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Turbo LS 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass Races Suzuki Hayabusa, Superbike Gets Crushed

Normally, we’d say that lining up next to any Hayabusa for a straight-line drag race in an old Cutlass takes a lot of guts. The former is, after all, one of the fastest sportbikes on the planet and a true legend, while the Oldsmobile Cutlass isn’t even one of the U.S. car industry’s most iconic nameplates.
Tuned Oldsmobile Cutlass takes on Suzuki Hayabusa at the drag strip 6 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Tuned Oldsmobile Cutlass takes on Suzuki Hayabusa at the drag stripTuned Oldsmobile Cutlass takes on Suzuki Hayabusa at the drag stripTuned Oldsmobile Cutlass takes on Suzuki Hayabusa at the drag stripTuned Oldsmobile Cutlass takes on Suzuki Hayabusa at the drag stripTuned Oldsmobile Cutlass takes on Suzuki Hayabusa at the drag strip
This 1983 Cutlass, however, is rather special. It’s a genuine sleeper thanks to several performance-enhancing modifications, such as a 5.3-liter LS block (allegedly stock with over 200,000 miles on the clock), a 92 mm turbocharger, plus various other changes. The results are spectacular, this being a true 9-second car.

Early 80s Cutlass models underwent several styling changes, from reverting to having four headlights to receiving several aerodynamic changes, like the “shovel-nose” front header panel or the higher rear deck. Don’t think those cars would cut through the air like a McLaren 720S, though, because the changes were minor, albeit most welcome.

So then, we’ve got this turbocharged Cutlass taking on one of the biggest names in the motorcycle industry, the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa. Immediately after its unveiling, the Hayabusa, which is Japanese for “Peregrine Falcon,” earned the title of world’s fastest production motorcycle, capable of hitting a top speed of 194 mph (312 kph).

This bike is a first-generation ‘Busa, which you can easily identify from its headlight design. The second-gen model is a little more streamlined, but the differences in design are very subtle.

Anyway, while we don’t know exactly how much power the Oldsmobile puts down or its power-to-weight ratio, we can assume the bike produces around 175 hp, give or take. We also know that the ‘Busa can accelerate to 60 mph (96 kph) in well under 3 seconds and that multiple independent runs have resulted in sub-10-second quarter-mile times.

None of that mattered here, though, as the Japanese motorcycle crossed the quarter-mile marker in 10.4 seconds, while the Cutlass was over a full second quicker.

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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
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Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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