Once upon a time, a drag race showdown of Detroit iron would include muscle cars from Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. That still applies with the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger, but these days you’ll find power-hungry grudge matches in other areas. Case-in-point is this drag racing clip that pits the Detroit Three against each other in a decidedly different genre – trucks.
What’s interesting about this race is that none of the competitors are dedicated performance models. In fact, the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost hybrid tips the scales at three tons, and the 2021 Ram 1500 isn’t far behind at roughly 5,900 pounds. At just under 5,500 pounds, the GMC Sierra Denali is actually the lightweight of the group, thanks in part to its carbon fiber bed.
And yet, none of these trucks are slow. The Ram’s 5.7-liter Hemi V8 makes 395 horsepower (295 kilowatts), but it’s outclassed by both competitors. The GMC wields a 6.2-liter V8 making 420 hp (313 kW), but the heavy F-150 takes the power trophy with a combined 430 hp (321 kW). However, heavyweight matches like this are a perfect showcase for torque, and on that front, the F-150 is way out front at 570 pound-feet (773 Newton-meters). The Sierra is a distant second at 460 lb-ft (624 Nm), with the Ram dead last at 410 lb-ft (556 Nm).
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On paper, the Ram is the underdog and we won’t even try to sugarcoat its performance here. Sorry Mopar fans, the Hemi is outclassed in each of the three races in this video, be it from a roll or a dig, in two-wheel drive or four. Such antics are best left to the TRX, which means this particular contest comes down to a Ford-versus-GMC matchup. Given the difference in torque, it’s safe to assume the F-150 gets the jump, meaning the GMC’s only chance is to chase it down on the other end of the track.
In that assessment, however, you’d be wrong.
We’ll leave the final outcome to the clip, but there are some surprises in store. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this pickup truck showdown.