Thanks to the significant advancements in powertrain development, mainstream cars have become faster than ever. It's quite common to see some new performance-oriented models give previous-gen blue-blooded exotics a run for their money, and we all love those drag races, don't we?
If you said yes, you are exactly where you should be, as you are about to see another one; or several, to be more precise, from standing and rolling starts, concluding with a brake test. Only it doesn't include a previous generation supercar, but one that's still in production: the Ferrari SF90.
Assembly of the plug-in hybrid vehicle started some four years ago at Maranello. It uses three electric motors and a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 for a maximum of 1,000 ps (986 hp/735 kW). It needs 2.5 seconds for the 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) acceleration and maxes out at 340 kph (211 mph). Don't think of it as the mainstream successor to the iconic LaFerrari because it shares many components with the F8 Tributo and 296 GTB.
With the red corner covered, it's now time to see what lies in the blue one, and it is none other than the mighty BMW M3. This great daily that feels right at home at the racetrack needs no introduction. In the latest generation, which is three years old, it has an AMG-sniffing snout, and that is one controversial part. In fact, it's the only one, as beyond the exaggerated smile, it is better than ever. It also features a rear-biased all-wheel drive construction in the range-topping form, and doesn't drop the pure rear-wheel drive layout in the lesser models.
In the punchiest and most agile flavor, the M3 Competition xDrive, you are looking at 3.5 seconds required to hit 100 kph. The top speed is capped at 250 kph (155 mph) or 290 kph (180 mph) if you opt for the M Driver's Pack. Power comes from a 3.0-liter straight-six engine with twin-turbocharging that develops 510 ps (503 hp/kW) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque. Therefore, the top-of-the-line version of the premium compact super sedan is no match for the SF90 in a straight-line battle. Or is it?
Well, this one's been heavily tuned, and with an £8,000 (~$10,000) investment, it boasts 750 ps (739 hp/552 kW) and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque, the below video claims. The M3 is still a bit heavier than its ad-hoc rival, and since every kilogram matters in a drag race, this is one major drawback. We wouldn't place a bet on the SF90 yet if we were you, as it all comes down to just how skilled the drivers of both cars are. Still, can a tuned BMW M3 really beat a modern-day Ferrari? You are one mouse-click away from finding out, so sit back and enjoy the vid.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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