Here’s a fun one for you. What happens when a genuine hot hatchback races a muscle car on the latter’s terms? We’re talking straight line acceleration over a short 1/8-mile distance - although, this scenario does tend to favor cars that are more lightweight and can put their power down more efficiently.
I know what you’re thinking. You just got that 2021 Civic Type R and you’re loving every second spent behind the wheel. Sure, it’s quite a car. Not too heavy, plenty of power for zipping around town and getting the jump on people at the light, and all from an efficient and relatively fuel efficient 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
It’s also quicker than older iterations. Remember back when the Type R used to have a naturally aspirated engine? Yes, it was very fun to drive, but its 0-60 time wasn’t exactly tremendous when compared to that of rivals like the VW Golf GTI or the Focus ST.
Anyway, today’s Civic Type R is a formidable hot hatch, and we wouldn’t blame you for wanting to find out what would happen if it was to race a proper muscle car such as the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro SS.
On paper, the Chevy is considerably more powerful than the Honda, thanks to a 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine, sending the rear wheels a total of 455 hp and 455 lb-ft (617 Nm) of torque with the aid of either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The Civic meanwhile is putting down 306 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque and needs an extra second or so to hit 60 mph (97 kph) compared to the Camaro SS (4.0 seconds vs. 5.2 seconds).
In the end, there was just too big of a power gap to overcome for the Japanese hot hatch, resulting in an easy win for the Camaro.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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