It is the eternal question in automotive circles; who would win in flat-out acceleration, a top-of-the-line superbike, or its four wheeled counterpart?
That question has now been answered thanks to the good folks over at Autocar UK, and the results may surprise you.
For this test, the Autocar team, led by the incomparable Steve Sutcliffe, went looking for nothing but the very best from the two and four-wheeled world. They found the McLaren P1, the Porsche 918, and, representing superbikes, the Ducati 1199 Superleggera. All the very best that the world has to offer. They did ask Ferrari to join in the fun too with the LaFerrari, but Ferrari, in true tradition, didn’t want their pride and joy to be tested alongside ‘plebeians.”
Right, onto the race. You will recall that the Porsche 918 is the only one here with all-wheel drive, lending it an edge in drag races like these. All-wheel drive is much easier to get off the line thanks to power being sent to all four wheels simultaneously. And it shows. The Porsche 918 is off faster than the other two, but not for long.
After just three seconds, the Ducati superbike, thanks to its gearing plus the power-to-weight ratio, reels in the Porsche and starts drawing a gap between itself and the two supercars. But not for long again.
The McLaren is the fastest and most powerful vehicle here, and it comes into its own around the 300kmph mark. By then, the 1199 Superleggera has already hit its rev limiter it top gear. The Porsche also starts losing steam, but the McLaren just keeps piling on and on, finishing the standing mile in 25.49 seconds, a whisker in front of the Ducati. This is the closest result of a drag race we have ever seen, with all the vehicles accomplishing the mark in twenty-five seconds and a few milliseconds, albeit at different speeds.
The whole video is just so thrilling that I will frankly stop gushing here and let you experience it for yourself.
Courtesy: Autocar UK/YouTube