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Porsche 911 Turbo S versus McLaren 720S in drag race

A quarter mile drag race between the new Porsche 911 Turbo S and a McLaren 720S has been conducted by carwow.com, with the results demonstrating the data as it appears on paper can be deceiving.


The Porsche 911 Turbo S is powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat six-cylinder engine that produces 478kW/800Nm.

The lightest variant weighs 1715kg.

Pricing in Australia for the Porsche 911 Turbo S starts from $473,500 plus on-road costs.

 

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Meanwhile, the McLaren 720S is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 530kW/770Nm.

The lightest variant weighs 1419kg.

The McLaren is therefore more powerful (by a margin of 52kW), and carries substantially less weight (by a margin of 296kg).

Pricing in Australia starts from $489,900 plus on-road costs.

 

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Prevailing logic would suggest this power-to-weight advantage should be insurmountable when it comes to quarter mile (400 metre) dominance.

Regardless, the Porsche’s all-wheel drive system, superior launch control, and torquey engine allowed it to overcome these deficits from a standing start.

The Porsche 911 S crossed the line in 10.1 seconds, while the 720S took 10.4 seconds to go the distance.

 

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In the second half of the video the race was repeated, this time with a 50mph (80kmh) rolling start.

Under these conditions the McLaren's power advantage proved too much.

Watch the full video below, and tell us if you think it was a fair race.

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William Davis

William Davis has written for Drive since July 2020, covering news and current affairs in the automotive industry. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. As the newest addition to the Drive team, William was brought onboard for his attention to detail, writing skills, and strong work ethic. Despite writing for a diverse range of outlets – including the Australian Financial Review, Robb Report, and Property Observer – since completing his media degree at Macquarie University, William has always had a passion for cars.

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