A Ferrari 250 GT California Spider SWB, Jaguar E-Type, Mercedes 300 SL and Porsche Speedster lined up on the same track for a very unusual drag race. These were not multimillion-dollar originals, however, but scaled-down replicas large enough to accommodate adult drivers.
Four tiny classic sports cars go head-to-head in a surprisingly serious drag race
The cars come from Junior Cars and recreate some of the most desirable European sports cars of the 20th century. The Ferrari draws inspiration from the extremely rare short-wheelbase 250 GT California Spider, while the Jaguar takes its styling from the Series 1 E-Type and the Mercedes pays tribute to the 300 SL. The Porsche adopts the compact open-top body of the Speedster.
Their smaller dimensions do not stop these replicas from using real mechanical components. Each car uses a steel chassis with a fiberglass body and weighs around 250 kg, or roughly 551 pounds. A 125cc four-stroke single-cylinder engine produces 9 hp and sends power to the rear wheels through a three-speed sequential transmission. Top speed reaches around 40 mph (64 km/h).
Junior Cars also preserved several characteristics of the original vehicles. The Ferrari, Jaguar and Mercedes place their engines at the front, following the layout of their full-size counterparts. The Porsche keeps its engine behind the passenger compartment, changing the weight distribution and potentially influencing how the car behaves off the line.
Identical power figures do not necessarily make the race evenly matched. Differences in engine position, transmission setup and driver weight can have a major impact on such lightweight machines. Using the sequential gearbox effectively also plays a much greater role than it would in a modern automatic performance car.
Carwow put all four replicas through the same type of tests it usually reserves for supercars and high-performance models, adapting the challenge to these unusual miniatures. The video reveals which scaled-down classic can make the best use of its modest 9 hp without putting genuine collector-grade Ferraris, Jaguars, Mercedes or Porsches at risk.
