RWD supercharged V8 versus AWD twin-turbo V6: Place your bets.
This supercar drag race comes to us from the Grip Geeks YouTube channel and it features a 6th generation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 taking on a Nissan GTR. In this quarter-mile battle of high performance beasts, the supercharged V8 takes on Japan’s most powerful supercar.
The Competitors
Unfortunately, there are no details accompanying this video of the Camaro ZL1 taking on a Nissan GTR, but we know the stock specs for both cars.
The Camaro is, of course, power by the new supercharged LT4, delivering 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. We don’t know the model year of the GTR, but it appears to be a newer model, so the engine output is somewhere between 545 to 565 horsepower and 463 to 467 lb-ft of torque. We also know that the Nissan has an advanced all-wheel drive system that allows it to launch as quickly as almost any road car sold in the USA, dashing from a stop to 60 in just 2.7 seconds.
However, by the time the video ends, it is clear that neither of these cars are stock, with the Camaro and GTR both turning in elapsed times that are considering quicker than stock.
The Battle
The video begins as the 6th gen Camaro ZL1 and Nissan GTR ease to the starting line. While the video is a bit on the dark side, the Chevy has mismatched wheels, pointing to some variety of sticky tire out back and when the green lights drop – there is no question that the muscle car has some track-ready tires.
As the race starts, the ZL1 tears out of the hole, quickly pulling to a small lead over the Nissan. As they head down the track, the two cars stay relatively side-by-side, with the Chevy holding a lead through the top end beams.
In the end, the Camaro runs a 10.27 at 134 miles per hour while the GTR runs a 10.59 at 130 miles per hour – giving the muscle car the win.
"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.
