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C8 Corvette Drag Races Rolls-Royce Wraith, Class Struggle Intensifies

Tensions are at an all-time high in American society, and it's even beginning to show in the drag racing scene. Here we have a brand new C8 Corvette, the hero of the people, taking on the oppressive Rolls-Royce Wraith.
C8 Corvette Drag Racing Rolls-Royce Wraith Is a Class Struggle 4 photos
Photo: Hennessey Performance/YouTube screenshot
C8 Corvette Drag Races Rolls-Royce Wraith, Class Struggle IntensifiesC8 Corvette Drag Races Rolls-Royce Wraith, Class Struggle IntensifiesC8 Corvette Drag Races Rolls-Royce Wraith, Class Struggle Intensifies
We're kidding, of course. Even though the uber-rich might buy expensive cars with their tax deductions, it's not like the Rolls-Royce Wraith only appeals to them. In fact, we'd argue that the two-door luxury coupe appeals equally to "young money", just like the Corvette.

Today, we're going to see which one is fastest between these two cars that have nothing in common other than the number of doors. Why? Because Hennessey Performance has both of them and a suitable track for drag racing.

Before the horsepower numbers, we quickly want to mention that the Wraith weighs almost 5,500 lbs (2.5 tons). This puts it in the same boxing class as a G63, and it's got giant everything, including the engine. The twin-turbochargers motivate the 6.6-liter V12 to produce 623 horsepower (465 kilowatts) and 642 pound-feet (870 Newton-meters) of torque. It might look sporty compared to other Rolls-Royce models, but this is still a land yacht and lacks the launch control of modern sports cars.

The C8 Corvette has that, together with a mid-engined V8 layout which delivers magical acceleration off the line. With the optional Z51 package, the 6.2-liter V8 pumps out 495 hp and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm) of torque. Even the specs suggest it is way faster at 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds and a top speed of 194 mph (312 km/h).

But anything can happen in a real-world race, and just to even things out, Hennessey does a rolling race from 30 mph (48 km/h). This nullifies some of the 'Vette's advantage. In a second race, the C8 takes off while the Wraith is passing it, against to level the field.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

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.
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