BMW has just released the mid-cycle revamp for the X3 M and X4 M, with the main tech improvement involving extra torque owed to upgraded components for the twin-turbo 3.0L straight-six, therefore reducing acceleration times. However, the pre-revamp model remains one of the quickest SUVs on the market, as demonstrated by the X3 M Competition we have here.
The machine recently took part in the Street Car Takeover event in Bristol, Tennessee, where it engaged in multiple quarter-mile battles. A stock example of the super-SUV, with its 510 hp, 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) twin-turbo 3.0L straight-six, can deliver mid-to-high 11s runs.
For one, the Bavarian toy battled a C7 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. Mixing the widebody aero and (partially) the suspension of the Z06 with the 460 hp, 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque delivered by the base Stingray engine, this member of the range is focused on the handling rather than going all-out in a straight line (the Golden Bowtie toy can deliver low-12s runs).
Even knowing these figures, seeing the extra-wide 'Vette line up next to the high-riding German machine may build the kind of expectations that are shattered by the race results.
However, America was also represented by a first-generation Silverado. And, as hinted by the Hoosier slicks wrapped around the rear wheels of the Golden Bowtie model, this truck is nowhere near its factory specification.
The piece of footage below, which comes from the Drag Racing and Car Stuff YouTube channel, also brings a third race, which once again pits the Bavarian against a contraption that fights for Uncle Sam.
This time around, we see the X3 M Competition duke it out with a Dodge Challenger Scat Pack 392 Shaker and its 495-hp, 475-lb-ft (630 Nm) N/A 6.4L HEMI.
However, this is an index race, which relies more on the drivers' abilities than the might of their vehicles. Such a confrontation involves a designated time (that would be 12s for this race), with the win going to the vehicle that stays as close to it as possible. Going under that value automatically results in a loss.
As for the case where both competitors "beat" the time, which just happens to describe this situation, the one who breaks it by the least amount is the winner.
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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