You’d think Cadillac’s dedicated Le Mans race car would have the goods to beat any road car the public could buy, but that’s not the case. Modern supercars come with obscene amounts of power that anyone with a valid driver’s license can parade around town, and the V-Series.R wasn’t specifically designed to pop off lightning-quick quarter-mile times.
The Cadillac operates on electric-only power up to 37 miles per hour—Le Mans’s pit lane speed limit—before the naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V-8 engine kicks in. Total output is limited between 645 and 700 horsepower to adhere to the race’s balance-of-performance rules, but that’s nothing special.
The Ferrari 296 GTB, also a hybrid, pairs an electric motor with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine. The total output exceeds Cadillac’s, making 818 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque.
The McLaren 750S lacks a hybrid system. Instead, it uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine to power the rear wheels. It makes 740 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, while the Porsche 911 Turbo S is the odd entrant with its twin-turbocharged 3.7-liter flat-six engine. It has the least amount of power, too—640 hp and 590 lb-ft. However, it also has launch control and all-wheel drive that makes it a menace off the line.
It also had the trio’s quickest 0-60 time, completing the run in 2.4 seconds. However, it crossed the finish line last tied with the McLaren at 10.4 seconds even though the McLaren was going faster—133 mph vs 139 mph. The Ferrari finished ahead of both with a 10.0-second time at a blistering 144 mph.
It was also faster than the Cadillac, which needed 10.3 seconds to complete the quarter-mile. The Cadillac’s electric start and transition to gas power hindered its sprint, but a race start from 37 mph allowed the V-Series to harness all its power, blowing past the Ferrari with remarkable ease once the hammer drops.
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