M5 Turbo Drag Races Charger Hellcat, Dominance Established

We're here to deliver an example of such a battle, which involves the said Hellcat and an E39 BMW M5. Now, as anybody who knows a thing or two about German cars will tell you, the senior Bimmer is no match for the slab of America we have here, since its naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 delivers 400 ponies.

However, this M5 has been brought far, far away from its factory state. You see, the Bavarian four-door has lost its V8 in favor of a straight-six. The engined compartment of this saloon is now occupied by the 3.2-liter motor that animated the E36 M3.

And yes, the new motor was fitted with a serious turbocharger, with the forced induction trip allowing the engine to deliver 650 horsepower at the rear wheels, which makes for a crankshaft output of well over 700 ponies.

Now, one might wonder why anybody would choose the leave behind a V8 in favor of a straight-six. Well, the said M3 engine is much more tuner friendly, with its cast iron block (the E39 M5 has an aluminum block) allowing it to cope with forced induction easier, so more aftermarket bits are available for it.

As for the Dodge Charger Hellcat, this came in factory stock form.

The two velocity behemoths skipped the safety and the prepped surface of the drag strip, getting together on the street. As such, they turned to the usual rolling start, with the hostilities kicking off at 60 mph.