Toyota Supra 3.0 Drag Races Chevrolet Camaro LT1, Absolute Humiliation Follows

From the CLAR-based platform to the ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic transmission and B58 single-turbo sixer, there’s plenty of right stuff in there. What’s more, BMW has a habit of underrating the engine’s output.

Officially rated at 382 horsepower, the Supra with the 3.0-liter mill actually makes 388 rear-wheel ponies on the dyno. Torque is obviously up slightly from the advertised 369 pound-feet (500 Nm), and that ZF-sourced transmission shifts like nobody’s business for a torque-converter gearbox.

Tipping the scales at 3,400 pounds or 1,542 kilograms if you prefer the metric system, the Supra comes exclusively with rear-wheel drive. So does the Camaro in the featured clip, an LT1 equipped with the ten-speed auto.

Weighing in at 3,681 pounds (1,670 kilograms), the LT1 shouldn’t be confused with the 1LT. Taking its name from the LT1 direct-injected small block, this variant of the Camaro produces 455 horsepower and 455 pound-feet (617 Nm) from a displacement of 6.2 liters. These numbers are obviously superior to the Supra’s German engine, but on the other hand, the Japanese coupe is lighter and quicker in a straight line, at least on paper.

The first drag race concludes exactly as expected, with the Camaro losing the quarter-mile sprint from the start due to wheel spin. The rematch sees the pony car hook up a little better, pull ahead, then fall back to the Supra’s better mid-range power. The ensuing roll races, from 32 mph (50 kph) and the second from 62 mph (100 kph), end in the Supra’s favor as well.

With four out of four races won against a rival with more than twice the displacement, can the naysayers still claim the Supra is a cash grab?