BMW M2 Competition Drag Races E46 M3 and E36 M3, All Have Manual Gearboxes

Carwow lined up three cars for today's drag race, the M2 Competition, together with E36 and E46 versions of the M3. All have six-cylinder engines, but because the M2 is newer and also twin-turbocharged means it should be way faster.

However, they are all fitted with manual gearboxes, which means launching isn't as easy as fiddling with some buttons and rocketing towards the horizon line. Yeah, the car might be faster, but are you?

Before we discuss the outcome, let's look at the specs, as these cars are somewhat customized and in European configurations, which for older M3s can mean a huge difference. The red E36 M3 belongs to the cameraman, who had it fitted with a new downpipe and re-mapped it, resulting in a power output of around 300 PS (297 hp). A U.S. spec car would have only made 240 hp (stock) because of the VANOS system.

The E36 is also the lightest car of the three at about 1,400 kg (3,086 lbs). The E46 M3, the car Mat Watson is driving, is about 170 kg (374 lbs) heavier, but it does come with a bigger 3.2-liter inline-6 that's supposed to produce around 340 hp (343 PS). The S54 for the American and Canadian markets was rated at 333 hp, though.

The Competition is the second most powerful version of the M2 and is powered by an engine borrowed from the outgoing M3. Twin turbocharging ensures this is making 405 horsepower (410 PS). Easy victory? Not quite.

In all three drag races, the E46 M3 pulls ahead at first, proving these older Bimmers are still top performers as long as you ignore the robotized gearboxes. Eventually, the M2 Competition starts to catch up and wins it. As for the rolling race, it's close until the turbos spool up.