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M535i Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a GR Supra Shows Up

There are plenty of ways to describe the evolution of the automotive industry over the past century. An easy way to look at it is by looking at the top speed achieved by vehicles that were part of different decades. At the beginning of the 20th century, a Ford Model T could go as fast as 45 mph (72 kph). Fast forward to the late '80s, we had already broken the 200 mph (321 kph) barrier. And today, we're at slightly over 300 mph (482 kph).
M535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets in Over Its Head When a Supra Shows Up 11 photos
Photo: The Fast Lane Car
M535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows UpM535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows Up
200-mph cars are a lot more common these days than they were back in the '80s, of course. Of course, just looking at the top speed doesn't come close to describing the plethora of upgrades that have come along over the past 30 years.

But today, we're looking at a rather fun challenge, one that isn't all that strict. We've got three fast cars that were built in the so-called decade of greed and one that was just introduced to the market a few years ago.

The first car on the list is a 1987 BMW M535i that has been imported from Japan. It has a 3.4-liter inline-six engine under the hood, so it should be good for 182-hp and 214 lb-ft (290 Nm) of torque.

Sure, that's less than what you would get out of an E28 M5, but it's still not bad for a car its age. Up next, the Porsche 944 Turbo has two fewer cylinders than its four-door opponent. But with the extra added boost, the 2.5-liter unit churns out 217-hp and 243 lb-ft (329 Nm) of torque.

M535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows Up
Photo: The Fast Lane Car
The 1987 911 Carrera we're looking at here has got the same horsepower output as the 944. But its flat-six, naturally-aspirated engine is only rated for 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque. What about the Toyota GR Supra?

Well, at least they brought out the slowest one there is. The turbocharged, 2.0-liter version of the Japanese icon puts out 255-hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. First off, the three older cars will be racing against each other. Then, the fastest one will be competing against the GR Supra.

For the first battle of the day, the 944 Turbo is going up against the 911. Both drivers opted for a cautious launch, which should prevent any mechanical damage. But it doesn't take long for both of them to start going all out.

The 911 gets its moment of glory, but as soon as the 944 hits full boost, it takes the lead and the win. The front-engined Porsche needed 17.48 seconds to cross the quarter-mile (402 meters) finish line, with a trap speed of 91.4 mph (147 kph). Its naturally-aspirated sibling was 0.77 seconds slower overall.

M535 Races a 944 Turbo and a 911, Gets In Over Its Head When a Supra Shows Up
Photo: The Fast Lane Car
The M535i is next in line for a head-to-head battle against the 944 Turbo. And it seems like it's all over from the get-go. The Bimmer takes off in a hurry, while the Porsche is seemingly struggling with mechanical issues.

The big sedan manages to cross the line in 18.36 seconds, going 79 mph (127 kph). The 944 Turbo took an extra 0.6 seconds to finish the run, even though it managed to do so with a slightly higher trap speed. For the main event, the GR Supra will be racing the M535i.

If you were expecting to see a huge gap between these two cars, you were right to do so. Even an E28 M5 would have likely succumbed to the capabilities of Toyota's sports car, so an M535i could only do so much. So if you're keen to see another '80s match-up, the 911 is racing against the BMW at the end of this video. We won't spoil the outcome for you, though!

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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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