--- title: "This Big-Block V8-Powered Chevy Spark Ran a 9.99-Second Quarter Mile" date: "2025-05-09" modified: "2025-05-09" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-big-block-powered-chevy-spark-ran-a-9-99-second-quarter-mile" categories: - "Chevrolet News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Chevrolet" - "compact" - "Hatchback" - "Spark" --- # This Big-Block V8-Powered Chevy Spark Ran a 9.99-Second Quarter Mile ![]() *Aw, so cute. \Cleetus McFarland | YouTube\* It's safe to say this tiny econobox nicknamed Crouton is the quickest [Chevrolet]() Spark in the world. YouTuber [Cleetus McFarland]() and his team have been preparing for the Burnout Rivals competition, and this wicked red hatchback was the basis for it. However, things took a turn when they decided to throw drag radials on it and attempt to make it the quickest (and fastest) Chevy Spark through the quarter-mile. And it seems they pulled it off, smashing a 9.995-second run. They may call it a [Chevy Spark,]() but it's as much of one as Toyota's NASCAR racer is a true Camry. The Spark had most of its unibody chassis cut out and replaced with custom-built tubular steel and subframes. The seat is pushed back much further than in the standard car, since the subcompact now needs to accommodate a longitudinal big-block Chevy V8 and Turbo 400 sequential gearbox, which now power the rear wheels instead of the stock car's fronts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LFJGWbpZEo The [big block]() was originally quoted as a 632 cubic-inch an earlier video about the build, which would make it a 10.3-liter [Chevy V8 crate engine]() with an astonishing 1,004 horsepower and 876 lb-ft of torque right out of the box. However, in the newest video of the track run, it is quoted as an 8.8-liter, which would make it a 540 cubic-inch block. We're unsure what happened there, but either way, it's enough to power the roughly 1,500-pound Spark, given that it's little more than a bare chassis and an engine. It's no wonder it's an absolute drag strip missile with all that power sending it down the strip. After a few runs in the low 10-second range, McFarland finally broke the nine-second barrier, which likely makes it the most capable Spark on the planet. According to the YouTuber, the previous Spark quarter-mile record was 18.1 seconds. There's no guarantee, of course, as you never know what kind of wild contraptions people without massive YouTube followings have built. However, it seems unlikely that anyone else has had the desire to build such an absurd dragster out of one of the least-interesting hatchbacks in recent memory. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()