Often times drag races are all about settling debates and seeing which car has the edge in performance. But they don't have to be all about competition. Sometimes it's best to step back and do something silly, like put a Go-Kart up against a modified BMW M140i.
Before we go further and look at what happened during the drag and rolling races, I should probably explain what's going on, as it obviously sounds absurd. But, as expected, there's a method to this video game-sounding madness. And this time, the key is weight.
The proverbial David, or in this case, the Go-Kart, has a lowly 125 cc single cylinder engine with a laughably low output of 50 hp (51 ps) going to the rear wheels via a sequential gearbox. However, it also barely exceeds the average weight of a fully-grown adult. So, despite having six times fewer cylinders than the bimmer and 24 times less power, it's also almost 30 times lighter.
So, that should at least make things interesting off the line. Because as far as reaching the quarter-mile marker, there's absolutely no way the Go-Kart can hang onto the BMW. Especially when we're talking about an M140i with an upgraded fuel pump, air filter, air intake, and exhaust.
These mods turn it into a 460 hp (466 ps) monster that sends its power to the rear wheels via a stage two tuned torque converter automatic gearbox. The funny thing about all the effort that went into the BMW is that it has a slightly worse power-to-weight ratio than the Go-Kart, standing at 311 hp per ton. Albeit the Go-Kart only has 312, making the difference inconsequential but amusing.
But what does that mean out on the track? It means that even when David gets a perfect launch against Goliath and leaves the M140i in the dust, it still loses. That happens due to its chainsaw-worthy engine that tops out mid-race, allowing the BMW to come back and take the win.
The rolling race is the same story, just worse, with the bimmer having a much easier time thrashing the Go-Kart. However, that shouldn't surprise anybody, as karts are not meant for this sort of race, instead focusing on track work. What is, in fact, stupefying about this race is revealed when looking at the data.
If the drag race had been done over half the distance, the roles would have been reversed. The Go-Kart proved to be an utter menace off the line, achieving a 0-60 time of just 3.8 seconds while only needing 210 feet (64 meters) to do so. This puts the BMW and the 4.2 seconds it needed to absolute shame. And this is reflected in the eighth-mile (201m) times achieved by the cars, where the Go-Kart is also 0.2 of a second faster. Even though the peppy little kart never stood a chance, it was mightily amusing to watch.
As a kid, Bogdan grew up handing his dad the tools needed to work on his old Citroen and asking one too many questions about everything happening inside the engine bay. Naturally, this upbringing led Bogdan to become an engineer, but thanks to Top Gear, The Fast and the Furious series, and racing video games, a passion for automotive entertainment was ignited. Full profile
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