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BMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in Drag Race

Audi finally has a big performance SUV in the RS Q8. So the model is now allowed to join in a rivalry that's been going on for over a decade. Alas, this Carwow drag race doesn't have the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S, but a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S that seems like a worthy stand-in.
BMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in a Drag Race 8 photos
Photo: Carwow/YouTube screenshot
BMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in a Drag RaceBMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in a Drag RaceBMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in a Drag RaceBMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in a Drag RaceBMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in a Drag RaceBMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in a Drag RaceBMW X6 M "Monsters" Audi RS Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S in a Drag Race
German automakers are famous for their powerful luxury SUVs with twin-turbo V8 engines. These things cost a lot of money, so it becomes important to know which one is the fastest currently available. You wouldn't want to order a custom Cayenne, wait half a year for delivery, and then immediately lose to a BMW.

How would that even be possible? Surely, the Turbo S version of the Cayenne has to be the king of the hill based on how the 911 version demolished its rivals. However, Porsche chose quite an uncommon type of powertrain to make its big SUV go fast.

In addition to the normal Turbo's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, the S model adds E-Hybrid technology in the form of an electric motor and batteries. Even though the EV tech adds about a VW Golf's worth of power, the output gap between it and the BMW X6 M is only 55 horsepower. That's because the Bavarians chose hardcore tuning for their 4.4-liter V8 over EV goodies. This also makes the Sports Activity Coupe lighter, but not by much.

And finally, we arrive at the RS Q8, which is the secondary character of this drag race. It's not going to win, but the lovable underdog is cheaper than its rivals and perhaps even better looking to the Cayenne which shares its platform. So what exactly happens? Well, we get three distinct drag races.

In the first one, Mat Watson in the X6 M clearly jumped the start. The second is discarded because of a problem with the Cayenne's launch. But in all three, the BMW is ahead of its rivals, and we think it has a better launch system. The rolling race supports our theory because the hybrid Turbo S pulls away cleanly.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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