This Hoonicorn Vs McLaren Senna Battle Is The Drag Race You Didn't Expect

Known primarily for sideways shenanigans, it’s odd but awesome to see Ken Block’s Ford Mustang ‘Hoonicorn’ in a drag racing situation. Perhaps that’s why the Hoonigan YouTube channel decided this needed to happen - the mad, highly bespoke drift machine has already proven itself when it comes to losing traction, so it’s interesting to see how it fares when the ultimate goal is the opposite.

It’s a fish out of water situation this car will be put in several times in the new ‘Hoonicorn Vs The World’ series, which kicks off with a battle against a McLaren Senna. But not just any Senna - it’s the one-off ‘Merlin’, chassis number 401, which has a unique ‘Sorcerer’s Black’ paint job and special gold accents. The car is said to be titled in tribute to MSO chief paint wizard Darren Townsend, who’s nicknamed Merlin.

It’s no more powerful than the standard car, however, with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 789bhp. Impressive, but the 6.7-litre, twin-turbo Roush Yates V8 in Hoonicorn V2 belts out 1400.

That doesn’t sound so promising for the McLaren, but it has an ace up its sleeve - launch control. And although the RTR-built Hoonicorn has a massive power advantage, drag racing isn’t something it was designed to do.

We won’t spoil the ending, although we would like to point out there’s a fair amount of waffle before the action starts. If you’re short on time, skip to the 11-minute mark for all the drag racing fun.