The BMW M4 CSL May Be Fast, but the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Corvette Z06 Aren't Impressed

All of these vehicles proudly stand as automotive heavyweights with huge fanbases, and that's for a good reason. Starting with the Corvette, it's a cultural icon, the first car many people picture when they think "America". On top of that, the Vette delivers some of the best value for money when it comes to performance, with its flat-plane crank 5.5-liter NA V8 sending 670 hp (680 ps) and 460 lb. ft. (624 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels.

At the same time, the two German cars have their own merits. Porsches are almost unanimously accepted within the car community as having outstanding handling and being a fantastic driver's vehicle. You rarely see someone dislike a Porsche, at least if we're talking about the company's sports cars, with the 4-liter flat-six 911 GT3 RS and its 512 hp (519 ps) and 342 lb. ft. (464 Nm) of torque standing near the top of the proverbial hill.

Then there's BMW, another vehicle meant to bring joy to its driver, although in a less civilized way than the Porsche. These M-badged monsters are a young man's car, known for hooning around and being blisteringly quick. Right now, the M4 CSL is probably the M car to buy, with its 3-liter twin-turbo inline-six that pushes out 543 hp (549 ps) and 479 lb. ft. (650 Nm) of torque, also to the rear wheels.

We were quite interested to see which of these cars, with their three different engine placements, is best around a track. At least in terms of pure performance (represented by the lap times), as the fun one can have behind the wheel is subjective, and different preferences and opinions are what make car culture so fascinating.

All three contenders have different behaviors, with the BMW being a straight-line monster, while the advantage of the GT3 RS and Z06 with its Z07 performance package lies in their cornering capabilities. The M4 CSL was quick to establish how quickly it could accelerate, being the fastest car down the main straight of the Willow Springs Race Track.

But at the end of every straight, there's a corner, and the Porsche, with its aero and weight advantage, was able to brake 50 feet later than the BMW. Turn two was a foregone affair, with the Z06 Corvette handling better than the M4, and the 911 just doing what it does best while edging out both rivals.

The two corners we just mentioned are a perfect example of the differences between these three cars, and the next one showcases why so many people choose BMWs. While the Porsche was its usual composed self, the M4 wanted to go sideways and take the corner in "style".

Over the course of an entire lap, these differences amounted to a measly 0.6 between the Porsche, which took first place, and the Z06. That slim time difference is something that wouldn't really matter to most people who buy these cars.

The M4 CSL, on the other hand, was a whopping 3.9 seconds slower than the GT3 RS. Albeit, it also costs less than half the price, but that's not the point. The BMW is the sort of car that's capricious and unstable compared to the others. It's a car that wants to go sideways but will put a massive smile on the face of any driver who can tame it.