McLaren 720S Faces Ferrari 812 Superfast In Hypercar Drag Battle

Is there a better way to start a new month than a hypercar drag race? We aren't just talking about any old hypercars either – as if there's such a thing. Still, a race between the Ferrari 812 Superfast and the seemingly unstoppable McLaren 720S is about as epic as you can get, at least until the Rimac C_Two hits the streets.

We've seen the McLaren in all kinds of drag races, and it usually wins every time. We haven't seen it take on the fearsome front-engined Ferrari, however, which boasts 789 horsepower (588 kilowatts) from its amazing 6.5-liter V12. That's a significant jump from the twin-turbo V8 in the 720S, and don't forget, the Ferrari's engine makes that power without any assistance from turbos or superchargers. In fact, it's the most powerful naturally-aspirated production car engine in the world.

Then again, the 720S is seriously punching above its weight class with an engine that many people think is very underrated at 710 hp (529 kW). We've seen the McLaren turn quarter-mile times that rival the purpose-built Dodge Challenger Demon at the drag strip, and it's pretty much whipped every competitor thus far in a stock-versus-stock showdown.

We won't spoil the entire video for you, because the supercar battle does span three races and one of them is extremely close. The other two, however, are probably just what you're expecting – all McLaren. This car ran consistent quarter-mile times in the 10.3 and 10.4-second range, with speeds reaching close to 140 mph. The Ferrari's times weren't quite as fast overall, but the sound emanating from that insane V12 is absolutely the stuff of petrolhead dreams.

Does the Ferrari 812 Superfast beat the McLaren in that one close race? We will leave that final mystery to the video, which is worth 10 minutes of your time just for the soundtrack never mind the action. Turn up the volume and enjoy.