There's an increasing shortage of cool passenger cars across the modern automotive industry's landscape, so it's time for celebration when two iconic nameplates from two different worlds collide.
Or, if you're in America, it's probably more like the time to test their mettle at the local dragstrip, right? Well, that's precisely what the videographer behind the SSDracer channel on YouTube is trying to prove. We have watched its 'homemade' track trials and tribulations for a while now, enough to know that he's the proud owner of a quartet of feisty rides.
The oldest of the bunch is a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP rocking a 3.8-liter supercharged V6 and a four-speed automatic transmission, and it's soon going to become a veritable 'youngtimer.' Second and third are closely related in terms of model years but worlds apart as far as their respective domains are concerned – a 2018 Chevy Camaro 1SS with the 6.2-liter V8 and an eight-speed gearbox plus a 2020 Honda Accord Sport flaunting the 2.0-liter turbo mill and a ten-speed auto.
However, currently, the main point of attraction for him and his fans is the recently-acquired 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 with its 6.2-liter LT2 cross-plane V8 rocking 495 horsepower sent to the rear wheels through a Tremec dual-clutch transmission. And, of course, it's all thanks to his passion for visiting the Barona Dragstrip in Lakeside, California, as often as possible.
So far, we have seen the brand-new Stingray acquisition duke it out with a 2021 Toyota GR Supra, a modded 2001 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6, plus a Tesla Model Y Performance EV. However, now it might have met its biggest challenge yet – a tuned 2022 BMW M5 Competition! Traditionally, a stock F90 BMW M5 Competition features the 4.4-liter S63 twin-turbo V8 massaged to 617 horsepower, all happily sent through a ZF-made eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission to all four wheels.
As such, and especially knowing that it's a tuned M5 Competition, one would think the 'poor' Stingray doesn't stand a chance. Alas, haven't I told you on more than one occasion that we should always expect the unexpected at the dragstrip? And this is a 1/8th-mile venue, so – as it turns out – the reaction times and first 60 feet are even more important than you would think so.
Thus, here's a surprising result – as far as we can tell (the setting sun was quite a beaut,' but also a nuisance when trying to read the electronic scoreboards) America's sports car narrowly beat the more powerful AWD German high-performance sedan, despite its obvious power and traction advantages, and all that because the Corvette driver reacted faster and was faster off the line before the M5 eventually recouped the difference. That's pretty darn cool, right?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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