[VIDEO] C7 Corvette Z51 Scores an Invite to an Electric Crossover Drag Race

Jason Cammisa and Hagerty have teamed up to create Ultimate Drag Race Replay, the best new car show on YouTube, and they’ve finally called the Corvette’s number for their episode about [checks notes] … electric crossovers?

That’s right, to add some joyous noise and context to the festivities, a Z51 Stingray from the previous generation was on hand while Jason went through his patented and incredibly cool slow-motion drag race walkthrough. The primary combatants of this seventh episode are the all-new Genesis GV60, the BMW iX, and the Ford “Mustang” Mach-E GT. The trifecta of egg-shaped four-door plug-ins enter the back straight at Willow Springs Raceway to duke it out for a shot at the king of the segment; the Tesla Model Y Performance and the internal-combustion kid from Kentucky.

There are several thought-provoking facts and features about the battery-powered cars sprinkled throughout the next-gen stats-style frame-by-frame showdown. The two-motor Genesis brings 483 horses, 516 lb-ft, and 4,862 lbs. to the start line. But strangely, it is only good for full power for ten seconds at a time while the driver holds down a “boost” button on the steering wheel. So, it reaches the checkered flag producing just 429 HP.

The Bimmer tips the scales at an eye-popping 5,707 lbs. but does hide best-in-test HP behind its ungainly faux grille. To go with its impressive 516 ponies, its dual motivators earn a silver medal in twist at 564. The Bavarians take another unique approach to dolling out power. It comes on gradually at first, causing the iX to fall behind before surging to the middle of the pack. It reaches the goal at 114 MPH, exactly ten MPH, before it bumps into its limited top speed.

The yellow Ford is down a bit in power at 480 but makes up for this disadvantage with a whopping 634 torques. Its pair of motors have to haul around 5,001 lbs. Blue Oval engineers walked the opposite path of their BMW counterparts. Their family-hauler launches the hardest with a 3.7 sprint to 60, but it starts to cut power after just five seconds of full-bore acceleration, making it start to lag behind the competition before the 500-foot mark.

All three utilize AWD and a still strange, to say, one-speed transmission. They all stop the clock in the mid-twelves, with the Genesis completing the task quickest (12.3 secs.), the BMM moving the fastest (114 MPH), and the GT playing the role of caboose with an eerily silent 12.6 second run at 102 MPH.

This gives the victorious electric Korean “mommy mobile” its shot at the rambunctious Shark Gray LT1 ‘Vette. We don’t want to spoil the result of the one race that all of our readers care about, but we would like to bring up a few of our biggest takeaways; 1. These days you always have to be mindful of what is next to you at a stoplight; just because it is quiet, unassuming, and full of car seats doesn’t mean that it can’t embarrass your pride and joy if you aren’t paying attention when the light turns green. 2. Man, the Z51 sounds fantastic! Besides the MIA engagement factor, is there a more significant EV shortfall for enthusiasts than the blank soundtrack? 3. The once extreme-looking C7 has a slight air of understatement to it now, and it’s easily the best-looking vehicle of the five (shocking that the two-door coupe is easier on the eyes than a batch of generic cute utes, eh?). One of the greatest opportunities offered to designers by battery electric vehicles is the nearly unlimited flexibility of low hardpoints; it is a bit disappointing that the four non-Corvette shapes in the test are the best that they could come up with for the blank canvas that is the skateboard chassis.

When the highlight of the clip is over, and upon returning to the start, the Genesis finally comes to blows with the benchmark Tesla. Now, as the ‘Vette isn’t in the ring anymore, we have no problem spoiling the shocking result. It has become an uncommon sight on the internet, but one of Elon’s products actually loses a sprint; to an upstart effort from a Hyundai sub-brand, no less! These are strange times, indeed! But where does the Stingray stack up against the surprising speed of this new batch of high-riding $80k plug-in hatchbacks? Click play to find out, and be ready for a pay-per-view-worthy battle!

Source:
Hagerty / YouTube

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