Drag race battles don't get more heated than when you put an import up against a hometown hero like the Chevy Camaro. Japanese cars don't deliver their power the same way, but as competent as the twin-turbo Nissan GT-R may be, the American dragster looks like it means business.
With its series This vs. That, Hoonigan is showing everybody that not everything needs to be fair or even in a drag race. The most interesting videos come when the rivals come from totally different genres. And it doesn't get much more different than this.
You've got AWD versus RWD, import vs. domestic, a heavily customized V6 against a big block V8 built for racing, a Powerglide, and a dual-clutch gearbox. And honestly, the shells also set them apart, with one chassis being modified and the other a tubular replica of something made about 50 years ago.
The 2009 Nissan GT-R has clearly learned some new tricks, as indicated by the logos of the world-famous R35 tuner Alpha Omega. The V6 has been stroked to a 4.3-liter and makes 1,200 horsepower thanks to modified turbos. While the chrome-pink import can drive on the street on regular gas and is ensured, it prefers to be on a sticky track where the tires can accommodate that legendary Godzilla launch.
The dragster impersonating a 1967 Camaro goes about its business differently. It's got a gigantic 540ci (8.85-liter) V8 that's all-motor and produces around 800 horsepower. It was built by the driver's dad back in the 1990s, and it sends power to the back via a 2-speed Powerglide. There's no launch control, traction control, or any of that GT-R malarkey.
Everybody in the show says they want the dragster to win, but that's only because it's the underdog. The GT-R has built such a reputation for itself that people still know not to mess with it, even though this Japanese sports car was built a dozen years ago.
The first race is the most exciting of them all, with the Camaro shooting ahead and the GT-R almost catching up by the end of the runway. Looks like that Powerglide is running out of gears. The GT-R wins the other two races, with some pretty funny excuses coming from the guy driving "daddy's" V8 dragster.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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