Back in the day, when I was still in junior high, I used to be quite active in the skateboarding scene. We'd see other kids taking up the sport, but they were not all the same. You'd instantly recognize someone wearing brand new shoes and gear, riding the most expensive board. Most of them were in it for the bragging rights alone. We would call them posers.
I'm not saying that this is the case for today's drag race. But you do hear a lot of kids these days praising the R35 GT-R, thinking it's the ultimate sports car. If you've got $150K to spend, you can build one into a seriously menacing machine. But what if you haven't got a six-figure budget at your disposal? Then you make do with less. Of course, building a car strictly for the quarter-mile (402 meters) is going to make it less capable of going around a corner.
But if your only goal is to go fast in a straight line, that shouldn't bother you anyway. Today we're looking at quite an interesting match-up. American Muscle is once again going up against a Japanese tuner car. Let's look at the specs. The GT-R is a 2017 model and its VR38 engine is churning out 1,400 horsepower. It does have AWD, but it's rather heavy at 4,190 lbs (1,900 kg). This car was built with drag racing in mind and you might have seen it at Texas 2K.
Its driver is Dan Rue who also goes by the name of "Dancing Dan". Aside from the tire and drivetrain setup, the car is still in full street trim, which isn't the case for its opponent. Nicky Bobby is driving the 2000 Ford Mustang, a car that looks menacing indeed. The car is set up to provide as much grip as possible on a no-prep surface. You could go as far as calling it a "modern Gasser".
Photo: Hoonigan
Some of you may not like the fact that this Mustang is packing a Chevrolet engine. But with twin-turbochargers and a host of other upgrades, you're looking at 1,370 horsepower. That's close to the GT-R's figures, but this car weighs less, at 3,700 lbs (1,678 kg). It doesn't have the advantage of AWD, but it does have a 2-speed Power Glide. Given the stance of this thing and the tire setup, I feel that the Nissan is going to have a tough day ahead.
And that also seems to be the general opinion on set. For the first run, the Mustang will be starting from a dig. The GT-R will be going for a 20 mph (32 kph), rolling start. Right off the bat, the Nissan jumps into the lead, while the Ford is busy melting its tires away. It eventually starts losing control towards the end of the run, and Nicky Bobby has to deploy the chute to stabilize his car.
They decide to go at it again. This time, both cars are starting from a dig, but the Nissan is given a two-car length advantage. We get to see a very intense run, but Dancing Dan ultimately gets the win. For the second run, they reduce the Mustang's handicap. And the score evens out, with the Nissan suffering some unexpected mechanical issues. It's all down to the last 1,000-feet (304 meters) race and someone is about to get gaped. Care to guess who that is?
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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