chevy makes better use of the available power.
The Racing Action
The video begins as the Camaro and the M5 ease into the staging beams. Once they are both set, the lights come down and the two launch. Right off of the line, the two cars are fairly even as they both wok to maintain traction, but by the time the Camaro reaches the cameraman, it is well ahead of the BMW.
By half-track, the Chevy has daylight between itself and the BMW, and while the M5 closes the gap near the finish line, the LS1-powered muscle car gets there first.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
