To a large extent, Formula 1 cars stand as a pinnacle of speed and precision, pushing the boundaries of engineering and technology to their limits. These extraordinary machines, born and bred for the racetrack, are a world apart from the average road-legal vehicles we encounter daily. However, there exists a breed of road-legal supercars that come remarkably close to matching the blistering performance of an F1 car. Companies like Bugatti and Porsche build some of those extraordinary fast machines. But can they match an F1 car in a drag race?
There’s a new video from Carwow presenting us an epic drag race between a Porsche 918 Spyder, a Bugatti Veyron, and a Red Bull F1 car. Let’s kick things off with the supercar from Germany – it is definitely no slouch in the power department. Under the hood, you’ll find a 4.6-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine paired with two electric motors. The result? A jaw-dropping 887 horsepower (652 kilowatts) and a colossal 944 pound-feet (1,280 Newton-meters) of torque. With power distributed to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic gearbox, the 918 Spyder is a technological marvel. It’s not featherweight by any means, tipping the scales at 3,690 pounds (1,674 kilograms), but with its power-to-weight ratio, it’s a true force to be reckoned with.
Next up, we have the Bugatti Veyron. This beast is propelled by an awe-inspiring 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine, capable of unleashing 1,001 hp (736 kW) and 922 lb-ft (1,250 Nm) of torque. Power is seamlessly delivered to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, ensuring lightning-quick shifts. While the Veyron is a bit heavier at 4,162 lbs (1,888 kg), its sheer power and engineering prowess are more than enough to make up for it. It struggles with the launches, though, but you’ll see more about that in the video.
And now, the showstopper: the Red Bull F1 car. But not just any F1 car – it’s Sebastian Vettel’s championship-winning RB8. This machine is powered by a high-revving 2.4-liter V8 engine that churns out 800 hp (588 kW). What truly sets it apart is its featherweight construction, coming in at a mere 1,543 lbs (700 kilograms). This exceptional power-to-weight ratio and rear-wheel drive configuration put the RB8 in a class of its own.
