Image: HPE, LLC
That sounds like a simple enough question to answer, right? Especially when you factor in that the station wagon has a slushbox, and is going head to head against the AWD supercar commonly known as “Godzilla”. Let me throw out a warning here: things arem’t always as simple as they first appear, and in this case the station wagon in question is a Cadillac CTS-V, equipped with a Hennessey V650 upgrade. That means it makes 650 horsepower at the crank, instead of the stock 556 horsepower. It’s also wearing drag radials, since it sends power to the rear wheels only. Still think this is an easy kill for the guy in the GT-R? Watch the video to see what happens.
As races go, it doesn’t get much closer than that. Both cars were dead equal to 60 miles per hour (3.5 seconds), but the Caddy tripped the wire in 11.7 seconds at 122 miles per hour. Godzilla managed 11.8 seconds, and a trap speed of 120 miles per hour. As Autoblog points out, the test may have ended differently if Hennessey had run against a 2012 GT-R, which puts out an additional 45 horsepower and is quicker both to 60 miles per hour and in the quarter mile. I say that misses the point entirely, since it’s easy to throw numbers down on paper. Whether you like station wagons or hate them, you’ve got to be impressed with a wagon that goes as fast in a straight line as a Nissan GT-R.
Source: You Tube, via Autoblog
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
