When you see drag races with cars worth more than your mortgages, you can't help but wonder why you would watch something like that. Well, in the immortal words of the inimitable Jeremy Clarkson: "Speeeeeeeeeeeed," that's why! If we can't afford it, at least let's live vicariously through the drivers behind the wheel of these 840-hp beasts.
Today we have a particular race that would make Richie Rich proud as an adult. Combined, these three luxury cars are worth more than 530,000 dollars. Now let's take'em one by one and see what all the fuss is about.
The first to greet us is the fan-favorite BMW M5 Competition, packed with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that produces up to 616 hp (625 ps) with 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.
It drives all four wheels via its 8-speed automatic transmission, has a top speed of 155 mph (249 kph), and can hit 62 mph (100 kph) in 3.3 seconds, which is nothing short of respectable. Considering the hefty $138,000 price tag equivalent from the UK, it should be.
Speaking about respectable, next, we have one of the most powerful production cars AMG has ever made, the Mercedes-AMG GT S E Performance. This hybrid model isn't messing around one bit. Its 4.0-liter V8 puts out 831 hp (843 ps) with an astounding 1,033 lb-ft (1,400 Nm) of torque.
It goes from 0-62 mph in under 3 seconds, and flat-out, it can hit 196 mph (316 kph). This costs no less than 173,705 GBP in the UK, translating into over $215,000 in the old US of A. You should find it cheaper in North America, at somewhere over $180,000... depending on what you define as "cheap."
Lastly, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid isn't kidding around either. It brought its 4.0-liter V8 to the table, delivering up to 689 hp (700 ps) and 642 lb-ft (870 Nm) of torque.
Its UK price tag is nearly 146,000 GBP, but on American soil, that means an MSRP of $196,000. This baby can hit 60 in 3 seconds flat, and its top speed is 196 mph or 315.4 kph if you want to get a bit technical.
Now that we got rid of the introductions, let's see what happened on the UK-based 1/4-mile track. After Mat Watson, the show's host, jumped the start during the first attempt with the BMW and won, they returned for a clean start.
Interestingly enough, during the second first try, the BMW M5 Competition still won, with the Mercedes in second and Porshe in third.
They were all stumped, and statistically speaking, the AMG should have raised hell, but it was about a car length behind the Bavarian-produced menace. The kicker is that they all had a great start this time.
In the official second attempt, the Mercedes had the best launch of the trio and won, with the BMW lagging behind and the Porshe being there more for support than anything else.
During the next attempt, Mat jumped the gun again, but the Mercedes still won, although it was an unofficial result.
Order was soon restored in the Universe because, in the final race, the Mercedes won without breaking a sweat in 10.9 seconds. The BMW M5 Competition came in second in 11.1 seconds, with the Porsche getting a participation trophy for finishing in 11.3 seconds.
Judging by the performance, we know who the clear victor is, but the tables begin to turn a bit when we consider the price.
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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