C8 Corvette Drag Races Cadillac CTS-V, American V8 Power Wins

First things first, let’s talk engines! Both the Chevrolet and Cadillac pack 6.2 liters and eight cylinders, but the mid-engine sports car is aspirated while the mid-size sports sedan features a 1.74-liter supercharger. As you’d expect, the CTS-V is the more potent of the two at 640 horsepower versus 495.

Coincidence or not, the LT2 and LT4 engines are manufactured at the Tonawanda facility in Buffalo, New York. Differences between the Stingray Z51 and CTS-V further include the transmission (dual-clutch versus torque-converter automatic) as well as curb weight (3,647 pounds versus 4,141).

On a relatively dirty track and from a roll, the ‘Vette wins the first drag race while the CTS-V beats the newcomer in the second race. From a standstill, however, the Stingray Z51 gains speed a lot quicker because it doesn’t spin the rear tires to the extent of the Cadillac. Switching to a mid-engine design has plenty of advantages over the C7 Corvette, and better traction off the line is one of them.

The Fasterproms YouTube channel has also uploaded a clip of the Stingray Z51 on the dyno, laying down 446 horsepower at the rear wheels. That’s a 9.9 percent drivetrain loss from the crankshaft, which is impressive if you remember that 15 percent is considered acceptable – or better said – a thumb rule.

For the time being, Chevrolet isn’t taking any orders because of the coronavirus pandemic and the U.S. automotive industry’s grinding halt over COVID-19. The Big B in Detroit hopes that the order banks for the 2021 model year will open in May 2020, but the bigger question is, will the pandemic affect the launch cadence of the flat-plane crankshaft Z06, twin-turbo ZR1, and the hybrid option(s)?