ICE VS HYBRID VS EV DRAG RACE STARRING BMW M3 CS, AMG C63 SE PERFORMANCE AND TESLA MODEL 3 PERFORMANCE
Here at SXdrv, we’re fans of heads-up drag races. They do a good job of showing off how fast modern cars are in a straight line, and these days factory-fresh cars can be pretty darn fast. Sure, a drag race doesn’t factor in handling ability and it also doesn’t do much for testing stopping power as no one slams on the anchors after a quarter-mile run. When the cars are evenly matched, it’s usually interesting, but a test like this from Jason Cammisa and the Hagerty crew is even more interesting. This one pits a few cars against each other that don’t really compete in any sales segments. This drag race does a lot to show the differences between well-matched competitors that each represent a different kind of car. A few years back it would have been an ICE car against a new EV, but these days there are loads of powerful hybrid-powered cars available so it’s now a logical match-up. The crew selected a well-known fully electric car, a well-known ICE-powered car and a well-known hybrid-powered car. Representing the world of fully electric cars is the latest incarnation of Tesla’s hugely popular Model 3 Performance. Representing the world of hybrid cars is the stupendously quick and powerful Mercedes-AMG C63 SE Performance - you know - the one that had purists up in arms because the ICE component in the hybrid setup was dropped to a powerful turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder lump in favour of the C63’s iconic crackling V8. Showing off what ICE powerplants are still capable of is the absolutely brilliant BMW M3 CS. The only real thing these three competitors in the race have in common is that all the power created by the trio of differing powerplants sends power to all four wheels. At least we know that they’ll all have a wicked launch.
The BMW M3 CS brings 504 kW and 750 Nm of torque to the party, which sounds pretty impressive until you look at its rivals. The Tesla Model 3 Performance comes in with a lowly 375 kW, but in typical electric power style, it generates a healthy 741 Nm of torque. Even though that AMG has a “small” ICE component, it chucks out a whopping 500 kW of power with torque up at a mind-bending 1,020 Nm. The Model 3 Performance takes off like a rocket with zero drama. No gears, no lag - just instant, relentless acceleration. It goes from 0-100 km/h in a claimed 3.1 seconds, leaving even the most jaded speed junkies slack-jawed. The quarter-mile is a done deal in 11 seconds flat, hitting 196 km/h before you can even blink twice. It’s the kind of straight-line speed that makes you wonder why anyone still bothers with internal combustion at all. The AMG C63 S only gets that massive power for about 10 seconds, but in a fight like this, that’s good enough. This AMG can get to 100 km/h in a claimed 3.4 seconds and it put up an 11.2-second pass at 193 km/h. The BMW M3 CS is the fastest M3 yet, is claimed to hit 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and it can run on to blitz the quarter mile in just 10.9 seconds at 202 km/h. We also expected such a good pass because being the most expensive option in the lineup, it damn well should be the fastest. To make things interesting and add in a modicum of driver talent, the trio of competing cars were also tested without any fancy electrics helping the cars off the line, just pure driver skill. You have to click through to see how that went.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the Hagerty crew that's as entertaining as usual - this time round the heads-up drag race features a trio of powerful cars, each one representing a different kind of car, EV, hybrid and ICE: New Tesla Model 3 Performance v BMW M3 CS v AMG C63 S E Perf — Cammisa Ultimate Drag Race Replay | Hagerty
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!
Article Tags:
News Tesla Model 3 Performance Mercedes-AMG C63 SE Performance BMW M3 CS Mercedes-AMG BMW Tesla ICE EV Hybrid Drag Race SXdrv Jason Camissa Hagerty