Today has been a great day for cool side-by-side drag racing with models we don't often see. Earlier we enjoyed a pair of Dodge Vipers duking it out in a quarter-mile race, and now we have a pair of AMG-powered boxes engaging in a half-mile battle. The action comes from DragtimesInfo on YouTube and features our favorite unlikely horsepower hero, the Mercedes-AMG G63.
The race took place at a previous Unlim 500+ event in Russia, and among the many supercars in attendance were these large-and-in-charge G-Class Mercs. This isn't just an SUV drag race, however – it's a generational battle from the house of Affalterbach. The G63 in the left lane wearing number 100 is a 2019 model, and though number 45 in the right lane is just a couple years older, it's the previous-generation Merc. To refresh your memory, the older iteration came with a boosted 5.5-liter mill making 571 horsepower (426 kilowatts), whereas the current G63 delivers 585 hp (436 kW) from its venerable twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8.
As for the venue, it's a straight-up half-mile drag race with times posted for 60-foot, quarter-mile, and half-mile. In addition, the half-mile trap speed is recorded along with the reaction time of each driver. That last metric is of particular interest for this run – don't worry, we aren't going to spoil the video – but if you ever wanted to see just how critical reaction and 60-foot times time can be in a drag race, here's your chance.
Power wise, the old-and-new Mercs are nearly an even match. However, Mercedes engineers managed to shave 375 pounds from the newest G63, and that can make a significant difference. On paper the victor should be clear, but here's the only spoiler will drop for you. The 2017 Merc had a better reaction time by three-tenths of a second, and had an additional quarter-second advantage at the 60-foot mark. Is that enough to stave off the lighter, more powerful G63 for an entire half-mile?
This is a good race. Sit back and enjoy.
