Chevrolet Corvette C5 Gaps Jaguar XK8 in a Drag Race, but Both Cars Are Winners

In this case, the vehicles that will battle it out on the drag strip are both aging cars that you can have for modest figures but are still able to deliver tons of performance and fun. And that's what matters most to a lot of enthusiasts.

On one side of the fence, representing the honor of England, is the Jaguar XK8. This British sportscar has a rowdy 4-liter V8 engine that delivers 290 hp to the rear wheels. This is a reasonably respectable figure for sportscars, even by modern standards. That statement rings especially true when one considers that old cars amplify the feeling of speed as they are more mechanical and there's not much soundproofing.

The Jaguar is up against the pride of America, the Chevrolet Corvette. In this case, it's a C5 to keep things relatively equal in terms of performance and price. The Corvette is one car that's almost synonymous with the American motoring industry, regardless of generation. It's one of those vehicles that delivers supercar performance for sportscar money.

Vette enthusiasm aside, the one battling the Jaguar is equipped with a 345 hp, 5.7-liter LS1 engine, a true workhorse of a power unit, as proven by the fact that LS-swapping is almost a meme by now. On top of that, there's a myriad of kit cars built around LS engines.

Before getting into the drag and roll races, it is worth noting both cars have modified exhaust systems, which sound absolutely sublime. But that's the only modification done to these cars, which also means that the Vette has a four-speed manual, a slight handicap that levels the playing field, considering it has more grunt.

But that was not enough to stop the blue-collar Chevy from absolutely demolishing the pretentious Jaguar in the drag race and finishing the quarter mile in one and a half seconds less. So, that leaves the rolling race as the only chance for the Jag to defend its honor.

But the chances of that happening are slim, as this is where the gearbox is even less of a differentiating factor between the two cars, as they are both naturally aspirated and don't need to get into boost. Naturally, then, the Corvette absolutely gapped the Jaguar again. But there was a final bit of entertainment in this race, in the form of a Chevy bolt, which managed to go faster in the quarter mile, but did so silently and with no panache.

Regardless of the results, however, both of these cars performed well, showcasing just how much fun can be had for a relatively low price. Even if the Jaguar lost this race, both cars come out as winners.