820-HP Dodge Challenger Drags BMW M3 Competition and Brabus Oddity, Results Are Stunning

I'm a little ashamed that Brabus – that incredible German tuner that makes your Mercedes a hypercar – still signs its name on the latest Smart models. That includes the smart #1, a fully electric subcompact crossover SUV developed and manufactured by the joint venture between Mercedes and China's Geely.

The Smart Automobile's #1 is not only awkwardly named in an effort to attract a younger audience, but it's also based on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) electric vehicle platform developed by Geely. However, the latter is shared now with the Volvo EX30, and we have a feeling the Swedes don't joke about their EV ambitions.

As such, this smart #1 has either a single-motor 268-hp version or a dual-motor 4WD version with 428 ps (422 hp) featuring the Brabus signature. The latter was carwow and Mat's trump card for this new set of drag and roll races, plus a quick brake test. Sitting in the middle, it was flanked by two other models with nothing in common – a red Dodge Challenger Super Stock tuned to 820 hp and a blue BMW M3 Competition Touring, a German station wagon, and an American muscle car.

Since the Dodge can't do AWD, the guys decided that BMW's M3 should also run just the rear wheels – the smart #1 will remain in AWD because there's no other way around. Interestingly, all the digs showed the classic appeal of EVs – they're mighty quick off the line thanks to the instant torque and the AWD system when faced with adverse tarmac conditions.

The Dodge, on the other hand, struggled every time to put the massive power through the wheels without spinning them into a humongous burnout – and the M3 driver quickly found the right mix to beat the mighty Mopar, winning two out of three initial races. On the other hand, Mat, driving the big Dodge, made short work of all of them during the roll races as there's literally no replacement for displacement, as always.

With one section for each ICE-powered model, the little EV couldn't handle the pressure and also lost the brake test. Surprisingly, though, it wasn't the German engineering that proved superior on this occasion! Yep, surprise, surprise, a Dodge Challenger has just out-braked a high-performance BMW M3 Competition, even though it's lighter and should know better how to handle the dusty (unprepped) track they use during the filming of these spectacular encounters.

In the end, America won the day and Mat's heart – who clearly wished he had a quarter-mile dragstrip at his disposal to see what the Dodge could muster when in its element. However, there's one caveat – in the UK, the Challenger is a rare bird and was also the trio's most expensive car.