VIDEO: Can a Honda Superbike beat a Honda WTCR over a qualifying lap?

WE'VE seen plenty of 'two-wheels vs. four-wheels comparisons' over the years but while there is often an undertone of 'engineered marketing' to these stunts to make both options appealing, here is a chance to watch a trick Honda Superbike side-by-side with a trick Honda Touring Car giving it full throttle over a single lap of the Slovakiaring where the target is simply pole position, rather than ‘going viral’.

Made possible by the unusual step to combine both two and four-wheel world championships (Endurance World Championship and World Touring Cars) onto a single race weekend, as well as being an interesting attempt to bring two different fanbases together into a celebration of all things burning rubber and fuel, it also offers a glimpse of how an EWC machine fares in comparison with a WTCR car, in this case the Honda CBR1000RR and the Honda Civic Type-R. 

As we say, marketing bods have pulled this stunt before but makes this example unusual is these two on-board videos represent each on qualifying laps, where the full focus is on placing their respective fresh-tyred, low fuel machines on pole position for race day, rather than being distracted by any advertorial premise.

Honda has then helpfully ‘spliced’ them together so you can not only see which goes quicker but analyse how they compare through corners, under braking and acceleration. 

We won't spoil the outcome, so watch the video as Mike di Meglio goes up against the clock and WTCR leader Nestor Girolami in a 5,996km sprint… 

We won't need to tell you it was di Meglio putting a more 'physical effort' in than Nestor though!