BMW M5 Competition in RWD Mode Humiliates Tuned M3 Competition

BMW M changed a few things about the way the M5 works, including adding an all-wheel-drive system. Now, the launch of this 625 horsepower car isn't the most consistent, but few other sedans can keep up.

When Carwow lined up an M3 Competition alongside the big boy, we weren't worried. Sure, the smaller sedan is lighter, but the 3-liter twin-turbo inline-6 can't play in the same league as a full-fat V8. But to make things interesting, the M5 was locked into its RWD mode, which you would normally use only to have fun or torture the tires.

And just in case the playing field wasn't level yet, that green M3 is heavily modified, now producing 530 HP and about as much torque as the M5. This should make for a more interesting race but... it doesn't.

The modified M3 makes a lot of noise and goes nowhere fast. The only real rival to the M5 is itself. In RWD mode, it does the quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds. Normally, that would read 11.1 seconds, but not under all conditions or consistently.

Meanwhile, the tuned M3 Competition reached the orange cones in 13 seconds flat, and Carwow's numbers suggest a stock model would have been faster, maybe even good enough to catch the M5. It's all about what you can do with the available traction, so it's probably a good thing that the next M3 will have an AWD option.

At least that's what the rumors say, and considering the inline-6 already makes about 500 HP in the X3 M, that's probably for the best. For a short while, the M3 should be faster than the C63 AMG.