Sprayed C5 Corvette Bravely Takes on McLaren 570S

How far has chassis, gearbox, and tire technology come in the last several years? Pretty darn far.

By all accounts, the C5 Corvette represented a massive upgrade over its predecessor. From the hydroformed box frame to the integrated rear-mounted transaxle assembly to the more powerful LS powerplant, there wasn’t much to dislike about this latest and greatest ‘Vette. The C5 Corvette was also quite a bit faster than the C4, especially as the years wore on. And as always, the venerable LS small block presents virtually endless upgrade opportunities.

So how, exactly, does the C5 compare to today’s supercars? Well, pretty well, for the most part. But that doesn’t mean you should take your mildly modded car out there and start challenging McLarens to drag races. The owner of this nitrous-fed Corvette found that out the hard way recently when he lined up next to a 570S. The results of that showdown landed in this video from YouTuber Street Speed 717.

The British supercar is actually McLaren’s entry-level ride, but that doesn’t mean it’s a second rate machine by any regard. The carbon fiber and aluminum ride packs a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter, mid-mounted V8 pumping out 562 horsepower. Toss a lightning-quick seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox behind it, and the 570S does 0-60 in a blistering 2.7-seconds.

But this Corvette matches up pretty close, at least on paper, with a claimed 550 wheel hp of its own. So how do the two match up in the real world, with a rolling start? Well, uh, not so good. The McLaren simply walks away from the ‘Vette time and time again. Which shouldn’t be a surprise, really, given the rather large gap in technology here. And we mean everywhere, from chassis design to gearboxes to tires.

So let this serve as a friendly reminder. Before you go challenging the latest and greatest supercars out there, make sure you’ve got a distinct horsepower advantage. At the very least!