911 Turbo S Challenges 1,100-HP GT-R, Unexpected Contender Shows Up To Ruin Their Fun

We are looking at quite an interesting line-up for today's drag race. The Porsche 911 Turbo S has proven itself time and time again during quarter-mile (402 meters) challenges. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine is good enough for 641 horsepower and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque.

Even though it weighs 3,615 lbs (1,640 kg), it only needs about 10 seconds to go from start to finish. For a bone-stock vehicle, that's an impressive feat. It almost seems unfair that it has to go up against a tuned Nissan GT-R.

This "Godzilla" is now up to 1,100 horsepower and 936 lb-ft (1,270 Nm) of torque. This seems to have become somewhat standard for these cars in this age. Even though this is the heaviest car here at 3,791 lbs (1,720 kg), it's bound to be quite fast if it doesn't suffer from excessive wheelspin.

Still, you would think that a 911 Turbo S won't stand a chance against such an opponent. To make things even more exciting, the guys over at Carwow have brought in a surprise third contender as well.

Electrification is becoming a big part of motorsports as well these days. Just look at Moto E and Formula E. Even rallycross cars have gone down this road, and we'll get to see how one of these stacks up against two traditional supercars.

With four electric motors, this setup is good for 820 horsepower and 663 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. Even with the heavy battery pack, it's still lighter than the Porsche and Nissan, at 3,527 lbs (1,600 kg). Pricewise it's more expensive than the other two combined, but what else would you expect?

For the first run, it feels shocking seeing that the rallycross car is struggling to get ahead of the Porsche. It's quite a balanced battle as all three cars are going all out. It takes a while for the GT-R to show its true fangs.

But it ultimately manages to win the first round, with the electric race car finishing in second place. The second run seems pretty similar, but this time the Porsche finishes right behind the GT-R. They go at it one more time, and the GT-R isn't the top gun anymore.

The electric rallycross car completes the standing quarter-mile run in 10.1 seconds. Even with a four-digit horsepower figure, the GT-R was still slower than the race car, at 10.2 seconds. But the most interesting outcome is seeing the 911 Turbo S just 0.2 seconds behind the GT-R.

Most likely, investing $15,000 in upgrades for the Porsche would even the odds fairly quick. Watching the rolling race just goes to show how torque is delivered with an EV. The rallycross car rockets off the line, while both of its contenders are trying to figure out what happened.

But these race cars aren't set up for high speeds, so it tops out at just under 124 mph (200 kph). As this is a race to the half-mile (804 meters), that gives both ICE-powered supercars a fighting chance. Well, at least in the second run, where they get to start in third gear instead of having to downshift for optimum acceleration.

As always, the brake test is the last one of the day. And you would expect that a race car has the most chances of winning this. Meanwhile, it seems that the GT-R is still using the factory braking system, which sounds ludicrous given the other upgrades. If there's one conclusion you can draw from this challenge, it's that the 911 Turbo S is a formidable machine even without any upgrades.