Summer is on the way, meaning it’s finally warm enough to drive with the roof down or your crash helmet on. As good an excuse as any for finding out which is fastest in a drag race: a folding-top supercar, an open cockpit track toy or a super bike?
We’ve already put the McLaren 720S through its paces, where it managed to best McLaren’s Senna track special to 60mph, but this open-top Spider is 49kg heavier. Still, with a twin-turbo V8 engine producing more than 700bhp, it’s the one to beat.
The Ariel Atom 4 produces a much lower 320bhp from its Honda Civic Type R-sourced engine - but then it only tips the scales at a little over 500kg.
Lighter still is the superbike, the 2019 BMW S1000RR. It produces 207bhp from a four-cylinder inline engine, and revs to a stratospheric 14,600rpm. Importantly for this race, it also has launch control.
Which is fastest to 60mph and 100mph, and over the quarter mile and half mile distances? You’ll have to watch to find out.
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BMW S1000RR
Looking at these racing cars is impressive. Anyhow I still prefer the BMW S1000RR above all
vex 3
Others mentioning drag videos
Others mentioning drag videos in the US. The 720S has hugely impressive acceleration, not to say traction also considering it's 2WD. Even a tuned 911 GT2 RS gets soundly beaten, I'd be interested to see if a tuned 911 Turbo S would be quicker with AWD.
But that the 720S does all this from stock is just amazing.
In a straight line the Ninja H2 is faster
It's always fun to see these drag races, although IMHO track time is even more revealing of real speed. The S1000RR is an amazing track weapon, but if straight line speed is what you want then the Kawasaki Ninja H2 would have been a better choice, as its supercarger provides it with more low and mid-range torque.The result is a quarter well below 10", beating the 720s.