Honda Civic Type R Vs Hyundai Elantra N Is The Front-wheel-drive Drag Race You Don't Want To Miss - gallery

2 of the hottest FWD performance cars square off in a series of drag races

The Honda Civic Type R has to defend the title of the best front-wheel-drive performance car versus the newcomer from Korea - Hyundai Elantra N

On paper, the Honda Civic Type R packs a bigger punch

Its 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 puts out 306 hp and 295 lb/ft. Those are sent to the front wheels, exclusively, through a 6-speed manual. The real surprise is the weight - 3,084 lbs

The Hyundai Elantra N has a quicker transmission

While a 6-speed manual is available, this one has an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. its 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 puts out 286 hp and 289 lb/ft. The Elantra is heavier, though - 3,296 lbs

On paper, these 2 are quite evenly matched, but there's more to it

While the Honda has a better power-to-weight ratio, the Hyundai's DCT will provide a constant acceleration. While it is heavier, it is believed that the Elantra N is underrated, in terms of the horsepower

The drag races were a draw

The Elantra N failed to make a decent start on the first run, allowing the Honda to win, by a lot. In the second race, however, both cars launched perfectly, and the Hyundai won, even if by a bit

The roll races were more decisive

2 different roll races from 2 different speeds were made. The results were similar - Hyundai's DCT did not give i the advantage it needed against the Civic Type R. However, the Civic did not win by a huge distance

As expected, the second roll race was more decisive

From a 60 mph roll, the Civic Type R had zero problems with traction, allowing it to pull even harder, and beat the Elantra N by a few car lengths. The heavier Elantra was at an even greater disadvantage

Swipe up for more on both vehicles and to see the races

Regardless of the results, both cars proved they are competent performers. While, design-wise, both are not easy on the eye, the hardware underneath speaks loud and clear. Which one would you choose?