There are dozens, possibly even hundreds of car versus motorcycle drag race videos on YouTube, and in the vast majority of cases, the bike gets through the quarter-mile first. As Chris Harris proved in his first round of car-versus-bike drag racing, you really can’t argue with the motorcycle’s superior power to weight ratio, assuming you can get that power to the ground with minimal wheelspin.
While four wheels are almost always worse than two in a straight line (and generally on most road courses, too) Harris wondered if there were circumstances under which the car would prove faster than the bike. Since that wasn’t the case in a quarter-mile, Harris found a two-mile paved runway for his latest throw-down, also featuring a 911 GT2RS against a Ducati 1199 Panigale.
Which comes out on top? Can the Porsche’s 620 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque prove to be a match for the Ducati Panigale’s 164 horsepower and 85 pound-feet of torque, given a long enough runway? At what speed does aerodynamics really come into play? You’ll have to watch the video below (worth it for the soundtrack of the GT2 RS alone) to find out.
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.
