Finding the right drag racing pairing for a car doesn't always have to mean looking for something that gets as close as possible to each and every one of the other vehicle's specs. There are other - one might even say "better" - ways of keeping things interesting.
For instance, what would you put next to the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk? Everybody knows the Hellcat-powered SUV is the quickest in its segment over the quarter mile and not even, say, a Lamborghini Urus or an Audi RS Q8 can trouble it, so what would the point be in trying?
Instead, why not try another approach to balancing things out? For instance, look for a car that has less power, but is significantly lighter. Or one that has the same amount of power, is lighter but has a manual transmission (700-odd horsepower and a stick shift? Only the brave). Or something like this lineup: a Ford Mustang Roush with 750 hp and a ten-speed automatic, as well as a 1,000 lbs (~450kg) advantage. The only real downside? It's a rear-wheel-drive-only machine.
In case there were any doubts left, having all-wheel-drive makes all the difference in a standing race. Unless you're in something like the McLarens that seem to magically ignore the fact they only spin those (admittedly big) rear wheels, you're most likely going to lose to an all-wheel-drive car with similar power.
This encounter makes no exception. At the end of each of the two races (in normal and sport mode, respectively), the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk driver had plenty of time to enjoy an espresso, if he so desired, while the one in the Mustang had to settle for a Gappuccino. Badum tss.
However, that does nothing to settle the rolling race situation. You would expect the lighter, more powerful sports car to have no problem trampling over the heavier, bulkier SUV with an AWD system that's of very little help now, and by the looks of it, you'd be absolutely right.
The guys stage three runs, each with different settings (car in normal mode and tranny in auto, car and transmission in sport, car in sport with manual shifting), but the result is largely the same. The Mustang just picks up better from the 30 mph (50 km/h) roll start and keeps pulling all the way. Like it should.
So, it's a shared spoils situation, but it only goes to show how difficult it is to have a setup that's just as good as any type of racing. Sure, there are some models out there that can do the job - the McLarens we mentioned are a good shout, and so is the Tesla Model S Plaid - but most other cars have strengths and weaknesses. It's just a game of maximizing the former and disguising the latter.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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