2021 Acura TLX Type S vs. Audi S4 Drag Race Ends in Unexpected Defeat

BMW, Audi, and Mercedes have been this constant in the mild sports sedan scene. For a really long time, their 300+ horsepower setups have been difficult to match, but Acura is now into turbocharging. A V6 with lots of turbo torque was always the missing ingredient in the TLX Type S formula.

So, now that everything is there, the Type S has got to be at least as fast as an Audi S4, right? If not, it's never going to be a match for an M340i xDrive. As you can tell, we're hyped up about the outcome of Sam CarLegion's drag race, and there's a lot riding on it.

The Audi S4 isn't the most impressive sports sedan. The looks are very understated, while the 3.0-liter V6 only boasts one turbocharger giving it an output of 354 horsepower. However, the quattro system is quite a decent and useful thing in a drag race.

Meanwhile, the TLX Type S uses a brand new 3.0-liter with a twin-scroll turbo making one whole horsepower more than the Audi. Yes, that's 355 hp, but the torque is slightly lower too. All this is sent to the super-handling AWD system via the proprietary 10-speed automatic (vs the Audi's ZF 8-speed). Hopefully, it's as overwhelming as the one in the Accord.

Another thing we noticed in the intro of the video is how much bigger the TLX Type S feels. It's a whole 8 inches longer (20 cm) longer, and maybe that's why it's also much heavier.

In the first two races, which are done in normal mode, the Audi doesn't launch well but catches up quite easily. For the 3rd race, Sport Mode is used with traction control off and the owner of the S4 gets behind the wheel. The performance is night-and-day, with the Audi smashing the much newer Acura. Maybe Honda should have given their Type S a few more turbos.