How does the new Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06 stack up against a Nissan GT-R Nismo and a very heavily modified R34 Skyline in a drag race? Well the guys over that Throttle House found out for you in their latest YouTube video. The old saying may state there's no replacement for displacement, but whoever came up with that phrase must have been unfamiliar with turbochargers. You would think the fire breathing monster that is the C8 ZO6 with its 5.8L V-8 would have no rival on a drag strip, but this video shows there is far more at play.
Z06 vs. GT-R Nismo vs. R34 Skyline By The Numbers
On paper, one might think the Nismo GT-R wouldn't stand a chance against a C8 Z06 in a drag race, but factor in all-wheel drive and twin turbos and things are so cut-and-dry. The new C8 Z06 boasts a 5.8-liter V-8 producing 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque while weighing just 3,434 pounds and coming in at a surprisingly reasonable $164,000. Meanwhile, the latest version of the legendary Godzilla, the Nismo GT-R, makes 600 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque from its 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V-6 in a package weighing 3,867 pounds and ringing in at a shocking $210,000. Lastly we have the ringer, an R34 Skyline heavily modded with a massive turbo described by the host in the video as the size of a "French horn." It makes well over 1,000 horsepower out of its 3.0-liter inline-six while only weighing 3439 pounds. With numbers like these, you know this is going to be a very impressive race.
The Z06 And Two Very Different GT-Rs Race
So which car has the advantage? Is it the more powerful, naturally aspirated C8 Z06 with RWD or the less powerful GT-R that sports all-wheel drive and twin turbos? The biggest advantage the Nismo GTR has is traction and while the C8 has the power, it's much harder to get that power to the pavement. As the race unfolds, the GT-R goes flying off the line as it's all-wheel drive system allows it to put power to all four wheels while the C8 struggles to find grip. Both Nissans pull out to a huge lead before the turbo lag fades on the R34 and it goes flying past its modern sibling for a narrow victory, with both JDM super cars smoking the Z06. But that's not the only race the Throttle House Crew decided to run, however. They also ran a race taking away the R35's AWD advantage, and things got much more interesting. We'll save you the drama and let you know the R34 smoked both cars again despite not running full boost and only running on five out of six cylinders. There truly is no advantage against a purpose built heavily modified engine. However, this time with both the C8 and the GT-R starting from a roll the C8 proves its worth making this race much, much closer. So close in fact that you should watch the video above and find out which wins the battle for second.