Battle of Texas ‘Street’ Cars: 1,500 HP Silverado vs. 2,000 HP GTR
How will a record-holding twin-turbo LSX-powered Silverado hold up against a lighter and more powerful modified Godzilla?
An old scholar once said, “if it’s a Texas truck, it’s wise to bet on it.” Seemingly, the average “work truck” in Houston all seem to have a minimum of 1,000 WHP. Don’t believe us? Well, we will let the engines do the talking.
Thanks to The Hoonigan‘s awesome YouTube racing series This v. That we get to experience one of the best battles yet. This time they put a record-holding 4×4 twin-turbo Silverado toe-to-toe with a full-carbon R35 packing serious power.
If you are a fan of fast cars doing fast car things, you won’t want to miss this episode. Let’s start off by breaking down the details of the match-up just a bit more.
The definitive Texas truck
Less than a year ago, the 2004 Silverado you see here was actually completely stock and was used as a simple daily. That all changed when Houston-based Ondgas founder, Beto, decided “I wanted to go fast.”
Since then, the build has been turned up to past 11, now featuring a 427 LSX with twin 79mm Garrett turbos running M1 methanol fuel with a 3-speed Rossier Th 400 transmission.
The powerplant is rated for “about” 1,500 HP, which is adjusted according to the road surface and prep level. Combined with custom fiberglass doors, windows, tailgate, and bumpers, this work truck is ready to make some serious jam.
While still heavier than the competition and limited by several stock parts like the axles and transfer case, the Ondgas team remained confident in their skills and build. However, their competition is stiff this time around.
Godzilla on steroids and then some
After the Silverado definitively destroyed its previous competition, the 1,200 HP Tesla Model S Plaid, Hoonigan decided to step up the competition for the truck by a serious notch. On track, we were joined by Chris Sassi, owner of The Shop Houston, and his heavily-modifed R35 GTR “street” car.
According to The Shop Houston team, it is a street car because it has A/C, a radio, and a passenger seat. After recently running a 7.54 in the 1/4 mile, the team simply “took off the tires and drove it home.”
As you might imagine, this GTR means business, if the full-carbon fiber body didn’t give that away. Even the entire dash along with all interior panels are complete carbon pieces.
It’s safe to say very few expenses were spared with this build. The high-strung Nissan features a fully built 4.3L billet block pushing over 60psi from 68mm turbos running One Ethanol race fuel.
The race!
If we statistically break down both of these vehicles on paper, it is clear that the GTR has an advantage in nearly every aspect. It’s lighter, has more power, and certainly is more aerodynamic.
However, Texas trucks are known to keep a trick or two up their sleeve. So as we saw the first burnouts roll out, the excitement started to build.
In traditional This v. That fashion, the first race in a best out of three is always a heads-up race to 1000 ft on an unprepped surface.
Off the line, both AWD beasts got a solid launch and the race was looking close for the first hundred or so feet. Unfortunately, less than halfway down the line, the GTR would blow out a carbon-fiber driveshaft across the track.
Fast cars do fast car things and breaking parts is one of them. Fortunately, they were able to replace the driveshaft within an hour or so, allowing the show to go on. We would have been sad to see this amazing match be cut short.
Never count the odd man out
The second race had a certain feeling of anticipation considering the quick repairs needed to accommodate the GTR. However, the second time at the line, the Silverado would strike again.
At the start it is clear that the Silverado got a bit of a jump on the GTR, some might say he left the line at the elbow. As a result, the Silverado would have a clear victory across the line, winning the contest.
However, luckly there was still a catch in the bonus round to have the cleanest race yet. The final race is truly the moment we had all been waiting for, undoubtedly the best run of the three.
Impressively, the Silverado at launch still managed to pick up speed off the line faster than the GTR. By the time the truck had reached 2nd gear, it was leading by about a car length.
However, the overall higher HP output of the GTR would shine in the second half, taking the truck by about half a car length. Sadly, there was no fourth race, but a win is a win.
What was your prediction before the beginning of the race? It’s safe to say the right answer was always Silverado!
Photos: YouTube, Instagram
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