Matt Watson from Car Throttle participated in a racing competition against a Formula 1 (F1) car, the Red Bull RB7, which won the 2011 championship. The F1 car has 800 horsepower, weighs 700 kg, and features a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine, automatic transmission with paddle shifters, and launch control. In contrast, Matt's car, a Honda NSX RC, is powered by 581 horsepower, weighs 1,760 kg, and has a dual-clutch transmission, all-wheel drive, and a small battery that helps the motor.
The competition involved three races, with the F1 car emerging victorious in the first two. However, the RC car experienced technical issues during the second race, which resulted in a "catastrophic failure" of its transmission box. After repairs, the RC car managed to close the gap with the F1 car in the third race, but ultimately lost due to reaching its maximum speed.
Additionally, the participants conducted a braking test from 160 km/h, which the F1 car won by a narrow margin.
1. The RC car is racing against a Formula 1 car, specifically the RB7.
2. The Formula 1 car has a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated engine with 800 horsepower.
3. The Formula 1 car weighs around 700 kilos due to its carbon fiber construction.
4. The RC car has a price of £400 for the basic model, but with added electronics, the total cost is £1,400.
5. The RC car has a dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.
6. The Honda NSX has a price tag of £189,000 with options.
7. The Honda NSX generates 581 horsepower and has 645 meters of torque.
8. The Honda NSX weighs 1,760 kilos.
9. The RC car did the quarter mile in 8.6 seconds, while the Formula 1 car took 9.5 seconds.
10. The RC car reached its maximum speed, resulting in a victory for the Formula 1 car in the half-mile race.
11. The RC car had a catastrophic failure in its transmission box during one of the races.
12. The RC car was fixed in five minutes after the failure.
13. The RC car and the Formula 1 car participated in a braking test from 160 kilometers per hour.
14. The RC car barely won the braking test, beating the Formula 1 car by a small margin.