Say what you want about the design of recent models from BMW, but the Bavarians still know how to make a proper powertrain tick like a charm. Toyota saw that and consequently asked them to partner up.
Just a few years ago, things were pretty standard across the German premium triumvirate – Audi was subtler than a sheet of paper seen from its profile, BMW was the sporty executive master, and Mercedes was the undefeated expert in elegance. Now, everything is upside down.
Oh, well, not everything – Audi models are still as forgettable yet reliable as ever, apart from the magnificent RS 6 Avant that you can take directly from grocery shopping to the track and back without any issues. Mercedes, meanwhile, has become a staple of classic design – even if it is a little boring already. On the other hand, BMW decided to innovate – mainly in the most destructive ways possible.
And we have many examples about how the Bavarians botched things up – from the Minecraft-like M2 to the horrendous XM Label Red. One of the early trespassers that searched the limits of common sense was the G80 BMW M3 high-performance compact executive sedan. The main reason for running amock crying your outrage? Why, it’s the double-coffined vertical kidney grille treatment, of course.
Other than that, this full M version of the G20 BMW 3 Series is a technological work of wonder powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter S58 inline-six mill capable of developing an official estimate of 473 to 542 horsepower when passing through the M3, Competition (503 hp), and CS forms. Dressed in Chalk Gray, it’s a real treat – if seen from the profile or rear, that is. And, as it turns out, we are not discussing a grey M3 for nothing.
Instead, the videographer behind the Wheels Plus channel on YouTube – who is very passionate about MRP – Mission Raceway Park (aka 'Thunder by the River') and Bandimere Speedway (aka ‘Thunder Mountain’ – continues to diversify his quarter-mile dragstrip reach and is now focusing on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That’s where he encountered the Chalk Gray BMW M3 that was about ready to duke it out with its ‘sports car brother from another mother,’ the fifth-generation Toyota GR Supra.
Powered by the same B58 powerplant and made alongside the G29 BMW Z4 roadster by Magna Steyr at its plant in Graz, Austria, this iconic Japanese sports car nameplate has almost as much German blood as the M3 sedan itself. Judging by the looks of the four-door, this was a Competition version, so the GR Supra was in for the fight of its life if it wanted to prevail with its maximum output of 382 horsepower in this race. However, someone should have stayed put at home that night – or at least should have stayed put enough to spool up its rear wheels and heat the tires during a quick burnout, frankly!
Now, let’s find out who got shamed and by how much, shall we? Well, that - unfortunately for the GR Supra fans in attendance at The Strip - was the driver of the black Toyota. The BMW owner, meanwhile, did what people usually do at the quarter-mile dragstrip - he pre-heated the tires a little bit and then shot out of its lane like a rocket to the tune of 11.05s to 13.27s ETs. Cool, right?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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