AMG GLC 63 Devastates Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV in Drag Race
Top Gear’s head-to-head drag race with the 500-horsepower family titans remind us that torque wins races.
In 1995, the Ferrari F50 had a V12 that made 512 horsepower. In 2007, the Corvette C6 Zo6 made 505 horsepower. The barrier for entry has dropped considerably to join the 500 horsepower club over time, and another 12 years later it has dropped again. Now the car you daily drive because its roomy and comfortable can make 500 reliable horsepower and cost under $100,000. Alpha Romeo’s Stelvio QV and the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 represent the fastest crossovers around right now, and both clock in at around the $80,000 mark.
They also both clock into Top Gear’s race on their YouTube channel with 503 horsepower, so it should be a close run. However, horsepower sells cars but torque wins races and the AMG powered GLC 63 has an extra 73 ft-lb for just 20 kg more weight. We’re showing you this race for a reason and the only surprise is going to be how much the AMG GLC 63 beats the Stelvio QV by.
A quarter-mile sprint only tells part of the story though. The Stelvio is a good looking beast and it also set an SUV lap record around the Nurburgring of seven minutes and 51.7 seconds. However, it is made by Alfa Romeo, a company not known for reliability, and there are already recorded problems. Some Giulia and Stelvio models were even recalled because they were at risk of catching fire. On the other hand, the AMG GLC 63 is less divisive in looks and Mercedes-AMG has a solid reputation for reliability. There’s also the fact that the AMG GLC 63 promptly stole the Nurburgring SUV record from Alfa by running a lap in seven minutes and 49.4 seconds – a smidgen over two-seconds faster.
Either way, and whatever people prefer, it’s an amazing time for cars when we can find 500 horsepower in a family wagon. Now what we really want to see is a drag and then a circuit race between an AMG GLC 63, a Ferrari F50, and a C6 Corvette Z06.
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