Genesis G70 Drags Audi S5, BMW M340i in a Classic All-You-Can-Run 440-Yard Sprint

When it comes to carmaking, Asia has two big players that resonate with the Western hemisphere’s taste and buying preferences. It’s either Japan or Korea – China is not to be dismissed from the general overview (but from a different perspective).

Can you name a turbocharged all-wheel-drive sedan that blasts the drag strip and bears the People’s Republic seal of approval? Me neither, but the Chinese carmaking sector roll out EVs like there’s no tomorrow (for the ICE), which puts them fairly high up in the automobile-making hierarchy.

However, that’s not what this story is about; today, we have a trio of athletes with high ambitions. Audi, BMW, and Genesis read their heraldic emblems – in alphabetical order – and each carries a secret weapon to this Not-so-OK Corral gun battle (you’ll see why it’s not-so-ok in a bit).

For a bit of fun, two of the three competitors have undergone mild tuning surgery, while the other one prefers to keep his cards very close to his chest. The 2022 Genesis G70 is the largest-displacement fighter in the tournament, with 3.3 liters of V6 firepower. 420 hp (426 PS) and 400 lb-ft (542 Nm), thanks to the nitty-gritty effort from JB4.

All wheels work together to set the luxury Hyundai in motion via an eight-speed automatic gearbox (which also benefited from a Lozic upgrade). The car is the slimmest of the bunch – 3,887 lbs. / 1,760 kilograms – and it has two turbines to feed the engine.

Not bad – on paper. The Audi S5 Sportback is next in line – the power line – with an output of 397 hp (403 PS) and 491 lb-ft (666 Nm) of torque. 3,942 lbs. / 1,785 kilograms is not much above the Genesis, but the power-to-weight ratio is not to its advantage. It, too, is a V6-armed, eight-speed AWD – need I say it’s an automatic? - but measuring in at 3.0 liters, with a single turbo induction, the Audi is the oldest at the table.

The 2018 model got a Stage 1 engine revision from a local tuner from Toronto (034 Motorsport) and runs on 91 Canadian octane. I’m so sorry if I offended any Maple Leaf motorists from the second-largest country in the world, but 91-octane gasoline north of the 49th Parallel apparently equivalents a lower-octane same as it is in the Land of the Free.

At least, that’s what some viewers of Sam Carlegion’s YouTube channel claim in the comments of this video that showcases the four-round clash of these gym-going daily drivers. Regardless, since the race occurs at a strip near Toronto, it’s safe to assume that the fuel yields identical energy values.

And, since we came to the last contender - a BMW M340i – it would be best to specify one detail about the famous German strictness regarding numbers. The Bavarian sedan is factory-rated at 382 hp (387 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm). “Factory” is the keyword here because this bimmer is not under any after-market steroid treatment.

From the same year – 2022 – as the Korean, but with a bit more meat (3,979 lbs. / 1,802 kilograms – all body masses are curb weight values), the non-tuned German has an identical transmission architecture as the other two. Eight speeds, automatic, this all-wheel-driven four-door sedan is not a bookie’s first choice.

But earlier, I mentioned that BMW has a particular way of rating its cars’ power outputs: the official numbers are lower than what independent – and repeated – dyno measurements find. The factory-declared values are curiously close to what a wheel-horse-power score would read - which is probably a better way of expressing automotive power superiority, anyway.

However, the BMW’s 420 dyno-deducted crank-horsepower (426 PS) got away from the Genesis right off the line during the standing quarter races while holding hands with its elderly German rival. The two Europeans were neck and neck on both races, leaving the Asian to take a long look at their taillamps.

In the Korean make’s defense, its owner blamed the blow-off valve and spark plugs. Oddly enough, the roll races followed a different scenario, with the BMW and the Genesis fighting for the win. The Audi forfeited early in the game because of a strictly human error.

The driver roll-raced in third gear and slammed the loud pedal late. Instead of downshifting for peak power, the car pulled on slowly, losing precious time – and the races. That’s what he said in the comments. The G70, however, fought back in the 32-mph and 50-mph rolling start sprints (50- and 80 kph, respectively).

It won both stages, albeit it had a good fight to the end against the M340i. According to its owner, it’s the first season running quarter miles, and the car needs some tweaking. Even so, his best 0–60 mph time (0-97 kph) is a 3.9, with a 1.8 for the sixty-foot pass.

Then again, in the words of the great automotive philosopher, piston-addict prophet, clutch patriarch, and all-around car-movie-star good guy Dominic Toretto: “It don’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning’s winning.” (That's a Vin Diesel line from Fast and Furious 1 if the question arises).