You should never underestimate your opponent. And that especially applies when said opponent happens to drive a purpose-built racecar. Regardless of how fast your street car is, there are still a few steps to go before you can call it a track weapon. Of course, there are some exceptions, but you probably won't see them in the Honda versus Haters challenge created by the guys over at Hoonigan.
This is the fifth installment of the new drag racing series, and it does feel like Hondas will reign supreme here. Just last week, a CRX managed to win against a Skyline R34 GT-T. Hoonigan just uploaded this video today, and it has been recorded at the same location as all their previous battles: the Santa Margarita Ranch in California.
This time, we're looking at what used to be a Honda Integra lining up to race a rather wild Fox Body Mustang. Just by looking at the stats, you get a feeling that the race car is the safest bet here. The Japanese-built coupe is all about straight-line performance, and it feels right at home at the drag strip.
Even though it's still running a B-series inline-four cylinder engine, this isn't your average grocery-getter setup anymore. The owner slapped a massive turbo to it, and it's now pushing out as much as 1,100 horsepower.
That's good enough for a trap speed of about 180 mph (289 kph) down the quarter-mile (402 meters). Power is sent to the front wheels only via a four-speed manual dog box, and it all weighs just 2,600 lbs (1,179 kg). Meanwhile, the Mustang is 1,050 lbs (476 kg) heavier. The 7.0-liter all-motor Windsor V8 setup has a maximum output of 700 naturally-aspirated horsepower.
This is still an RWD setup, with a Tremec TKO600 five-speed manual gearbox inside. Both cars are running serious tires front and back, but the Ford should have brought NOS to the party as well.
Even though it feels unlikely that he can win, all the hosts are betting their money on him. Lining up for the 1,000 feet (304 meters) run, both cars are off to a good start. But the Honda almost immediately jumps into the lead. By the end of it all, you can't help but think that whoever planned this race might have made some miscalculations.
The gap is huge, and there's no way any adjustments to the starting procedure can lead to a victory for the Mustang. Even if it had used nitrous, not much would have changed.
But for the second run, the Honda driver agrees to give his opponent some space: three cars and the hit, to be exact. The turbo Integra is first to the finish line again, and we can only imagine how that must have felt for the Mustang driver. One can only hope for a more balanced challenge the next time around.
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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