There aren’t a lot of cars in the world which come with a 5.0-liter V8 engine right now. Two of them just lined up on a runway to do a drag race, the Lexus LC500, which is a couple of years old, and the Jaguar F-Type P450, a recent update in base-spec flavor.
This is a very interesting drag race because the Lexus LC500 seems like it might win if you just look at the horsepower numbers. Its 5.0-liter V8 makes 471 horsepower while the one in the Jaguar makes 444 horsepower. What’s more, the F-Type is a convertible, which is supposed to be heavier.
But that’s not the full story. The F-Type has been around since 2013. The refresh introduced in 2020 not only brought those narrow headlights but also got rid of all the base engines. You can’t get a V6 or even that four-cylinder turbo.
The new base model is called the P450 and it’s a de-tuned 5.0-liter, still supercharged, but making only 444 hp and 427 lb-ft of torque. It’s hooked up to an 8-speed gearbox, and in this case, also brings an optional AWD system to the mix.
The LC500 is sold as a convertible, but YouTuber Sam CarLegion miss-matched them and got a coupe. Despite this, the Lexus luxury model is more than 400 pounds heavier than its British roadster rival. Usually, it’s the Jaguar that seems too heavy to win a drag race.
The supercharger gap
And in case you haven’t read the title here, there’s a supercharger gap here as well. The Lexus 5.0-liter is one of the last naturally-aspirated V8s in the premium-sport segment. That’s an admirable trait, but it means the 471 horsepower is available in a narrow rev band, and torque is down to just 398 lb-ft. In addition, it’s not going to launch as well due to it being RWD.
Some people are going to argue that the Lexus LC500 wasn’t built for drag racing and that it’s a timeless classic coupe. However, it’s not like supercharged British sports cars are cutting-edge either.
Now that we’ve got all the specs out of the way, let’s enjoy the drag race and examine the results. On a perfectly sunny day, the two black sports cars line up, gunning for the horizon line.
The F-Type P450 shoots off first in a ferocious concert of supercharger noises. The Lexus seems to bog down at the launch, and its driver asks for Run 2. Then, we see a much better launch from the Japanese model, but the Jag crawls it back and finishes even.
With the roll race being the decider, we see how the supercharger can deliver that instant power boost to its V8, pushing the Jaguar F-Type to a comfortable lead. What’s funny is that the race seems rather slow for V8 sports cars because they’re heavy and not that powerful. A Model 3 Performance or even a Supra might have beaten either of them.
