Best drag races 2016/2017

It's not the most scientific test, nor is it particularly relevant to the real world, but there's something special about a drag race. There's nowhere for slowpokes to hide - just two cars, two drivers, and a long strip of tarmac waiting to receive a massive overdose of horsepower and smoldering rubber.

While we mainly focus on in-depth, comprehensive reviews here at Auto Express, there's no shame in having a bit of fun sometimes, which is why we enjoy putting two cars against each other in our drag race videos the ultimate test of straight-line speed.

• Fastest Nurburgring lap times 2016

Some of these races pit David vs Goliath; cars you'd never expect to be in the same league as each other running a surprisingly close race. Other times we race similar rivals against each other to see if a drag race can separate them where on-paper figures can't.

We've got shootouts between tiny hot hatchbacks, performance car heroes, high-powered supercars, and luxury SUVs. We even try out a Formula 1 car to see just how fast these pinnacles of performance are in a straight-line sprint.

Auto Express drag races playlist

Click through the links at the top left or below to see some of the best drag races we've shot, or visit our YouTube channel to watch them all...

• • Mercedes SLS AMG Black vs Mercedes F1 W03 2012
• • Lamborghini Aventador Roadster vs Ferrari 458 Spider
• • Porsche 911 Cabriolet vs BMW M135i
• • Nissan GT-R vs R33 Skyline GT-R
• • BMW M5 vs Mercedes E63 AMG Estate
• • Bentley Continental GT vs Porsche 911 Carrera
• • Mercedes A45 AMG vs Mercedes CLS63 AMG
• • Tesla Model S P85D vs Porsche Panamera Turbo S drag race
• • Bentley Bentayga vs Range Rover
• • Ford Focus RS vs Volkswagen Golf R
• • Audi R8 Spyder vs Audi RS6 Avant
• • Ford Fiesta ST200 vs MINI John Cooper Works

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and video newsletter for more great Auto Express video content.