The 2016 GoldRush Rally is currently in full swing, with a variety of teams traveling from Boston to Los Angeles, where the finish line awaits. On this long trip, the competitors will partake in all sorts of activities fit for supercar owners. One of their preferred ways of having fun implies a lot of high-octane gas, horsepower and a drag strip. Therefore, the Vorsteiner BMW i8 we showed you a while back may be a bit of a peculiar choice.
That’s because the i8, unlike the rest of the cars surrounding it, be it Lamborghinis or Ferraris, relies on a hybrid powertrain to deliver incredible performance, not only an internal combustion engine. Even so, the 362 PS (357 hp) and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) car can still hang with the best out there. Proof in this regard is the drag race posted below, between the BMW and a much more capable Porsche 911 GT3.
The spec sheet says that the Porsche has 476 PS (469 hp) to rely on as well as 439 Nm (324 lb-ft) of torque hooked up to a 7-speed PDK gearbox that sends all of it to the rear wheels. According to the Stuttgart-based company, the sprint from standstill to 62 mph should take just 3.5 seconds in ideal conditions, such as the ones pictured in the video below.
On the other hand, the BMW i8 has more torque on its side and all-wheel drive. However, it lags behind when it comes to power, with a difference of 114 PS (112 hp) between the two cars. On top of that, even with the best runs achieved by BMW’s test pilots, the i8 can’t reach 62 mph in any less than 4.4 seconds and that’s if the battery is full, which, after a couple of runs, may become an issue.
Either way, the owner and probably driver of the Vorsteiner i8 doing this year’s GoldRush Rally didn’t back down from the challenge when the participants reached the zMAX Dragway in North Carolina. To be honest, it actually performed better than expected and you can check out the run, in the video below.
