General Motors’ LS engines have ended up in a lot of cars that the American automaker did not make. It has been a go-to motor for enthusiasts and tuners for years because of its power potential, finding its way into an assortment of makes and models, like the 1991 Nissan 240SX in the Hoonigan video above. It’s facing off against another LS-powered monster – a modified fourth-generation Chevrolet Camaro.
The 2002 Chevrolet Camaro features a juiced 6.0-liter V8 engine. The output with nitrous is between 700 and 800 horsepower (521 and 596 kilowatts). The power glides to the wheels and the 9.0-inch rear end through a two-speed gearbox. Inside, the owner gave the Chevrolet a safety cage.
The Nissan’s owner swapped out the 240’s engine for an LS motor with nitrous. The coupe pumps out around 700 hp, which puts it on par with the Camaro. This would seem like a fairly even race looking at the engine specs, but there is a big difference between the two – weight. The Camaro tips the scales at around 3,600 pounds (1,632 kilograms), while the Nissan weighs around 2,800 lbs (1,270 kg), giving the 240 a sizable advantage once the racing starts.
In the first race, the Camaro jumped the start, launching from the line well ahead of the Nissan. It almost seemed like a redo was in order. However, the 240SX had enough power to propel itself past the Camaro and cross the finish line first – by about a car and a half.
The second race kept the same format as the first – head-to-head and 500 feet. The Camaro didn’t jump the start this time, with the two leaving the line at the same time. The back ends of both cars got loose as they sprinted down the track, but the Nissan held it together and crossed the finish line first to win the showdown. The Camaro struggled for traction more than the Nissan.
While both LS-powered automobiles churned out about the same amount of horsepower, the Nissan was much lighter. The powertrain had less mass to move and could translate that power into two back-to-back victories over the Chevrolet.
