While drag-racing beasts from Bugatti or Pagani make for a good show, sometimes it's better to come back down to Earth and see more affordable cars go at it on the 1/4-mile drag strip. While today's Audi RS 6, BMW M5, and AMG E 63 S aren't exactly your cheapest garden variety cars, neither is the performance they're putting on today.
Mat Watson from the "carwow" YouTube channel hosts this UK-based event. During previous races, he caught a bit of flak in the comment section about racing the standard Audi RS 6 against models like BMW Competition.
So that's why he brought an Audi RS 6 Performance into the mix this time. It packs a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that can output 621 hp (630 ps) with 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque.
In normal weather conditions and with the right tires, it can hit 62 mph (100 kph) in 3.4s and reach a top speed of 174 mph or 280 kph.
It's also the most expensive one out of the three, at £112,890 (GBP) or $143,443.
Next up, we have a "purplelicious" BMW M5 Competition that came prepared for the fight with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 powerplant that can produce 617 hp or 625 ps and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.
The M5 is AWD with an 8-speed auto gearbox which propels it from 0-62 mph (100 kph) in 3.3 seconds. Its top speed can hit 155 mph or 249 kph.
Not only is it a bit lighter than the RS 6, but it's also a touch cheaper, at £111,425, which would mean $141,582 in the US.
The last contender is the Mercedes E 63 S, which also has some serious hardware under the hood. The standard and S versions come with a 4.0-liter engine, but while the standard "only" puts out a maximum of 563 hp (571 ps), the S goes way beyond that and can deliver 604 hp (612 ps) with 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque.
It's AWD also and can get from 0 to 62 in 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph or 249 kph. This version isn't cheap either, at £106,485 or 135,305 US dollars. It's still the cheapest one here, though.
Now that we're done with the introductions let's hit the tarmac and see how they fared against each other.
During the first attempt, the Audi came off the starting line like a bat out of hell, leaving the other two way behind, winning first place. While the BMW tried its hardest to gain some ground, it couldn't reach the RS 6 in time and came in second. I didn't forget the Mercedes, but it didn't do anything special besides finishing last.
Because the drivers of the BMW and Mercedes said they ran into some launch issues, they switched them with the original owners of the cars for a fairer outcome. However, it was even worse this time, and nothing changed regarding positions.
Just to make sure, they went for it one more time with the original drivers in place. Surprise, surprise, "how the turntables have turned," to quote the great Michael Scott.
This time, the BMW had a grand launch and won the race. Even though the Audi RS 6 officially came on top, they all agreed that when the BMW launches correctly, it finishes 1st.
The Audi RS 6 Performance's fastest time was 11.1 seconds, tied with the BMW M5 Competition, and the Mercedes E 63 S was just 0.2 seconds behind, at 11.3 seconds.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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