BMW X5 M Competition Vs Audi RS Q8 Drag Race Has a Very Hairy Moment

It's not like Uncle Sam never fought back - after all, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the king of stock SUV drag racing - but the sheer number and quality of the machines coming from Deutschland simply seems overwhelming. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche all have quite a few models each that fall into the performance SUV category, and they're all quite good.

While others were busy smashing Nürburgring lap records (see the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe's recent shenanigans), Daniel ABT decided to take two others out on a much less windy track to see which is the quickest over the quarter mile from both a standing and rolling start.

The two vehicles in question are a BMW X5 M Competition and an Audi RS Q8. The pair isn't exactly in direct competition since BMW also offers an X6 M Competition, but we don't imagine the sloped back of the latter (or the slight weight advantage) would have made much of a difference. However, after seeing the tiny margins we're dealing with, we're not so sure about how pointless the distinction between the two Bimmers is.

The specs sheet of the two models is an almost perfect representation of how the races go. The BMW X5 M Competition has the power advantage over the RS Q8 (625 hp compared to 600), but the Audi gets more torque (590 lb-ft/800 Nm compared to 553 lb-ft/750 Nm). With the weight essentially identical, the only other influencing factors are the transmission, tires, and, of course, the drivers.

Well, for the first race, both drivers have a slight delay in their launch, but luckily, their lag was perfectly synchronized so we get an even start. The Audi's torque (and maybe quattro all-wheel-drive system as well) helps it spur in the lead off the line, but the BMW's extra power kicks in and manages to blip in front before the race ends. 1-0 for the Bavarian.

For the second race, the Audi gets an even better start, and it's enough to keep it in front until the end. The RS Q8 also manages the best overall time so far with a run clocked at 11:90 seconds, 0.06 seconds quicker than the BMW's first. However, with the spoils split so far, it was time for a third and final outing.

It was the X5 M's last chance of silverware, and the BMW took it with both hands. The perfect launch meant that, for once, it didn't have to play catch up, and since it was always the quicker out of the two over the second half of the race, once it had nailed the start, the result was never in doubt. The only question remaining was whether it could beat the RS Q8's time of 11:90.

It turns out that it can, even if only by 0.01 seconds. The most impressive bit about these two, however, is just how consistent they are. The spread of their results is incredibly narrow, and that's usually the sign of a car that's very well put together.

Looking at the channel's quarter mile times chart, their performance is put in perspective even further as both SUVs managed to beat the Chevrolet Corvette C8. Still, even though they seemed to focus on the quarter mile during the video, the chart is based on the 800 meter (roughly half-mile) performance, which means the Audi wins by 0.02 seconds. Had it been the quarter mile time, however, the BMW would have nicked by an even smaller margin - 0.01 seconds.

But arguably the real highlight of the encounter happened between the races when Tobi, the RS Q8 driver answered the challenge of pulling a 180-degree turn and could have hit one of the filming crew members who had gotten a little too close for the money shot.