3 min
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June 14, 2024 | Carlos Preciado

Hagerty Pits the Ferrari 296 GTB against a Le Mans Beast

3 min

Hagerty Pits the Ferrari 296 GTB against a Cadillac V-Series R Le Mans car for an ultimate drag race showdown.

Carlos Preciado
June 14, 2024

In the latest episode of Ultimate Drag Race Replay with Jason Cammisa on Hagerty’s YouTube channel, we witness an exhilarating race between the Cadillac V-Series R Le Mans car and three top-tier street-legal supercars: the Ferrari 296 GTB, McLaren 750S, and Porsche 911 Turbo S. The episode highlights the incredible advancements in automotive technology, blurring the lines between road cars and race cars. It emphasizes that while these supercars are designed for different purposes, their performance capabilities are closer than one might expect.

The three street cars were first lined up to determine which one would be taking on the Cadillac V-Series R Le Mans car. The Ferrari 296 GTB, with its hybrid V6 engine, delivers a formidable 818 horsepower to the rear wheels. Known for its aggressive acceleration and consistent 0-60 mph times of 2.6 seconds, it proves to be a dominant force on the track. The McLaren 750S, lighter and non-hybrid, generates 740 horsepower from its twin-turbo V8. Despite its power, it struggles slightly in traction but still remained competitive, matching the Ferrari's power-to-weight ratio closely. Meanwhile, the Porsche 911 Turbo S, with its all-wheel-drive system, achieves 0-60 mph in 2.4 seconds, leveraging its launch control to initially outpace the others.  But in the end, the Ferrari 296 GTB conquered with a 10.0 second quarter mile time, crossing the finish at 144 MPH.

...the way the 296 accelerates. harder and harder as it approaches the red line. So you reach for the paddle, grab the next gear thinking it's going to relent, but it doesn't. It somehow seems to pull even harder.
Jason Cammisa

Having outpaced the other street cars, the 296 GTB then got the opportunity to take on a Le Mans Beast. The Cadillac V-Series R is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 and an electric motor, it produces between 645 and 700 horsepower at the wheels. Although it lacks the launch control optimized for drag racing. 

The first quarter-mile race – which began from a dead stop- ended with the Ferrari 296 GTB claiming victory by 0.3 seconds, as the Cadillac struggled in the 0-60mph segment. However, in a rolling start from 60 kph (37 mph), the Cadillac V-Series R demonstrates its true potential. When not hampered by launch control limitations, the Cadillac's raw power and acceleration surpass the Ferrari, illustrating the narrow gap between a street-legal supercar and a Le Mans racing machine.

Okay, obviously we have a quartet of really, really, really, really fast cars. But what's perhaps a little bit more interesting than just how fast they are is that the difference between a terrifyingly fast car and a Le Mans car isn't nearly as big as you'd think
Jason Cammisa