C8 Chevy Corvette Stingray Z51 Drags BMW M850i, Someone's Defeat Is Unequivocal

The C8 iteration is even more obvious in that department because Team Corvette was finally allowed to play with the classic front-engine RWD convention and turn it around for a reinvented mid-engine RWD or eAWD stint with the Corvette Stingray, Z06, and the first-ever E-Ray. Sure, they're not that affordable anymore, as the Stingray currently starts from more than $68k, the 655-hp E-Ray is $105k, and the record-breaking 670-hp Z06 costs almost $113k. Alas, they're still flagship killers because they're cheaper and perhaps even better in terms of performance than more expensive and higher-powered models from established rivals.

For example, who do you think will win a race between a 495-hp C8 Chevy Corvette Stingray Z51 and a mighty BMW M850i xDrive grand tourer that costs in excess of $106k and has 523 horsepower under the hood? Usually, if you look at the MSRPs and specifications – and then also take into account how BMW grossly underestimates its HP count – it would be easy to imagine the Bavarians would have an easy win. Well, prepare for the unexpected, as the AWD machine didn't come out on top this time around.

The videographer behind the SSDracer channel on YouTube has prepared some quick action of the 1/8th mile variety at Barona Dragstrip in Lakeside, California. He is a regular at this non-prep track on the Barona Indian Reservation, just 5 miles north of the Barona Casino, outside of San Diego, that's an NHRA-sanctioned dragstrip. As such, he obviously knows well its quirks and irks, meaning he has the advantage of considering its home turf.

We don't know if the same can be said about the M850i owner, as the BMW clearly had a slower start despite having xDrive all-wheel drive on its side. From then on, it really didn't matter that the Bavarian GT was more powerful – it couldn't take advantage of that and recoup the loss because Barona is a small 1/8-mile track, and reaction times definitely make a difference. In the end, the victory was unequivocally clear: 8.11s at almost 109 mph versus 8.69s at just 93 mph.

Obviously, the fans also made a few ironic comments about "sleeping a bit on the line" and the fact that the BMW driver probably "didn't even set the alarm; he's still counting sheep." Anyway, things are only going to get worse for Corvette's rivals because Chevrolet is almost done with the research, development, and testing phase for the C8 Corvette ZR1, and the new version is going to be a turbo blast with more than 800 horsepower on tap when it arrives later this year during the summer season.