In the latest compilation of quarter-mile drag racing, YouTube channel Wheels brings together a series of races pitting old-school American muscle cars against modern imports, with a particular focus on comparing American cars to the rest.
Known for its quarter-mile drag strip racing videos, the channel regularly delivers exciting content from some of North America’s most popular racetracks, including Mission Raceway Park in British Columbia, Bandimere Speedway in Colorado, and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The first encounter takes us to Mission Raceway Park, where a sleek modern Porsche 911 takes on a classic Chevrolet Nova SS that has been tastefully modified to stand out in both performance and looks. The race begins with the Porsche taking an early lead, but in a surprise twist, the driver eases off the throttle halfway through, allowing the Nova to take the win with a time of 10.35 seconds while the Porsche lags behind at 13.47 seconds. It’s a surprising start that immediately sets the tone for the rest of the showdown.
The next race was held at Bandimere Speedway, affectionately known on the NHRA circuit as “Thunder Mountain,” where another Chevy Nova SS, converted into a police patrol-style drag racer, took on a very different rival: the impressive R35 Nissan GT-R. Despite its menacing looks and sound, however, the Nova driver caught a red light, allowing the GT-R to take the win, which barely had to work to cross the finish line. That puts the domestic and imported cars on a level playing field, and tensions remain high as the battles continue.
At Mission Raceway Park, there was a C7 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and a red Audi R8 with blue lighting underneath, a popular detail from the Fast and Furious days. The Corvette lives up to its reputation, managing a blistering 9.99 seconds, while the Audi struggles to keep up, finishing in 10.48 seconds. American cars had shown up to this point that they could outperform some of the fastest street-legal cars.
Back in Bandimere, a Dodge Challenger Hellcat goes up against a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, most likely a drag-tuned ZX-10R. Despite the Hellcat’s raw power, the agile Ninja wins, underscoring the challenge of taking on a two-wheeled opponent.
Finally, in Las Vegas, a Dodge Challenger goes up against the nimble Toyota GR Supra, and the American challenger wins handily. A bright red C8 Corvette then goes up against a tastefully modified BMW M3, while another Hellcat goes up against a Nissan GT-R. The Corvette narrowly beats the BMW, but the Hellcat loses to the GT-R, leaving the American muscle cars to win by a final score of 4-3.
