Watch A Hayabusa Take On Challenger Demon In The Quarter Mile

I don't know for you, but I've taken a liking to these insane drag races that pit the most unlikely competitors against one another. How often do you get to watch a Kawasaki H2 measure up to the Lightning LS-218? Or a Hayabusa against a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk? Not very, right? Here's a little treat to wrap your week up: the Japanese dragon versus the American demon.

There was already some degree of insanity when Dodge decided to launch the Hellcat lineup, but at 808hp (in the streets, 840hp in the sheets), the Demons are pure madness. As rear-wheel drives, however, they make for bonker drag racers. So of course when the video of a turbo Suzuki Hayabusa measuring up to a Challenger Demon surfaces, I'm bound to click and watch with anticipation. Two of the fastest production vehicles in the world chasing after each other? Sign me up.

Obviously, the 'Busa wins. At an eighth of the weight of the Demon and pushing at least 194 hp (I say probably because the turbo adds an undisclosed number of poneys to the equation), there was little suspense there. However, I don't feel the satisfaction I thought I would. The Demon blew its take off and it made the race a tad less exciting. The nose of the car lifted up which then cause the front end to bounce on the suspension for the first half of the race. I don't think the driver got to give it his all.

Unlike in prior races we've witnessed, the Suzuki nailed its take off in this video and gave us a flawless run to finish the quarter mile in 8.84 seconds. Of course, I'm rooting for the 'Busa, but part of me can't help but wonder how things would have gone down had the Demon had the explosive take-off we know it is capable of. The 'Busa still would have won, but it certainly would have been a closer call than the current full 1.1-second difference between the two runs.