BMW and Audi are rivals, with their best fights on the race track. A new video pits two fun, affordable cars – the Audi RS3 and the BMW M240i – against each other in an all-wheel-drive drag race.
Powering the BMW is the company’s tried and true 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine. It produces 382 horsepower (285 kilowatts) and 368 pound-feet (500 Newton-meters) of torque. Route power through an eight-speed automatic transmission to the car’s xDrive all-wheel drive system, leveling the playing field with Audi’s more powerful all-wheel-drive.
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The RS3 featured Audi’s smaller turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. The unique engine produces 394 hp (294 kW), slightly more than the BMW, but generates the same amount of torque. Audi has one less cog in its gearbox, with a seven-speed dual-clutch channeling power to the Quattro all-wheel-drive system.
The video shows the pair competing in a drag race on an airstrip. Both cars started well; However, the two did not last long. The hard-launched Audi slowly began to pull away as soon as the race started, putting some distance between it and the purple BMW. It is an advantage that Audi has maintained all the way to the finish line. It finished the quarter mile race in 12.0 seconds, while the BMW needed 12.4 to cross the line, so not too far behind.
While the M240i is a powerful performance car, it is by no means the ultimate version of the 2 Series. It is the M2, which features a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged engine that develops 453 hp (333 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque, much more much more than RS3. Auto-equipped models can sprint up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in 3.9 seconds. Production of the M2 started last month, so a rematch with Audi should be in the future.
The Audi RS3 and BMW M240i are traction beasts, making for formidable racing opponents. But side by side, the performance differences are easier to spot. The RS3 is a bit more powerful, but we imagine it will do well when compared to the M2.
