Ford Transit Drag Races VW Crafter and Mercedes Sprinter for Fun

This isn’t so slow.

Our internal data shows you, dear reader, enjoy drag racing. Not only are there traditional drag races, where supercars and sports cars line up to compete, but also strange or mismatched races, such as a old Volkswagen Beetle against a Suzuki Samurai or a new Dodge Demon against a vintage Chevrolet Chevelle. With the help of Carwow we’ll try to answer the question “which van is the fastest and most powerful?”

Ford Transit Drag Races VW Crafter and Mercedes Sprinter for Fun

Three long-wheelbase cargo vans are available in Europe: the Ford Transit and Volkswagen Crafter. These are the largest-selling large commercial vehicles in Europe and they are constantly competing for the title, much like today’s drag. Although Ford and Volkswagen may develop the next generation of their buses together, they remain arch rivals in commercial vehicles.

The engines of all three buses are 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engines. With 177 horsepower (132kilowatts), the Crafter is the most powerful, followed by Ford (170 hp) and Mercedes (163 hp (121 kW). Only the Transit and Sprinter have an automatic gearbox.

Ford Transit Drag Races VW Crafter and Mercedes Sprinter for Fun

It’s not what you would expect, but it’s much more exciting than you might think. These machines are very powerful and can run quarter-miles in a good time. We won’t spoil any of the results but we will say that a Mercedes is always Mercedes, regardless of whether we are talking about luxury sedans or sports cars. You can also watch the second half of the video, which includes a rolling-start race as well as a brake test. Both are fascinating to see.