Fearless European Muscle Car Drag Races Audi R8, Can It Beat It?

Take the Opel Calibra, for instance, a two-door coupe born between 1989 and 1997 at two factories on the right side of the Atlantic Ocean. It was offered with several straight-four mills, including the sought-after turbo and a V6, mated to a five-speed manual, six-speed manual, or a four-speed automatic transmission.

Sporting front-wheel drive in the basic offerings, and all-wheel drive in punchier version with forced induction, the Opel Calibra was built on the GM2900 platform. As a result, it was related to the era’s Vectra, as well as the Saab 9-3, 9-5, and Saturn L-Series, among others, and its iconic shape made it instantly recognizable. Drag racing enthusiasts used to look for the subtleties separating the normal Calibras from the turbo’d ones, such as the extra lug nut, as the latter did have five per wheel instead of four.

How many do you think the one depicted on video at the bottom of the page has? That’s for you to find out, though it is somewhat irrelevant, as it boasts many upgrades, beyond the fender flares, new bumpers, and that giant wing out back that’s likely there for show and tell purposes.

Nonetheless, it is the oily bits that make it stand out, as it has so much power that it can dare challenge supercars to a straight-line duel. And this is exactly what it did, at a drag racing event in Germany, where it took on an Audi R8, among others, in a half-mile race. Think it’s powerful enough to show it who’s boss? You know what to do to find out.