McLaren GT Fights Lamborghini Huracan At Drag Strip
The two fight for supercar supremacy.
by Anthony AlanizA practical supercar is an oxymoron, but that hasn’t stopped McLaren that debuted its new GT last May. It’s a grand tourer, combining McLaren’s penchant for unmatched performance with more cargo space and nicer amenities. It’s not a Lamborghini Huracan, though the GT is more powerful. It may seem like an unlikely pair, but the two do play in the same supercar arena, so watching the two high-priced, high horsepower supercars fight at the drag strip is always fun to watch.
Powering the McLaren is the 4.0-liter V8 from the more powerful 720S. However, in the GT, the turbos are smaller, dropping horsepower to 620 (462 kilowatts). The Lamborghini Huracan uses a 5.2-liter V10 that makes 602 hp (449 kW). Both are stock, though the Huracan does have an advantage even though it’s underpowered and heavier – all-wheel drive. The GT is rear-wheel drive, which could make it difficult for the McLaren to get traction at launch.
The two supercars compete in four races, with the first going to the Lamborghini. It completed the quarter-mile race in 10.481 seconds at 130.75 miles per hour (210.42 kilometers per hour). The McLaren wasn’t far behind with a time of 10.527 seconds at 135.24 mph (217.64 kph). Race two also goes in the Huracan’s favor, clocking an alleged record-setting run of 10.350 at 131.27 mph (211.26 kph) – for a stock Huracan – versus the McLaren’s 10.357-second run at 135.28 mph (217.71 kph). The third run was a bust with the Lamborghini jumping the light. The fourth and final run also went to the Lamborghini – 10.378 at 131.60 mph (211.79 kph) versus 10.572 at 134.81 mph (216.96 kph).
The Lamborghini’s all-wheel-drive appears enough to best the McLaren GT time and time again, but only barely so. The McLaren is hot on the heels of the Lamborghini in every race, though it can only win if the tires get significant traction. It’ll be interesting to see how the McLaren GT stacks up against other supercars.