Ford Mustang EcoBoost and Nissan Skyline R33 Battle It out Down the Quarter Mile

Its straight-line performance is comparable to that of a hot hatch, only unlike the latter category, which depending on the model, has either front- or front-biased all-wheel drive (with very few exceptions), it is a rear-wheel drive machine.

The 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, with forced induction, produces 317 hp and 319 lb-ft (432 Nm) of torque, and with the six-speed automatic transmission directing the thrust to the rear wheels, it needs 5.8 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 kph) from a standstill. Keep the right pedal pinned to the floor, and you will eventually see 145 mph (233 kph) on the speedometer in the Euro-spec.

So, the Mustang EcoBoost may not be a dragster, but how does it compare agaisnt the Nissan Skyline R33? The old Godzilla and modern muscle car met at a drag racing event on the right side of the Atlantic Ocean not long ago, and proved their worth in a quarter-mile sprint.

We have no idea whether the Skyline R33 was tuned in any way, but it appears to be a GTS-25t. If that's indeed the model, then it has 247 brake horsepower and 217 lb-ft (294 Nm) available on tap, produced by a turbocharged 2.5-liter straight-six engine.

One does not have to be a connoisseur to tell which one holds the upper hand in terms of power and straight-line performance, because the balance does tilt in favor of the Mustang EcoBoost. But can the older Japanese sports car pull a surprise and beat it in a quarter-mile sprint? The answer lies one mouse-click away, so this would be a good time to place a little bet.