Back in the 90s, when the original 8 Series came around, BMW built a prototype M8, but this never made it to production, since the 8er was too much of a grand tourer for the Bavarian performance division's taste. Nowadays, BMW M offers all sorts of flavors and the time has come to see a pair of its heavyweight champions engaging in a drag battle.
To be more precise, the drag race that brought us here sees a BMW M8 Competition duking it out with a BMW X3 M - once again, I have to point out that the X3 didn't receive an all-out M version until its current, third generation. And while the second-gen model never stood out in terms of the driving experience, the time I spent using a first-gen X3 as a daily means I'm curious about the effects the M treatment would've had on that surprisingly dynamic 2000s crossover.
Returning to the drag strip shenanigan, the standard X3 M doesn't stand a chance against the M8. However, while the latter came to the velocity confrontation in factory form, the SUV had been slightly massaged. As such, its new twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six now delivers around 550 ponies. Oh, and by the way, we'll also get to see this engine, which can produce 510 hp in Competition trim, animating the upcoming G80 M3.
The X3 M and the 625 hp monster that is the M8 Coupe duked it out on more than one occasion. However, as you'll get to see in the clip below, the changing weather conditions meant the quarter-mile numbers they delivered while actually racing were below those recorded during their test passes, despite the fact that we're talking about a pair of AWD toys.
PS: The said test passes await you at the 2:46 point of the video below, while the 4:03 timestamp brigs you the promissed side-by-side action. Oh, and there's also the number-recording X3 M session at the 9:08 point - as Brooks of the Drag Times YT channel, who brought us this adventure, mentions, this Bimmer is quicker than an also-modded Lamborghini Urus the gear head tested in the past.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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