On the one hand, anyone who's ever watched a 1/4-mile drag race involving a Ferrari SF90 Stradale PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) knows it's a force to be reckoned with. On the other hand, the Porsche 911 Turbo S is a blazing-fast mechanical wonder all by itself as well. So what could possibly happen if a 911 Turbo S got injected with so much horsepower that it would surpass even the Ferrari SF90 and then raced each other? Well, we'll find out in just a moment.
As a short recap, the Ferrari SF 90 Stradale has a mouthwatering 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 engine capable of producing 769 horsepower (780 ps), the highest power of any 8-cylinder powerplant Ferrari ever made.
However, aided by a triple electric motor setup that delivers an extra 217 hp or 220 ps, the AWD SF90 can output a whopping 986 hp or 1000 ps, making the supercar accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.5 seconds and max out at 211 mph or 340 kilometers per hour. As a little fun fact, in EV mode, the electric motors can be used up to 84 miles per hour or 135 kph for a total distance of 15.5 miles or 25 km. Also, you can't back it up using the ICE.
The eDrive mode is a great way to take it out off the driveway without waking up your neighbors, although judging from this race, it doesn't have the V8 roar you'd expect from such a monster. In the US, an SF90 can start at around $530,000 and go up to $995,000 for the XX Spider version, which unlocks an extra 30 hp to a total of 1,016 hp.
Photo: Officially Gassed - OG
The 2024 Porsche 911 Turbo S has a 3.7-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine that produces 640 horsepower and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. On paper, it can go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds (with the Chrono Package), finish the quarter mile in 10.1 seconds, and hit a top speed of 205 mph or 330 kph. All that power will cost around $230,000.
However, the 911 from this race is a 2021 souped-up model that belongs to Jamie from the British "Officially Gassed - OG" YouTube channel. It's been tuned to the high heavens by UK's ES Motor with mods including hybrid turbos, full titanium exhaust, custom intake, methanol injection kit, headers, CSF intercoolers, and custom ECU and PDK calibration. All that bother pumped those rookie numbers up to a blistering, neck-whiplashing 1,075 hp or 1,090 ps. The mods cost an extra $41,776, the equivalent of 33,000 Great British Pounds.
Lastly, there's a third competitor, but on two wheels: the 2020 BMW S 1000 RR superbike. It has a 1,000 cm3 four-stroke, inline-four liquid-cooled engine that produces 207 hp. It features carbon fiber wheels, downforce winglets, an M-sport chain, full Akrapovic racing exhaust, and a Stage 1 ECU race map. The bike cost 11,500 GBP or 14,558 US dollars, with an extra 2,500 British pounds ($3,164) for the mods.
After an exhaust sound check, during which the Ferrari was extremely disappointing, it was time for a few roll races starting from 40 mph or 64 kph. The 911 won the first race, with the Ferrari in second place and the BMW bike in third place. During the second and third races, the Porsche got the checkered flag first again, but the others switched their podium spots.
Photo: Officially Gassed - OG
The 1,075-hp Porsche was the fastest from 62 mph (100 kph) to 124 mph (200 kilometers per hour) in just 3.98 seconds. The BMW S 1000 RR got 4.23 seconds, while the Ferrari SF 90 Stradale was in last place, recording a time of 4.48 seconds.
Then, they moved on to some good old-fashioned drag racing. The first attempt saw the 911 in first place, the SF90 in second, and the BMW bike in third place. The second race went to the Ferrari, with the Porsche in second place, and the S 1000 RR still in last position. The third attempt was a repeat of the first race.
After all was said and done, it was no surprise that the obscenely powerful Porsche 911 Turbo S finished the quarter mile in 9.4 seconds, going at 151.43 mph or 243.70 kph. That was faster than a 1,050-hp Tesla Model S Plaid with a Track Pack that did 9.41 seconds down the same track. As for the 0 to 60 mph time, it did in a blinking-fast 2.19 seconds. Not bad for the latest supporting character from the "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" movie starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
The Ferrari SF90 supercar got from 0 to 60 mph in 2.21 seconds and finished the 1/4-mile in 9.68 seconds, sprinting at 146.89 miles per hour or 236.39 kilometers per hour. Lastly, the BMW S 1000 RR accelerated from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds flat, crossing the line after 10.30 seconds while speeding extremely dangerously at 146.98 miles per hour or 236.54 kph. The bike placed third on the Officially Gassed 2-wheeled 1/4-mile leaderboard.
While Porsche proved it can not just talk the talk but also walk the walk, there's still one question floating in the air, not unlike a giant pink elephant: What would a properly tuned Ferrari SF 90 monster look like down the quarter mile?
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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