Ladies and gentlemen, the second day of 2023 brings us a sunny, yet still chilly, but spectacular drag race where a BMW M850i xDrive absolutely destroys a Lexus LC 500, along with a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. However, without spoiling everything, one of the other cars achieves redemption in the following roll races from the Dunnville Autodrome drag strip from Ontario, Canada.
Sam from the "Sam CarLegion" YouTube channel wasted no time in bragging about how he will be the one driving the BMW, and did so with glee. The M850i came packing a sweet 4.4-liter V8 twin-turbocharged engine capable of delivering 523 hp (530 ps), with 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.
This is an xDrive model with an eight-speed automatic transmission system, and weighs 4,478 lbs. (2,031 kg). The starting MSRP for this beauty is $102,500, and for that amount, you should get from 0-60 mph (0-96.5 kph) in 3.5, seconds according to its documentation.
Next up, we have the luxurious Lexus LC 500. It rocks a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 that can produce 471 hp (477 ps), with 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque. It has a 10-speed automatic transmission, it's RWD, and weighs 4,371 lbs (1,983 kg).
Out of the trio, if you were to go for this 2023 black beauty, it would cost you from $94,600 upwards. For that price tag, it should go from 0 to 60 mph (0-96.5 kph) in just 4.4 seconds.
The last contestant is an all-American favorite, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Under the hood it's packing a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, that can output 717 hp (727 ps), with 656 lb-ft (889 Nm) of torque. It has a rear-wheel drive system, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and weighs 4,436 lbs. (2,012 kg).
A 2022 model-year Hellcat would leave at least a $72,430 dent in your bank account. These things have been known to hit 60 mph (96.5 kph) in 3.4 seconds, which is nothing to scoff at.
During the first dig race, the BMW simply flew off the line thanks to its xDrive system, and left the competition in the wintery dust of Canada. This thing was so fast, there was nothing the others could do, except race among themselves.
While the Lexus got a head start in front of the Hellcat, soon enough, all that torque from the Dodge was put to good use and came in second place, leaving the third spot for the LC 500.
The second time, the BMW got supersonic again and won by about a dozen bus lengths. The launch was so powerful, Sam almost got whiplash from it. As far as the other two go, nothing changed at all. It was like watching a rerun.
Then they decided to do a roll race starting from 31 mph (50 kph), and wouldn't you know it... the M850i obliterated the others during this event as well. (Nobody could have seen that coming.) The Challenger came in second, with the Lexus in third... again.
During the second roll race, in one of the most surprising twists of events from 2023 (at the time of writing of course), the Hellcat finally won a race that day. It seems starting from 50 mph (80 kph) is the sweet spot for the Dodge. Of course, the Lexus was last to cross the finish line.
If nothing else, this entire event was very interesting to watch. This being said, while the BMW won time and again, it's still $30,070 more expensive than the runner-up.
However, given that the performance results were miles apart (almost literally) between it and the Lexus LC 500, the $7,900 price gap isn't huge. But it's just enough to make anyone wonder if it's truly justifiable to pick the former instead of the beemer.
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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