Ferrari Purosangue Bails Out From Drag Race To Avoid Bloodbath, Still Wins in the End

In the world of video content making, drag races involve certain logistics aspects that can make or break the filming session. First off, you need the cars. Then you need to get them in the same place at the same time. Finally, the meteorological details can make all preparations utterly useless. But when all stars align perfectly, we get this – an eight-way drag race between some of the hottest SUVs on the market.

From left to right, as seen from behind the starting line, the YouTubers from carwow covered the grid with a Ferrari Purosangue, a Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo, an Aston Martin DBX 707, the Super SUV Lamborghini Urus Performante, and a BMW X6M. Lastly, this contest has three proper Sport Utility Vehicles: the Range Rover Sport SV, a Mercedes-AMG G63, and a Land Rover Defender V8.

One of the eight is mechanically unlike the others. Of course, it has to be the pureblood Ferrari Purosangue (the name is literally translated as ‘Pureblood’ in Italian). It’s got 50% more cylinders than any of the other competitors. It’s also down two turbochargers on everyone, bar the Defender, relying on a trusty crank-driven supercharger instead. The Purosangue is the only naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder racer here. It’s also the lightest car, and it has the largest displacement.

Let’s go through the stats quickly. Ferrari: 6.5-liter V12, 725 hp, 716 Nm (528 lb-ft), eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, 2.03 tons. At the other end of the power-to-weight spectrum sits the Defender, a 2.6-ton behemoth with a five-liter V8 fitted with a supercharger for 525 hp and 625 Nm (461 lb-ft). It has an eight-speed automatic like the majority (minus the ritziest Brit and the grumpiest German). Still, it's desperately low on power – it’s a staggering 200 hp under the Purosangue while also having 600 extra kilograms (1,323 lbs).

Staying in the Land Rover family, we have the Range Rover Sport SV. From here thereon, all cars are twin-turbocharged, and the Range Rover sports a 4.4-liter V8 that fires 635 hp and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) to push the 2.56-ton heft forward. Interestingly, the same powerplant pumps under the hood of the BMW X6M. Still, it’s slightly detuned to 625 hp (the torque rating is unchanged). The bison-looking Beemer is some 220 lbs (100 kg) lighter, though, at 2.45 tons.

From here on, all the remaining four cars are powered by four-liter eight-cylinders in various states of tune. In one particular case, the Porche’s, there’s also an electric motor – the Cayenne Coupe Turbo relies on a total of 739 hp and 950 Nm (701 lb-ft). It is the most powerful and torquiest brawler in this street fight, and it’s about 110 lbs (50 kg) fatter than the BMW, with 2.5 tons.

Only three SUVs in this race boast over 700 hp, and the all-new Aston Martin DBX has its power output inscribed in its nameplate. The four-liter twin-turbocharged V8 slams down 707 hp and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft), and the glamorous Sporty four-by-four gets first prize in the ‘Most Gears’ contest, with nine forward ranges crammed in the automatic box. It is also a lightweight runner, at 2.25 tons, but it's still 220 lbs / 100 kg heavier than the other hot-tempered Italian.

The Lamborghini Urus Performante tips the scale at 2.15 tons – only its archrival from Modena is slimmer – and brings a demonic 666 hp to the table, over an 850-Nm torque (627 lb-ft). Otherwise, it’s the same story: four-liter V8, two turbos, eight-speed automatic gearbox. Finally, the most ‘I couldn’t care less about aerodynamics’ SUV here, the AMG-powered G 63, is the second-to-last in the horsepower ratings.

While seven of these eight claim an all-terrain demeanor, only three have the historical pedigree to back that statement. The G-Klass AMG is the second-oldest off-road nameplate in this bout, behind the 1970-launched first-generation Range Rover. The G-Wagen emerged in 1979, while the Land Rover Defender emerged in 1983.

Anyway, the square-body Mercedes-AMG G 63 is also at the bottom of the food chain in the go-fast segment, with 585 hp and 850 Nm (627 lb-ft). It also has one extra gear in its transmission, a nine-speed automatic that spins all four wheels holding the 2.55 tons of Merc. All cars are all-wheel drive, but which one is the quickest over the standing quarter mile and in the rolling-start half-mile race?

Let’s cut down to the chase – it's the naturally aspirated Ferrari that takes home the wreath of laurels. Its power-to-weight ratio is unbeatable, and it fights to the end of the 440-yard dash to clinch victory just tenths of an inch in front of the Aston Martin. Play the video below to watch the drama unfold – it’s a surprise from start to finish, with the Beemer shooting off the line first, only to run out of breath about halfway to the finish line.

In descending order, the quarter-mile times in this race are as follows: Ferrari Purosangue and Aston Martin DBX 707 11.7 seconds, BMW X6M – 11.8 seconds, Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo hybrid and Range Rover SV – 11.9 seconds, Lamborghini Urus not-so-Performante – 12.3 seconds, Land Rover Defender – 13.8, and the Mercedes-AMG G63 – 14 seconds.

Things didn’t change much in the half-mile roll race: the Ferrari beat everyone (after several attempts because it had to call it quits in the first round to avoid squishing a wild hare running across the runway). Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin, and BMW completed the first round – in that order.

The X6M was used as a yardstick to measure the performance of the other three SUVs—the only SUVs. It crossed the finish line cheek-to-jowl with the Range Rover, while the AMG claimed third. The Defender ran out of legs and watched the race from behind the scenes, getting over the half-mile mark a considerable while after everyone else.