Whether it’s the new yacht-friendly BAC Mono supercar or one of the world’s fastest tenders, there’s no denying that boats and cars are, in their own right, both amazing vehicles. But how do they compare to one another?
To celebrate the launch of the new Peugot 308 GTi, the French car maker decided to find out by pitting their machine against an F2 GP Powerboat in a head-to-head drag race – and the results are closer than you might think.
While the Peugeot 308 is helped by an impressive 266hp (compared to the boat’s 200hp) it also carries extra weight thanks to the practicalities of wing mirrors, rear seats, extra doors and a boot. The streamlined F2 weighs in at just 530kg, less than half of the car, and also boasts a streamlined carbon-fibre/Kevlar hull.
As may be obvious, the boat has a clear advantage here so, to make things a little more equal, the professional drivers agreed to a Le Mans-style race start giving the Peugeot 308 a head start. Being restricted to roads, however, the car did have to contend with a longer, windier route while the raceboat was able to build up speed along a straight canal.
Both vehicles completed a 2km course and at the end it came down to a photo finish. However, as the film shows, the speed of both the car and the boat is undeniable – each completes the race in less than the time it takes to boil a kettle.