McLaren 765LT Drag Races 860-HP Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, It's Not Even Close

It is the second time for the past few weeks when Daniel Abt tries to find a car that's faster than a 765LT down the quarter-mile and half a mile. The last time the challenger was a Porsche GT2 RS, but the Boxer-powered sports car couldn't overcome the huge hurdle in front of it. This time, Daniel has thought of a considerably more powerful opponent, albeit with a disadvantage in terms of weight.

A standard Mercedes-AMG GT63 S will provide its driver access to a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine that churns out 630 PS (621 hp) and some 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. Even though this car weighs around 4,673 lbs (2,120 kg), it's not going to be a slouch either way. But the GT63 S that is pitted against the McLaren in this video has had some modifications done to make it more of a worthy adversary.

It has been fitted with a new set of turbos and an Akrapovic exhaust, among other things, and as a result, it now develops around 870 horsepower. You might think that it should have the upper hand against the McLaren, which has less than 800 horsepower, but let's not forget about the weight difference. Because almost 2,000 lbs (907 kg) is huge when you think of the challenge ahead, and as fancy as the AWD system on the AMG may be, it's bound to lose at the end of the day.

Even though torque figures for the AMG are better, at 774 lb-ft (1,050 Nm) compared to 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) for the McLaren, there's no way the 765LT can lose the race ahead, with the only thing that could even the odds being some heavy rain. The two cars line up at the start line, and as the lights go green, you can instantly see the advantage of AWD. If you would jump to conclusions, you would judge that the Mercedes has already won the race, considering the huge gap after the first few seconds.

But as soon as the 765LT hits sixth gear, it catches up and overtakes its opponent. The McLaren finished the quarter-mile (402 meters) in 10.93 seconds and the half-mile (804 meters) in 16.45 seconds, with a top speed of 172 mph (277 kph). The Mercedes was slightly faster up to 62 mph (100 kph), and across the quarter-mile (402 meters) finish line, but it was slower in all the other segments. After a quick warm-up session for their tires, they go at it again.

This time they're neck and neck from the very first moment, and the 765LT takes the lead just before switching into fifth gear. After that moment, it's not even a race anymore, as there is absolutely nothing the Mercedes can do to get back into it. The Mercedes is only faster up to 62 mph (100 kph) for this run, but it's slower in all other segments.

For the fun of it, they go for a third run, this time opting for a rolling start, but with the AWD advantage now taken away, a moon-sized gap appears. The McLaren 765LT once again proves to be the fastest vehicle on the airfield so far, with the 720S still in second place, just slightly faster than the Porsche GT2 RS.