If you want a performance-oriented family sedan for half the starting price of a brand-new Porsche Panamera, the Dodge Charger 392 Scat Pack is a pretty good pick. Alternatively, the used-car market has many F80 BMW M3 sedans to offer with not too many miles on the odo.
Sam CarLegion had the opportunity to test both models back-to-back on the strip, and even though straight-line performance isn’t of the essence for this kind of vehicle, you’ll be surprised how different the F80 and 392 are.
First and foremost, we should highlight that the M3 is tuned a little. The owner has extracted 480 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm) of torque from the 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo straight-six engine, which is a generous upgrade from the stock 425 ponies and 406 pound-feet (550 Nm).
It’s also important to mention that a force-fed plant delivers peak torque far sooner than a free-breathing engine, which brings us to the 6.4-liter HEMI of the Charger. The 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) of torque are seriously impressive figures, and the same can be said about the curb weight of 4,389 pounds (1,991 kilograms) versus 3,540 pounds (1,606 kilograms).
Both of these burly machines have their good points and bad points, but as you already know by now, there can be only one winner across the quarter-mile finish line. On the first outing, the American contender launches harder but it can’t keep the advantage over the modded M3 until the end of the run.
The story repeats itself in the second race. Next up, Sam CarLegion and his buddy turn on Sport Mode and turn off traction control to see if there’s any notable difference. It certainly is on the first attempt because the F80 claws better into the asphalt while the Scat Pack spins the rear tires more than before. The exact opposite happens on the second run, and like before, the Dodge eats the Bimmer’s dust over the quarter-mile finish line.
Finally, the only way the Scat Pack can redeem itself is by winning the roll race. Except it doesn’t, which makes me a little sad. As much as I love the “ultimate driving machine” ethos of the F80, I can’t ignore the intoxicating burble of the HEMI V8 and the aggressive looks of the Dodge Charger.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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