Audi S3 Sedan Drag Races 2015 BMW M135i and Wins

Now, in the space of those three years, I have watched nearly every drag race on the internet involving the M135i. That's why I know this video is going to be hated by quite a few fans.

Usually, when two German automakers fight in the same part of the performance market, they have similar specs. However, that's not really the case here. The Audi S3 shown here features a sedan body based on the same platform as the VW Golf. Its ferrous 2-liter engine block is equipped with a bigger turbo than the GTI and thus delivers 300 horsepower, mostly to the front wheels.

BMW, on the other hand, placed an inline-6 engine under the hood back in 2012. Not only does it have more cylinders than the Audi, but they point towards the back axle instead of to the front wheels. That's right, it's mounted longitudinally. For 2015, the M135i also underwent a cosmetic makeover and received an updated engine with 326 horsepower.

In theory, a bigger engine with more power should give the BMW a clear advantage. However, in this South African drag race, the Audi is declared the winner. Both cars have launch control and perform decent starts, so what gives? We think it's because this particular M135i isn't equipped with the xDrive option.

We found another video from 2014 where the M135i also loses to an Audi S3, this time a hatchback. Considering the 2-liter TFSI is about 70 Nm down on torque, it's pretty obvious that quattro gives the Audi a huge advantage in this race.

What would happen without launch control? Very good question. The Fast Lane Car compared the S3 sedan against a BMW 228i, which is also equipped with a 2-liter turbo engine and uses the same platform as the M135i. The result was that the Bimmer was faster every time.