There's no mystery that we're huge fans of drag racing, but we love them even more when they include a couple of classic muscle cars. And the one you're about to see below is one of those rare battles that sees a couple of rare cars flex their V8s at the drag strip.
In one lane we have a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. But it's not a regular version of Mopar's intermediate. This one features the A12 package, which comes with an aluminum intake manifold and a lift-off, fiberglass hood.
And don't let the basic steel wheels fool you, this Plymouth gets its "beep-beep" from a 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) V8 of the six-barrel variety. The mill pumps out 390 horsepower and 490 pound-feet (664 Nm) of torque.
But there's an even rarer muscle car in the other lane. Yup, that's a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle, but it's far from regular either. This Chevy sports the infamous COPO upgrade, a rare option that found its way on only 323 cars in 1969.
The bundle includes a heavy-duty transmission, a 12-bolt rear end, and, more importantly, the 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) L72 V8. Not available on the regular options list in 1969, this mill delivered a whopping 425 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm) of twist thanks to an 11:1 compression ratio, a solid lifter cam, aluminum intake manifold, and four-bolt mains.
With a more powerful V8 and upgrades that make it more suitable for drag racing, the COPO Chevelle should be able to win this one, right? Well, this three-race battle becomes unpredictable even before the lights go green.
That's because the Chevelle driver hit the red lights in the first race, and even though it crossed the finish line first in 12.15 seconds, the win went to the Road Runner, which posted a 12.36-second ET.
The second race sees the Plymouth move during a red light, but it doesn't matter all that much since the Chevelle is almost a second quicker thanks to a 12.2-click ET.
With the score tied, the muscle cars line up at the Christmas tree for a decider. And while everyone was expecting the Chevelle to win, it was the Road Runner that crossed the finish line first. Yes, the Plymouth's 12.6-second ET is slower than the Chevelle's 12.5-second run, but the Road Runner covered the quarter-mile first thanks to a fantastic 0.07-second reaction time.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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