A Lamborghini Huracan Performante is a thing of wonder. A big naturally-aspirated V10 engine pumps out over 600hp, and flies the supercar from 0-60mph in less than three seconds. So if it were to be in a drag race against a Chinese SUV, for example, a Zeekr 8X, then you would expect it to easily dominate and take the top spot, right?
Well, that is exactly what Mat Watson and the carwow team set out to do in another drag race video on the carwow YouTube channel. The Huracan was going against one of the latest Chinese vehicles, in the form of the Zeekr 8X.
On paper, the Lamborghini should easily obliterate the Zeekr. It is faster, more powerful, and lighter than the SUV. But as the video showed us, the Chinese SUV is more than capable of holding its own.
It continues the trend of Chinese cars continuously impressing those of us in the West. They are often cheaper than what other countries can offer, as well as providing unreal levels of performance, particularly when it comes to EVs. As Watson found out in the drag race, the Zeekr 8X is the continuation of that trend.
How Did the SUV and Supercar Compare Against Each Other?
Under the hood of the Huracan Performante is a 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated V10 engine producing 640hp and 440lb-ft of torque. With a top speed of 201mph, the Performante is no slouch. At first glance, you would expect it to easily have the legs on the Chinese car, especially due to its sheer size.
The Chinese Zeekr 8X SUV has a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine. However, that isn’t its source of power. That simply acts as a generator to provide electricity for the car’s three electric motors, which combined, make 1,400hp in total with enough range for up to 204 miles. You can probably see where this is going.
In the first drag race, the Lamborghini did beat the Chinese SUV. But it was close, and Watson thought that if the Chinese car had gotten a better start, it might have beaten him. For the second race, the two cars launched from 50mph in comfort settings, and the Zeekr just got the jump on the Italian supercar. But once the Huracan really dug in, it easily pulled away from the SUV.
Did the Lamborghini Continue To Beat the Chinese SUV?
In the next race, the two cars once again launched from a rolling start, but this time both had access to more power. Both cars pulled away quite evenly this time, and the Zeekr actually came so close to the Huracan as it had previously, and even inched ahead slightly, but right at the death, it just ran out of speed and hit a limiter.
In the next race, the Zeekr just won, as Watson was too far behind when the electric SUV hit its limiter. The brake test from 100mph was incredibly close, and somehow the SUV even won that one, showing just how good the brakes on it were. Another drag race followed at the end of the video, and this time it was a much clearer win for the Italian supercar. But the big SUV certainly put up a fight despite its size and weight.
A final set of drag races decided the winner
However, Watson then lost a drag race due to a poor launch, and another one after that, despite reeling in the Chinese SUV as they got to the end of the drag strip. In the final race, which determined the overall winner, Watson got a much better launch, slowly reeled in the supercar, but the EV did just lose out in the end.