Nissan GT-R Nismo Battles Dodge Demon in Drag Race

It’s Japanese engineering against American muscle as the ultimate GT-R races the ultimate Challenger.

If you look at the window sticker for a high-performance car, you’ll see things such as where it was made, its city and highway fuel economy, and the optional equipment it has. Maybe it has carbon ceramic brakes or a high-end sound system. One thing that sticker doesn’t tell you is that the car comes with something else: a target on its back. It’s standard (invisible) equipment on cars such as the Dodge Demon and Nissan GT-R shown in this DragTimes video.

It’s been more than a decade since Nissan started producing the R35 version of the GT-R and the company’s all-wheel drive performance car has been pitted against muscle and exotic cars every day since then. Corvette drivers want to see if they can take it. Porsche owners want to show it who’s boss.

The Dodge Demon is much newer, but is just as much of a target. It’s the ultimate Challenger, sporting drag strip tech previously unheard of on a Dodge production car, and maximum output figures of 840 horsepower and 770 lb-ft of torque.

The guys from DragTimes head out to the Speed Vegas track to pit the two beasts against one another in two dig races down a straightaway. One driver will be behind the wheel of a 2017 Nissan GT-R Nismo, which is equipped with a stiffer body and more downforce than a regular GT-R. Its twin-turbo V6 pumps its 600 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque through the ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system.

ALSO SEE: 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Track Tested

The other driver will be piloting a 2018 Dodge Demon running the optional Direct Connection powertrain controller and race gas (to unlock all 840 horsepower), drag radials up front, and Hoosier slicks in the rear.

It’s clear that the Dodge has a huge power advantage, but it’s also nearly 400 pounds heavier than the Nissan and will have to put its outrageous amount of power down through just its rear tires.

The two cars line up at the starting line, their drivers waiting for the signal to go. The GT-R launches itself to an early lead as the Demon lays down two black streaks of burnt rubber. Once it gets a grip, the devilish Dodge puts the Nismo behind it. The second race starts off much like the first, but ends differently. The GT-R jumps to an early lead and keeps it until the end. Despite having warm tires deflated to a spongy 15 psi in the back, the Demon just can’t seem to put its power down.

Despite the 1-1 finish, there is no tie-breaker in this video, but we have no doubt there are other GT-R vs. Demon races online. Those targets on their backs are just too tempting for gearheads not to fire at.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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