Older AMG G63 gets off to a better start, but the newer, more powerful Mercedes-Benz SUV takes the win.
The video above comes to us from the Dragtimesinfo YouTube channel and it features a pair of Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 sport utility vehicles going head-to-head in a half-mile drag race. The footage was captured at the Unlim 500+ Festival in Russia, so all of the commentary and information accompanying the video is in Russian, but the only things that you need to read are numbers, and they are displayed exactly how they would be in the U.S.A.
The Competitors
This half-mile drag race at the Unlim 500+ Festival pits a pair of Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 SUVs head-to-head. Vehicle #45 is a 2017 model while vehicle #100 is a 2018 model, meaning that it is from the newest generation, and without any mention of upgrades, we can only assume that they are both stock.
The 2017 AMG G63 is powered by a twin turbocharged, 5.5-liter V8 that delivers 563 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque in the North American market, with help from a 7-speed automatic transmission and an advanced all-wheel-drive system. Based on a quick Googlesearch, this SUV weighs around 5,624 pounds.
The 2018 G63 is powered by a twin turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 that packs 577 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, with a similar all-wheel-drive system and a 9-speed automatic transmission. In other words, the new model has a little more horsepower, a ton more torque and the advantages of a transmission with a more aggressive low-end along with quicker, shorter shifts, but the newer models do seem to weigh about 200 pounds more than the other models.
The Battle
After each big, black AMG SUV carefully lines up, the lights on the starting tree come down and on green, both twin turbo G Machines storm down the track. Surprisingly, the older model gets a better start and holds a small early lead, but it appears as though the new version catches and passes by the eighth mile. From there, the driver of the older Mercedes can’t do anything but watch the newer, more powerful G63 cruise to victory.
On the top end, the new model won by nearly a half-second, running a 21.110 at 129 miles per hour while the 2017 model took 21.604 seconds to cover the half-mile, hitting a top speed of roughly 121 miles per hour. The older model did have a better 60-foot time, but the 2018 G63 was about a tenth-and-a-half ahead at the quarter mile, with that gap growing to the half-mile marker.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
