Undisclosed modifications allow this Caddy with LSA power to go toe-to-toe the newer, more powerful Camaro ZL1.
This GM-powered drag race comes to us from the Wheels YouTube channel and it features a quarter mile battle between a previous-generation Cadillac CTS-V and a new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The Chevy is stock while the Caddy is not, so you should be able to guess how the race plays out.
The Competitors
The video above shows a drag race between a 2nd generation Cadillac CTS-V sedan and a 6th generation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. In stock form, the Caddy’s LSA would have delivered 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque while the stock LT4 in the Camaro offers 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. Based on those numbers, a battle between these cars in stock form would have meant a beating for the Caddy, but this CTS-V is not stock while the ZL1 is stock or near-stock.
We don’t know what has been done to the Cadillac CTS-V, but when you see how well it gets away from the line and down the track against the 650-horsepower Camaro, it is clear that it has been heavily modified.
On the other hand, the Camaro appears to be stock with the exception of sticky tires on aftermarket rear wheels, and that doesn’t bode well for the muscle car.
The Battle
The video begins with the CTS-V and ZL1 waiting for their turn on the track. The two begin by doing a pair of pretty solid burnouts before they roll to the starting line. As the yellow lights come down, the engine speed of the Caddy soars as it prepares for launch. On green, the big luxury sedan rips out of the hole, quickly taking a lead and never looking back.
We get to watch this race from a variety of angles and each one shows how badly the modified Cadillac CTS-V beats the near-stock Camaro ZL1. In the end, the Caddy runs a 10.28 at 135 miles per hour while the ZL1 stops the timers at 11.22 with a speed of 130 miles per hour.
"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.
