BMW'S M3 TWINS DRAG RACE IT OUT - IS YOUR MONEY ON THE SALOON OR THE TOURING?
BMW M-Cars are often regarded as the performance benchmark. When other automakers release new performance cars, the world’s performance-oriented motoring fanatics often come up with the question; “How does it compare to an M3?”. It’s been like that for as long as I can remember. Even in my circle of friends; years back when some of the VW crowd would do a 16-valve ABF transplant into a Mk1 Golf, the only thing we all wanted to know is if it could beat an E46 M3 or not. For the record, it could. But in this case, Joe Achilles and his crew answer a more modern BMW M-Car question: Which is faster, the BMW sedan/saloon or the BMW Touring? The world waited patiently for a wagon with an M-badge on it, and it wasn’t too long ago that fanatics got what they wanted in the form of the BMW M3 Touring. While it does seem like the conclusion is obvious because the cars are pretty much identical besides the body shape, and a wagon looks to be heavier and heavier is slower. Or is it?
The BMW M3 Touring has that now iconic twin-turbocharged inline-six that kicks out 375 kW with 650 Nm of torque, mated to an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and the power is directed to all four wheels via the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system. There’s also an Active M Differential at the rear. BMW claims the M3 Touring can hit 100 km/h in just 3.6-seconds, 0 - 200 km/h in just 12.9-seconds and can run on to an electronically limited top speed of 280 km/h if the appropriate optional speed package is taken. It tips the scales at 1 865 kg. The engine specs for the M3 saloon are the same because it’s really just the same car in a different shell. It’s also claimed to do 0 - 100 km/h in 4.2-seconds, which is a slower claim than the heavier Touring oddly enough. The BMW M3 saloon weighs in at 1 635 kg, so there’s a 230 kg difference. That weight difference is equivalent to having two large mates in the car with you, or not being in the car with you depending on your point of view. So how does all of this relate to real-world, heads-up performance?
Take a look at the YouTube video where the BMW 3-Series ranger toppers, the regular saloon/sedan and the estate version battle it out in a drag race on a runway. Are the results as clear-cut as you think? Click through: New BMW M3 Touring vs M3 Saloon DRAG RACE | 4k | Joe Achilles
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