Tuned Pontiac Trans-Am Drag Races Ferrari 488 Pista, This Can Only Go One Way

We've all seen it happen. We all know the videos of the fast Supras and GTRs gapping supercars on the freeway. But not everyone realizes the kind of budget you need to spend to make an average sports car gap an exotic, especially if the exotic is driven by someone who knows what they're doing. And with the dual-clutch automatic gearboxes of today, exotic car owners don't even have to put in that much effort anymore.

But still, the guys over at Hoonigan thought that bringing forth a 1988 Pontiac Trans-Am and a 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista would make for an interesting challenge. Of course, the Trans-Am was nowhere nearly as slow as it used to be when it left the factory, back when even the most potent one had less than 400 horsepower on tap. The specs on this 1988 GTA aren't half bad, but it's hard to believe that it will overcome old age and come out on top.

The owner has swapped in an LSA engine out of a 2014 ZL1 Camaro, which means that this is now a 610-horsepower RWD machine. To make things even more exciting, the standard gearbox has made way for an impressive 6-speed billet sequential one, which should be adequate for the challenge ahead, considering it also has a wide-open throttle shift module. Weighing in at 3,400 lbs (1,542 kg), this Trans-Am is not very light, though, as it is a whole 346 lbs (157 kg) heavier than the Pista.

And that's not where the nightmare stops for the muscle car driver. That's because the Pista's twin-turbo V8 can churn out 730 horsepower, thanks to a series of light upgrades, and it's also bound to be more reliable and effective at doing wide-open throttle runs all day long. Before the start of the race, we get to see a quick tour of both cars, and it becomes obvious that the Trans-Am is no ghetto-project, and surprisingly enough, even the engine bay has a certain OEM+ vibe to it.

Strangely enough, most of the people that are in attendance are betting against the Ferrari, but there may be some biased decisions there. The two cars line up for the usual 1,000 ft (304.8 meters) race, and right off the bat, the Pontiac jumps the start as it tries to pull ahead. But by the time both cars hit third gear, the 488 Pista is already in the lead, and the gap widens across the finish line.

For the second run, they decide on trying a Le Mans style start, in which the drivers would first have to run towards their vehicles before driving off. The Trans-Am is once again first going off the line, but excessive wheel-spin causes it to lose ground against its opponent, settling the race after just two runs. They do go for a third bonus race, but this time the Ferrari simply crushes its opponent even worse than it did before.