There’s no replacement for displacement? Yeah right! There most definitely is, and it’s called British engineering.
This weekend, we bring you a drag race between two unlikely competitors, built using polar-opposite philosophies that ultimately are designed for one thing: speed. One car is the 2013 SRT Viper, the 5th generation of Chrysler’s supercar, powered by a huge 8.4-liter V10 engine good for about 640 hp. Its rival from overseas is the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, a supercar powered by a 3.8-liter V8 twin-turbo engine.
Two times 3.8 oftentimes is 7.6, so the Brit has less than half the displacement of the Viper. It’s also slightly down on power. Both the aerodynamics and the gearboxes play a big role, but ultimately, the McLaren is the faster car. Had this been a 2013 model, it would have had even more of a lead.
Two times 3.8 oftentimes is 7.6, so the Brit has less than half the displacement of the Viper. It’s also slightly down on power. Both the aerodynamics and the gearboxes play a big role, but ultimately, the McLaren is the faster car. Had this been a 2013 model, it would have had even more of a lead.