There’s no shortage of supercars available today. High-horsepower machines come from nearly every automaker in one shape or another, but few cars turn heads like a Ferrari or a McLaren. Both are pinnacles of performance, so when two line up at a drag strip – the F8 Tributo and 720S – it’s best to pay attention. The DragTimes YouTube channel has a new video pitting the two supercars against each other in a trio of drag races.
Both produce 710 horsepower (530 kilowatts) and 568 pound-feet (770 Newton-meters) of torque, sending power through seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes to the rear wheels. The Ferrari uses a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 while McLaren uses a slightly larger 4.0-liter unit. One of the few differences is their weight. The McLaren tips the scales at 3,120 pounds (1,415 kilograms) while the Ferrari is heftier at 3,480 pounds (1,578 kg).
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Another difference is the driver. The first quarter-mile drag race has the Ferrari getting a far better start than the McLaren, earning an early lead and keeping it as the two cars cross the finish line. The Ferrari completed the first race in 10.445 seconds at 136.32 miles per hour (219.38 kilometers per hour). The McLaren was right behind it at 10.469 seconds at 139 mph (223 kph). Little changes for the other two races, with the Ferrari winning each by mere tenths of a second.
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The McLaren is a 2018 model, though it should have bested the 2020 Ferrari, which is several hundred pounds heavier. The two feature the same specs, so a race like this does come down to skills. When such small increments of time separate the two cars, even a near-perfect reaction at the tree may not be enough to secure a win or maintain a lead. What would be the results if the drivers switched cars?
