Lexus RC F Drag Races Mercedes-AMG C63 S in Poor Conditions, Bus Length in Sight

Now, its regular but still very potent form is taking on the Germans - well, not all of them, but one envoy we can all agree is more than respectable. It is the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe, the two-door version of the Affalterbach-made C-Class, a car used to race against the likes of the Audi RS5 and BMW M4.

At first glance, the match-up doesn't seem particularly fair toward the RC F. They both have V8 engines, but even though the Japanese representative has the bigger displacement with five liters, that fact it's only naturally aspirated means it's down on power and, even more so, on maximum torque.

If you can't take our word for it and need some cold hard facts, here they are: the RC F puts out 470 hp (477 PS) and 391 lb-ft (530 Nm) of torque, whereas the German 4.0-liter V8 makes 503 hp (510 PS) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of twisting power thanks to its twin turbochargers. With the weight difference absolutely negligible, so any attempt to drag race these two has the makings of a landslide.

Except there's one catch: they are rear-wheel-drive only, and the conditions are less than ideal. That means the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe is going to find it difficult to deploy all of its power and maintain traction at the same time, turning into a battle of tires and traction control systems rather than powertrains.

Speaking of tires, this is another weird situation where the more gifted option isn't necessarily the best-suited one. The AMG has a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports, which work very well once they reach optimal temperature, while the Lexus has the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S model installed, which is a more versatile, less fussy tire.

All things considered, then, this could swing either way. Power could prevail, but so could restraint and the ability to make the most out of a tricky situation. Either way, what we do know is that by the time they reach the finish line, an invisible bus will be sandwiched between them. The only question remaining is who will be the top slice of bread and who will be the bottom?