The Edmunds U-Drag is no ordinary race—it’s where performance cars prove their mettle on a unique course combining a quarter-mile drag, a hard brake into a 180-degree turn, and a sprint back to the finish. This time, it’s the American-born 2024 Chevy Corvette Z06 taking on Germany’s 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63.
On paper, the matchup is enticing. The Z06 flexes 670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque from its naturally aspirated 5.5L flat-plane crank V8, screaming all the way to 8,500 RPM. On the other side, the AMG GT 63 brings a twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8, good for 577 horsepower and 590 lb.-ft of torque. It sends that power to all four wheels.
In the first race, the AMG was quicker off the line with its all-wheel-drive system delivering a near-perfect launch, while the rear-wheel-drive Z06 struggles for traction but quickly gains ground. As both cars slam on the brakes for the 180, the Corvette shines.
Its lightweight chassis and carbon-ceramic brakes outperform the AMG’s heftier build, allowing it to navigate the turn with precision. Exiting the corner, the Z06’s high-revving V8 surges past the AMG, which can’t fully leverage its turbocharged torque against the Corvette’s superior power-to-weight ratio.
The same thing happened in the second race, this time though, the Corvette Z06 launched better than the AMG, with the German sports car just trying to catch up all the way to the finish line.
