Your Memory Fails You: See These 1980s Supercars Defeated in a Drag Race by a Dull Crossover

      Skoda

      The most significant news and reviews in the automotive world, without any fluff.

      Our free daily newsletter delivers the essential stories straight to your inbox every weekday.

      In The Incredibles, a envious supervillain seeks revenge on the heroes by granting everyone superpowers, ultimately diminishing their super status. A parallel scenario has unfolded in the automotive industry over the last four decades. The supercars from the 1980s still maintain their striking designs, yet even an average crossover can outpace them in a straight line.

      When those iconic supercars graced bedroom walls, Skoda was confined behind the Iron Curtain. Now, the brand produces the Elroq vRS, an electric crossover that outperformed a Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach, and Porsche 944 Turbo in a drag race at the renowned Dunsfold track. This venue was particularly fitting, as Top Gear had previously showcased a similar demonstration revealing how contemporary standards have rendered the Aston Martin DB5 and Jaguar E-Type quite slow.

      Skoda

      A video from Skoda’s U.K. PR team illustrates how the Elroq vRS easily distances itself from these 1980s classics. The Testarossa exited in a plume of tire smoke, yet finished closely behind the Skoda, suggesting that a better launch could have changed the outcome. According to Skoda, the Ferrari should theoretically accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, 0.1 seconds faster than the Elroq. However, the advantage of having seamless power delivery in the all-wheel-drive Elroq—allowing drivers to simply accelerate without managing a clutch—outweighs the effort required to shift in older models, particularly with the turbo lag from the 944’s outdated technology.

      The Elroq's easy handling and traction likely contributed to its emphatic victory. Although the vRS designation identifies it as a performance variant, its 335 horsepower and 402 pound-feet of torque are merely sufficient, given that the crossover weighs nearly 4,900 pounds. With a 5.4-second time to reach 60 mph, the Elroq vRS is the fastest production Skoda to date, but its top speed of 111 mph means that, over longer distances, the other three vehicles would have surpassed it. Even the slowest among them, the 944 Turbo, can reach 162 mph, according to Skoda’s data.

      However, the Elroq offers practicality with five seats and usable cargo space—attributes that were never associated with 1980s supercars. It utilizes the same Volkswagen MEB platform as the ID.4, ID.Buzz, and Audi Q4 e-tron and is equipped with an 82-kilowatt-hour (77-kWh usable) battery pack similar to those in the two U.S.-market crossovers. Skoda estimates a range of up to 344 miles on the European WLTP cycle, but based on the EPA ratings for the all-wheel-drive ID.4 and Q4 e-tron, a U.S. version would likely have a range closer to 260 miles.

      It’s fantastic that regular drivers can now enjoy a level of speed once limited to Wall Street moguls; however, the allure of cars extends beyond mere straight-line performance. When it comes to emotional resonance, classic supercars still reign supreme.