This drag race between a Mercury-powered F2 raceboat and a French hot hatch is closer than you might think
To look at them side by side, you would think there would be no contest in a drag race between a Peugeot 308 GTI and a F2 raceboat.
Even though the Peugeot has 66hp more than the 200hp Mercury-powered boat, it is weighed down by everyday concerns such as back seats, wing mirrors and rear doors.
Meanwhile, the carbon-fibre/Kevlar hulled F2 weighs less than half as much (530kg to the Peugeot’s 1,160kg).
Related content:
To level the playing field both drivers (Bradley Philpot in the car and Colin Jelf in the boat) agree to a Le Mans-style start, which gives the Peugeot an early lead.
However, the circuitous road route (no-doubt chosen to give the car a chance to show off its cornering ability) gives the F2 raceboat plenty of time to build up a lead.
At the end it’s too close to call, but both vehicles complete the 2km course at the Holme Pierrepont National Water Sports Centre in less than the time it takes to boil a kettle.
To watch this dramatic boat vs car showdown, click on the video above.
