[VIDEO] Throttle House Does a Three-Way Drag Race with the C8 Corvette, NSX Type S, and the GT-R Nismo

Car reviewers are in a tough spot with the Eighth-Generation Corvette. Even three years into its production run, it remains one of the hottest commodities on the market; people want to consume as much C8 Corvette content as they can get their hands on. But what do they do about a dance partner for America’s Favorite Sports Car? Everything in its usual sub-$85,000 price bracket looks silly next to the ‘Vette’s impressive performance envelope, so it has been typecast as the underdog, constantly having to spar with vehicles that outprice 2, 3, and even 4-fold.

Just when we thought its last outing with the half-million-dollar Ferrari 458 Speciale was Rocky V, old man Stingray Stallone has decided to lace ’em up for another bout before the Z06 enters the ring to shame the bluebloods. Playing Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, and Ivan Drago in this final(?) “C8 vs.” video is the 600-horse Type S iteration of the second-gen Acura NSX, the familiar Nissan GT-R NISMO, and the recently beefed-up 992 911 Turbo S.

2022 will be the final year of NSX production (for now, at least), and the final 350 units will be Type S models that give us our closest current approximation to the upcoming E-Ray Corvette. Like all modern NSXs, the Type S utilizes a twin-turbo 75-degree 3.5L V6 behind the driver and a triad of electric motors that combine to drive all four wheels. The S bumps power from 573 horses to a nice, clean 600 with new turbos lifted from the GT3 racer, new injectors, and more efficient intercoolers. It also features a sculpted new face, unique tires, reprogramed steering, a 9-speed DCT that features shift times twice as fast as those of the base car, and GM-style magnetorheological dampers that have received their own update for Type S duty. It stickers for just under $200 large at $192,495.

The C8 is the third generation of Corvette that the current R35 generation Nissan GT-R has done battle with since debuting all the way back in 2009, reminding Crossed Flag faithful of the drawn-out C3 and C4 years and how lucky we are that Chevrolet has taken the ‘Vette program so seriously the past two decades. The GT-R that Throttle House corralled for this test is the top-shelf NISMO (Nissan Motorsport) car that we’ve seen before, and this one adds the new for ’22 Special Edition package. It still makes an NSX-equaling 600 ponies, but here it gets further upgrades, highlighted by an exposed-carbon hood, unique 20-inch wheels, and an exclusive blue paint that Nissan calls Stealth Gray. The days of the R35 being a giant-slaying bargain are long gone. The car that shocked the world with an MSRP of $70,000 in 2009 now asks over $220,000!

The pair from the Land of the Rising Sun face off against the C8 in round 1, with the victor earning the right to go mano a mano with the Turbo S that enters as a heavy favorite with its 640 HP and world-class PDK dual-clutch transmission and AWD traction. In the hands of Car and Driver, the newest Turbo S clocked an unbelievable 2.2-second sprint to 60 and a 10.1 quarter at 137 MPH. Yeah, it is going to be a tough out, no matter what you bring. It carries an MSRP that actually undercuts the Nissan on base price, though options can add up very quickly, and the current “market adjustment” on the model is around $80,000, making it a $300,000 car all day long.

Now, we don’t like to spoil these things in our writeups, but “Rock” is looking at some stiff competition in this one. As great as it launches, it is the only car here that sends all of its power to the rear wheels, it has a 105-horse deficit on its closest competitor, and even with a market adjustment of its own, it is either 50% or 33% the price of the other fighters, talk about punching up from its weight class! As usual, the Throttle House guys do an excellent job here. Enjoy the show, and pray that Bowling Green gets the Z06 line running at full steam as soon as possible!

Source:
Throttle House / YouTube

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