HERE'S A QUICK, UNSCIENTIFIC DRAG RACE FEATURING THE M3 TOURING AND AUDI RS4 AVANT
Some brands have an unofficial rivalry that everyone knows is there but it’s never really the topic of conversation. Fans of German performance cars are either from the BMW camp or the Audi camp, and they like to compare specs and stats of the proper range-toppers that bear the M Performance badge or the RS badge. BWM and Audi make some of the best performance cars money can buy, and they do indeed have a few models that can be directly compared because they compete in the same segment and appeal to a very similar kind of buyer. It was only recently that BMW created it’s first-ever proper M Performance wagon in the form of the BMW M3 Touring - a car that just works and makes those oversized kidney grilles actually suit the overall design. On the Audi side of things, the Toiuyring’s natural competitor is the RS4 Avante, a popular configuration that’s been around for a few generations now and is hugely popular for fans of the longroof design. The BMW M3 Touring features large side air intakes, flared wheel arches, extended side skirts together with the add-ons for the front and rear aprons that combine to create a high-gloss Black band around the whole car. All models have a high-gloss black roof, and the OEM roof rails and the model-specific Gurney air-directing flap on the roof spoiler share this paint. You can option the roof in the body colour though. All the gloss black bits can also be had in carbon fibre as an option, too. At the rear is a normal quad-exit tailpipe configuration. The BMW M3 Touring has that typical twin-turbocharged inline-six that kicks out 375 kW with 650 Nm of torque and it features an M-specific exhaust system that has those electrically controlled flaps. This setup is mated to an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and the power is directed to all four corners via the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system and the Active M Differential at the rear. This BMW M3 Touring is capable of hitting the 100 km/h performance benchmark in a mere 3.6-seconds, 200 km/h in just 12.9-seconds and has a top speed of an electronically limited 250 km/h or 280 km/h with the appropriate optional speed package. It’s a complete package that has it all, styling, performance, features and that BMW M Performance reputation.
The Audi rival, the RS4 Avant, has recently had a bit of a refresh and spec bump with a new Competition Package and Competition Plus Package options that sees the other German longroof being better prepared to go up against the M3 Touring. The Competition Pack sees the addition of the RS Sports Exhaust System Plus that has a pair of fat oval exhaust tips, an ECU/TCU software upgrade and the electronically-limited top speed rises from 250 km/h to 290 km/h. It also gets a black exterior trim pack including the badges, matt carbon mirror caps, front splitter, side flaps and sill extensions as well as on the rear diffuser. The Competition Plus package includes all of the above, plus, well, more. This package adds sees changes to the steering ratio, the Quattro diff ratio, the ABS system (combined with ceramic brakes), the suspension spring and damper rates and ride height. While the engine setups haven’t changed on the hardware side, the cars shave off 0.2 seconds and 0.1 seconds respectively. The RS4 Avante makes use of that sublime twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 lump that’s rated at 331 kW and 600 Nm. So that means on the power front, the BMW M3 Touring has a good 44 kW more power with 50 more Newtons. This wagon tips the scales at 1,865 kg though. That small deficit in power from the RS4 Avante may just be levelled out thanks to the whole thing being lighter, with a weight measured at 1,620 kg. That’s a 245 kg, or like having three people on board. Check out this drag race between the two wagons, and knowing what you now know, who would you out your money on? While we like that M3 Touring, our VAG car allegiance says we must vote the way of the four rings…
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows a quick drag race between two of the coolest German wagons on the market today. Would we like to see a rematch, sure. Would it allow the loser a better chance to win? Doubt it - that was a hiding: Drag race : Audi RS4 VS BMW M3 Touring | Motorsport Magazine
Be sure to check out our YouTube channel here for more exciting and exclusive SXdrv content! And don't forget to smash that subscribe button!