"I want to see a giant family crossover drag race one of those 1980s cars that people think are slow," said nobody ever. Even so, Hoonigan has got an interesting shootout on its hands, between the 2020 Hyundai Palisade and the 1987 Buick Grand National.
Most YouTube drag races are set up to be logical and fair - two German sedans, two supercars, two stupidly fast SUVs. However, Hoonigan is carving a nice little niche with uneven competition between cars that are usually modified or wildly different.
This one is a real head-scratcher because while the cars made in the 1980s are indeed slow, the Grand National is supposed to be one of the good ones. Meanwhile, drag racing is not one of the things you usually ask of a Palisade. After all, you could spill about 20 drinks simultaneously based on how many cup holders are in this whale of an SUV.
Under its hood is a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 trying to push almost 4,500 lbs by means of 291 horsepower. Meanwhile, the Buick Grand National also uses a 3.8-liter V6, but it's turbocharged and rated at 245 horsepower. We're not sure if that's realistic power output, since a few cars from that era were underrated. But it's lighter by over 1,000 lbs, which is sure to make a big difference.
We're kind of rooting for both cars, the Buick because it's a classic and the Hyundai because it's "something your mom might drive," as the testers put it. But it's no sleeper, and the old G-body easily beats it. No launch control, no monster turbo, just a couple of slow cars living life to the fullest. Do you think Hyundai should think about making a more powerful Palisade with a couple of turbos on that V6 lump? Let us know in the comments section.
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. Full profile
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