625 HP RTR Mustang Drag Races Golf GTI TCR, Humiliation Ensues

Unusual drag race pairings are the best. People already know what to expect when direct rivals are lined up. However, the Golf GTI looks like it doesn't stand a chance here. After all, most front-wheel-drive vehicles are slower to launch than their RWD direct rivals, and there's a noticeable power gap going on here as well.

But the TCR is no ordinary Golf. This special version of the GTI has been denied to American buyers but is best explained as a Golf R minus the AWD. It was basically only in production for 2019 and packs the familiar 2.0 TSI turbo engine with an output of 286 hp (290 PS) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque.

And what about its pony rival? Well, the Series 1 Ford Mustang RTR was developed for drifting by Ford Performance with input from world champion drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. It was available about two years ago as an option for the GT and EcoBoost. Normally, the power output would be somewhere around 460 horsepower. However, this bad boy makes 625 horsepower, according to the numbers on the screen, thanks to a supercharged V8 engine.

It's also got one hell of a cosmetic makeover with a widebody kit and a "Spitfire" camo scheme. That doesn't make it go any faster, but a good gearbox is an entirely different issue. To our surprise, the TCR launches like a bat out of hell and keeps up with the RTR Mustang quite easily. By the time they've reached 100 km/h (62 mph), there's a small gap in performance, but nothing major. In the end, the quarter-mile victory goes to the Ford, but one second of difference isn't enough to justify all that power.