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900-HP McLaren 720S Drag Races 900-HP Audi R8, They're Neck and Neck

I don't think the people at McLaren expected the 720S to be so intensively used for drag racing when they created it. But I'm also sure they don't mind how people use these cars after purchasing them. That said, the 720S has proven to be a formidable weapon at the drag strip, as we've seen time and time again.
McLaren 720S Drag Races Audi R8 8 photos
Photo: DragtimesInfo
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This time we're headed back to Russia for a highlight of the Moscow Unlimited 500+ race. This race has been going on for more than a decade now, and you could say that it started a real horsepower war in Russia, as supercar and sports car owners have started bringing their cars to the dragstrip instead of going all out on public highways.

Most of the time, these vehicles will be close to the 1,000 horsepower mark, and they've perfected a system where they don't only measure the quarter-mile (402 meters) result, but the half-mile (804 meters) as well, which makes it all the more exciting. For today's battle, we're looking at two fast European-built supercars. The McLaren 720S is a 2018 model, and it seems to be rated at 900 horsepower. Its opponent is a 2016 Audi R8 V10, which has the same level of power.

One of the major differences here is that the Audi will most likely be off to a better start, thanks to it being an all-wheel drive, while the 720S is bound to make up for lost ground later on in the race due to it being rear-wheel drive. The McLaren is most likely slightly lighter than the R8 as well, so it may be that the Audi doesn't stand a chance here.

As the two cars are lined up at the start line, and the lights go green, the R8 jumps ahead as expected. But as soon as the speeds are increasing, the 720S is closing the gap. Several seconds later, we're looking at a photo finish, which might have been hard to interpret if not for official timing results.

The Audi's initial lunge forward was due to its driver having a slightly better reaction time. The McLaren managed an impressive quarter-mile (402 meters) timeslip at 9.999 seconds, while the Audi needed 10.536 seconds to cover the same distance. By the end of the runway, the 720S takes the win, finishing the half-mile (804 meters) run in 16.440 seconds with a trap speed of 178 mph (286 kph), with the R8 close behind at 16.468 seconds.

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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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