LAIRY LONGROOFS LINE UP FOR A LEGIT LEG-STRETCHING IN A 3-WAY DRAG RACE.
For decades, the humble station wagon, also known as the estate car, shooting brake, or longroof, has quietly delivered the goods. Literally. From ferrying families to hauling gear, from dominating racetracks to surprising sports cars on the autobahn, wagons have carved out a niche that blends practicality with passion. And while today’s roads are clogged with crossovers and bloated SUVs, the wagon lives on as a symbol of understated cool. The name "station wagon" has very literal origins; it was a vehicle used to shuttle passengers and luggage to and from train stations. In the early 1900s, these “depot hacks” or “carryalls” were based on modified passenger cars with extended bodies built by coachbuilders. The earliest examples were essentially commercial wagons, and it wasn’t long before automakers jumped in. The Ford Model T Depot Hack, built in the 1910s and 1920s, is widely recognised as one of the first production station wagons, especially once Ford began offering a factory-built version. Back then, wood was the material of choice - durable, repairable, and stylish in a rustic kind of way. These “woodies” were everywhere by the 1930s and '40s. But wood doesn’t last forever, and by the 1950s, full steel bodies took over, ushering in the golden age of the wagon. The ‘80s and ‘90s were when wagons went from sensible to cool, hot hatches and sports sedans gained popularity, but a few engineers asked the question: “Why not add power to the wagon too?” In ‘86, there was the Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer Wagon, in ‘92, there was the BMW E34 M5 Touring, in ‘94, there was the Audi RS2 Avant developed with Porsche, and in ‘95, there was the boxy and super-cool Volvo 850 T-5R, among others.
From the mid ‘00s, things got mad, super wagons popped up with supercar-rivalling power and performance. Audi has been in the game for years now with their powerful RS versions, and more recently, BMW has listened to the market and has given us the M3 and M5 Touring models. This means there’s proper rivalry between the German giants, and the result is that fans of the longroofs get to see drag races set up to find out which of these awesome cars we can’t afford is the bestest. Matt Watson and the Carwow crew just but 3 of the best up against each other in a heads-up drag race. Ok, two of the best and a Porsche. This trio consists of the Audi RS6 Performance, the BMW M5 Touring and the Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid. In this fight, the RS6 uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 that creates 463 kW and 850 Nm, which is sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed auto - it weighs 2,075kg. The M5 Touring features a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 with electric assistance that combines to create 535 kW and 1,000 Nm of torque that is sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed auto. It weighs 2,475 kg. The Panamera also features a twin-turbocharged V8 with electric assistance, and this generates 575 kW and 1,000 Nm sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed PDK transmission. This one weighs 2,365 kg. We love the Merc, but we love the M5 even more, so that’s where our bets would go. The Porsche isn’t quite a longroof, even though it has one, but it just doesn’t seem to fit into this match-up. It’s a hard car to like for some reason.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the Carwow crew as they line up three bangers in a heads-up drag race. Our money is on the BMW with the AMG in 2nd and the Porker in 3rd - what do y'all reckon?: BMW M5 Touring v Panamera Turbo v RS6 Perf: DRAG RACE | carwow
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