Nissan GT-R Humiliates Mercedes-AMG GT S in Drag Race, Doesn't Need Launch

The truth is, after you've seen the first, you've probably gone on a binge of Nissan GT-R drag races, and even though it's always the same thing, it somehow never gets old. It's like watching a fish swimming or a bird flying: the machine is doing what it was meant to, and it feels natural.

However, the Japanese sports car doesn't have it as easy as it once did. The turbocharged V6 engine develops 565 horsepower on the current model (600 for the NISMO), but its secret has always been putting all that power on the road.

It was thanks to its perfect traction control and all-wheel-drive that it managed to defeat much more powerful rear-wheel-drive supercars. By the time those exotic vehicles gained traction, the Nissan GT-R was already in the distance with the finish line quickly approaching.

The Mercedes-AMG GT S is not exactly a supercar, but it does have a 4.0-liter V8 engine that's good for 522 HP these days. That's not enough to match the GT-R's 565, particularly since this one had a few modifications bringing its output closer to 700 hp, not yo mention that the GT S is a pre-facelift model, with 510 HP.

Things aren't looking good for the Mercedes, which only has the weight and torque advantage at this point. However, probably sensing the gap between the two cars, the Nissan driver extends a hand to the AMG by not using the launch control system.

The two cars set off quite evenly, with th GT S even having a slight advantage. A second later, though, you can hear the GT-R's engine spool up and from then on there's only one result for the Mercedes, and that's defeat. Jump to the 1:05 minute mark in the video if you want to skip straight to a good view of the duel. Oh, and the Nissan goes on to reach over 300 km/h (186 mph).