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875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's As Close as It Gets

Most car enthusiasts probably go through a drag racing phase at a certain point in their life. Some get more involved with the phenomenon, and they go pro. Others move on to drifting or other kinds of motorsports. But there's also a category of people who will be happy to do a quarter-mile (402 meters) run as often as they can. After all, it's a fun way of measuring your car's performance against a friend or just someone you've come across at the strip.
875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets 12 photos
Photo: OFFICIALLY GASSED - OG/YouTube
875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets875-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800-HP R35 GT-R, It's as Close as it Gets
My quarter/mile racing period lasted only a few years, as I soon discovered drifting afterward. And if there's one thing I clearly remember about that period, it's aquaplaning. Drag racing on a wet surface is not fun at all, at least from my perspective. But the guys over at Officially Gassed are probably used to this, as they are based in the United Kingdom. So they decided to see if a tuned family car would stand a chance against not one but two Godzillas. That's right, two R35 GT-Rs lined up for this race against a Mercedes-AMG E 63 S.

All three cars have the benefit of AWD, so they should be quite capable of withstanding the poor grip levels on the track. One of the GT-Rs is rated for a solid 800 horsepower and 600 lb-ft (813 Nm) of torque. Now, we all know that a GT-R is not the lightest car around, and this one is no exception, weighing in at 3,836 lbs (1,740 kg). And its main opponent for this race is an 875 horsepower Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, which comes with a whopping 958 lb-ft (1,258 Nm) of torque! That's the kind of torque ratings you get when you fiddle around with a twin-turbo V8! But we are talking about a heavyweight contender here, as this station wagon weighs 4,563 lbs (2,070 kg)!

Looking at the math, this might just be a pretty close race. And there's a third car lining up for the race, which will serve as both a benchmark and camera car at the same time. We're looking at a lightly tuned R35 GT-R that's packing just over 600 horsepower. That's still a fairly decent figure, but there's no way it can keep up with the two main contenders here. Chances are it will come in last every single time, but at least we'll get a better perspective of how fast an 800 horsepower GT-R is.

875\-HP E 63 S Drag Races 800\-HP R35 GT\-R, It's as Close as it Gets
Photo: OFFICIALLY GASSED - OG
The E 63 S is struggling at first, but it doesn't take long until it grips up and takes the lead. The main GT-R is not far behind, while the nearly-stock one comes in last, as expected. The tables turn for the second run of the day, as the Mercedes-AMG finishes in 2nd place. After a technical issue with the 800-HP GT-R during the third run of the day, a re-run is in order so that the winner of the drag race may be decided. In what feels like the closest battle so far, victory is handed over to the Japanese monster, with the German-built wagon coming in 2nd.

The roll race is up next, and we all know how important the power to weight ratio is going to be here. It's all over in a matter of seconds, and German engineering comes out on top for this one. But once again, the GT-R makes a strong comeback, claiming victory in the second run. For the last run of the day, the Mercedes-AMG is off to a sketchy start, proof that it's not ideal for holding a race in these conditions. Thankfully, the driver's input is enough to keep the car going straight but not enough to allow him to secure the win for this last leg of the race.

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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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