Drag racing never gets old and Carwow has given us another epic YouTube video, between two very quick cars. This time, it’s the McLaren 765LT and Porsche 911 (992) Turbo S that are squaring off against one another. It’s mid-engine versus rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive versus all-wheel-drive, and a flat-plane V-8 versus a flat-six. Find out who wins, below.
McLaren 765LT
Starting off with the representative from Great Britain, the 765LT features a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 with a flat-plane crankshaft. As the name suggests, it develops 765 horsepower, with a peak torque of 590 pound-feet (800 Nm). At 2,951 pounds (1,339 kg), it’s the lighter of the two. However, its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic sends power only to the rear wheels. At £280,000, it’s also more expensive.
Porsche 911 Turbo S
At £155,970, the Porsche 992 Turbo S is nearly half the price of the McLaren. It also has an eight-speed PDK, dual-clutch automatic that sends power to all four wheels. However, it makes “only” 650 horsepower and the same 590 pound-feet (800 Nm). The 911 Turbo S weighs in at 3,615 pounds (1,640 kg).
The Drag Race
As Matt says, at the beginning of the video, the Porsche 911 Turbo S is a beast off the line. However, the McLaren 765LT is simply a beast. On paper, the 765LT should do the 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) sprint in 2.7 seconds and the quarter-mile, in 9.9 seconds. The Porsche, meanwhile, can sprint from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just 2.5 seconds and pass the quarter-mile in 10.1 seconds.
The two attempts ended in the exact same way. The Porsche 911 Turbo S rocketed off the line, while the McLaren 765LT struggled for traction. However, around the eighth-mile, the McLaren caught up and overtook the Porsche. Both cars were very near to what the factory figures claim, with the 765LT managing a quarter-mile time of exactly 10.0 seconds while the 911 Turbo S, 10.2 seconds.
Rolling Race
The cars do two rolling races from 50 mph (80 km/h), with the first one being in the most relaxed setting and in automatic mode. Porsche’s PDK gearbox kicked down much earlier, allowing it to take an early lead. However, the McLaren’s extra 115 horsepower and the fact, it has more revs to play with, allowed it to go past the Porsche. Things are a bit different in the sportiest setting and in manual mode. The McLaren 765LT rockets ahead and gaps the Porsche by quite a bit.
Brake test
As always, a 100 mph (161 km/h) brake test is in order. The lighter McLaren should have the advantage, but Porsches are known to have extremely good brakes. While both cars stopped in a relatively short distance, the Porsche beat the McLaren by about half a car.
Conclusion
In the end, both cars are extremely capable and much quicker than what most people would need. The Porsche represents a better value for money and, being much more practical, it probably can be your only car, unless you have a big family. The McLaren 765LT, however, is simply quicker, and one of the best second cars you can have.
