Muscle cars and drag races go together like ham and cheese on a sandwich, but that doesn’t mean the strip belongs only to the American V-8 engines. The guys at Hoonigan are giving us another “This vs that” drag race, where they usually put two very different vehicles against each other. This time, it’s a tastefully modified 1988 Pontiac Trans Am vs a 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista. At first glance, the results may be obvious, but there is a catch – a Le Mans start to two of the three drag races. How will this affect the drag race?

Scotto – one of the Hoonigan hosts – introduces the cars as “One built by Italians and the other – built for Italians”. These two cars may have the same engine layout and number of cylinders, but at the same time, they couldn’t be more different.

“This” is a 1988 Pontiac Trans Am GTA Firebird. The car doesn’t feature its original drivetrain, as it has been heavily modified. Under the hood, we now find a 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V-8 engine, taken out of a 2014 Camaro ZL-1. } A lot of work went into making it look like it belongs in the Trans Am engine bay.

In addition, the car has full “Detroit Speed” suspension and 315 width tires on all four corners, so it goes around corners the same way it goes in a straight line – very fast. The Pontiac doesn’t have any form of traction control. In fact, the only way to control the power is by modulating the throttle by foot.

The Pontiac is going to race “That” – a 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista, with many bespoke options, ticked off. The Italian Stallion is finished in Argento Silver, with bespoke blue stripes that match the racing seats inside. It also has two-piece forged wheels – 21-inch in the front and 22 in the back. They also have titanium lug nuts.

In terms of powertrain, the Ferrari 488 Pista is almost stock. All of it goes to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with launch control.

Although the Ferrari 488 Pista is lighter and more powerful, the results may not be quite what you expect. The Trans Am actually jumps the first race, but struggles for traction. However, the second and third drag races were done in a Le Mans fashion, where the actual race starts from outside of the cars. Take a look at how that changes things for both drivers.