Civic Type R Fights Defender Works V8 In Unexpected Drag Race

We love drag races. In fact, almost every week we feature several drag strip matchups in the site as it's really fun to see cars going against each other in a straight-line race. With our fondness of drag races, it would be a big fat lie if we say that we haven't seen weird matchups from around the world.

We've seen an electric Audi RS3 beat a Porsche 911 GT2 RS in reverse, while a Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster tried to outrun a drone (yes, that flying thing with a camera) in a drag strip. If those aren't weird enough, we've also seen taxis battling each other, and ultimately, we've seen a Tesla go against a fighter jet, a superbike, a Formula 1 car, and a commercial airplane. These matchups may not make sense for some, but they were sure fun to watch.

In this matchup, though, Top Gear pitted two highly unlikely cars in a drag strip. A blue Honda Civic Type R faced a Land Rover – not the Ranger Rover Velar, not the Range Rover Evoque, not even the hardcore Range Rover Sport SVR. The Japanese hot hatch's contender was a 70-year-old Defender. Yes, that's right, and they weren't even kidding about it. The oldest in Land Rover's SUV lineup was up against one of the most-decorated hot hatches in history.

Now, before you call raise and bet for the Civic Type R as the winner of this race, let's look at the specs figures for both cars.

The Civic Type R can produce output figures of up to 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It can go from zero to 62 miles per hour within 5.8 seconds. Fast? Absolutely.

The Defender V8 Works, on the other hand, has output ratings that could make your jaw drop. Its V8 engine is capable of producing 400 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, and even with its un-aerodynamic body, it can sprint to 62 mph within 5.6 seconds. Now, that's surprisingly faster.

With these specs figures laid out, which do you think would cross the checkered flag first? It's time to watch the video