Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabriolet vs McLaren 720S 1/2 Mile Race Will Spark Debate

The split-second differences in quarter mile times don't really matter in the real world, so the only benefit is the ability to brag about it at the bar or, if you're that kind of a person, at a family dinner in front of the unemployed cousin.

However, for something so completely irrelevant, there sure are plenty of videos on the Internet showing empty airstrips with no actual airplane in sight, but with two (sometimes even three or more) fast cars carefully lined up next to each other, ready to go.

Ever since its launch, the new Porsche 911 Turbo S has been thoroughly involved in the stock car drag racing business and, most of the time, the German sports car managed to come on top. Unsurprisingly, we might add, if you consider this particular model's history as well as the crazy specs.

For this particular race, the organizers went with a Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, and since they don't offer any particular reasons for their choice - nor is there an obvious one - we're going to assume it was the only one they could find. The retractable roof always adds weight as well as making the vehicle less rigid and, most of the time, less aerodynamic - all of which constitute handicaps in a drag race.

And when your opponent is the mighty McLaren 720S in its coupe form, a handicap is the last thing you need. The British sports car is known for its out-of-this-world acceleration capabilities, but previous races have shown it usually needs to bow in front of the all-new 911 Turbo S. Make the distance longer than a quarter of a mile, and the McLaren gets the room it needs to stretch those very long legs and get in front.

So far, then, the likely result of the race can be influenced by two things: the fact the 911 is in its convertible form and the length of the race. None of these is mentioned in the title of the video, so the first red flag is raised. Watching the clip will raise a third and final one that's even more infuriating because the first two did influence the result, but at least they allowed a fair fight; the third one, though, is akin to fighting an entire boxing match with one hand tied behind your back. Have a look for yourself and focus on the 911's launch.