Audi RS7 Drag Races BMW M850i GC, Price Gap and Performance Gap Don't Overlap

Unfortunately, you can't really match these two up perfectly. If you go for the M8 Coupe, then the RS7 has two extra doors, and that's not fair, not to mention the fact that the BMW's price would sky-rocket even higher. As it turns out, the M850i xDrive Gran Coupe is actually the closest model to an Audi RS7 Sportback you can pick out of BMW's current lineup.

In terms of price, the Bimmer starts slightly below the RS7 in the U.S., but nobody's going to buy a stock 8 Series. And once you dip into the options, you've opened up a very expensive pandora's box. However, if you live in Australia - which is where this race takes place - none of that matters because over there, even the stock BMW M850i Gran Coupe is significantly more expensive than the top-end Audi RS7 Sportback.

So, that means the pressure is on the Bavarian to deliver. It can't hide behind the fact there's an M8 version that would probably spank the RS7 since that costs (again, in Australia) the equivalent of almost $100,000 more.

The technical specs, however, don't favor the BMW. The M850i xDrive Gran Coupe gets the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 as the M8, except here it develops 530 hp and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm). That is 70 hp less than the M8 or, more importantly, the RS7. The Audi also has its neighbor from the south beat when it comes to maximum torque, with the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in the Sportback pushing out up to 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque.

However, not everything's staked in the Audi's favor. First of all, BMWs are renowned for their excellent launch control system, while the exact opposite can be said about Audis. Alex, the host of this video, also claims the Audi is heavier than the BMW (by no less than 440 lbs/200 kg). However, our own data contradicts that and puts the two vehicles within 11 pounds (5 kg) of each other at just under two tons.

Considering the results in the actual test, we tend to believe our weight numbers to be correct. At the same time, 70 extra horsepower can't be taken lightly and would explain why the Audi can reel back the M850i after having confirmed once more the brand's launch control system is lightyears behind BMW's.