BMW 420i Gets Murdered by Audi A5: Drag Race of German Coupes With Under 200 HP

For us, these two configurations don't make that much sense. They look sporty yet lack the acceleration to back it up. Maybe we've looked at too many videos of the M4 going sideways, and this Carwow drag race can change our perception back to normal.

In terms of specs, the 420i is Bavaria's champion, equipped with one of the least powerful 2.0-liter turbo engines around. It makes 184 PS and 300 Nm, which would translate to 181 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque if this base model were available in America. It's basically the same output as a VW Tiguan.

Meanwhile, the Audi A5 40 TFSI also boasts a 2.0-liter turbo, but it has a slightly higher power output of 190 PS and 320 Nm, equal to 187 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. So it's going to win, right?! Not so fast, as this is one of those non-quattro Audi drag races, which means the power goes to the front, and that usually makes the car slower than the equivalent BMW or Mercedes.

Other differences include the A5 being equipped with a 7-speed DCT versus the usual eight-speed auto and it also being a bit lighter. That's not what happens here, though. The Audi beat the BMW with a 1/4-mile time of 15.1 seconds. But the A5's driver says he had to lift off the brake more than a second before the car needed to launch, and we don't think that's fair.

Not everybody buys German coupes to live their life a quarter-mile at a time. But our opinion hasn't changed, as these posers are still too slow. Also, they don't sound like anything and the Audi's exhaust tips are uncomfortably fake.