Tuned Honda Civic RS Drag Races Bone-Stock BMW M340i xDrive, Sadly Admits Defeat

The M340i xDrive in the video below is reportedly stock, meaning that we're dealing with 387 ps and 500 Nm of torque. Metric figures were used because the video was filmed in Thailand, which has used the metric system since 1923. Converted to mechanical ponies, that would be 382 horsepower at 5,800 to 6,500 revolutions per minute. Regarding maximum torque, 500 Nm is 369 pound-feet.

Tipping the scales at 1,670 kilograms or 3,682 pounds, the M340i xDrive is equipped with an eight-speed automatic by default. By comparison, the previous-gen Civic uses a continuously variable transmission. Pictured in Hatchback RS flavor, the Civic originally made 173 ps and 220 Nm (170 hp and 162 lb-ft). But as you can tell from the aftermarket hood, stickier tires, and that nice-looking engine bay, it's not exactly a stock car.

The modified Civic belts out 370 ps and 550 Nm or 365 horsepower and 406 pound-feet, allegedly. Torquier than the M340i xDrive, it's also lighter at 1,323 kilograms (2,917 pounds). Harder to launch than the rear-biased M340i xDrive, the Civic RS clocked a respectable 12.90 seconds at 179 kilometers per hour (around 111 miles per hour).

Over no fewer than four drag races, the Bimmer posted a best of 12.60 seconds at 176 kilometers per hour (109 miles per hour). Then again, what did you expect from the M3's more understated brother?

Not even a Civic Type R could pose a threat to the M340i xDrive, with the former FK8 and the current FL5 topping 320 ps (315 hp) from a displacement of 2.0 liters. Honda deserves a standing ovation for keeping the CTR manual, but alas, that may change in the not-so-distant future due to regulations.

Honda technical advisor Koa Yamamoto let it slip that a certain level of plug-in hybrid assistance is possible, which is only natural given the FL5's platform. The so-called Honda Architecture of the eleventh-gen Civic supports hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Think Civic e:HEV and CR-V e:PHEV for continental Europe and the UK.

The 3 Series, on the other hand, will be redesigned in 2026. Still based on the CLuster ARchitecture of the G20/G21, the internal combustion-engined 3 Series will be joined by the NA0/NA1 i3. The latter uses the German automaker's Neue Klasse platform, an electric vehicle architecture that supports up to four drive units.

The all-electric brother of the i3 will be preceded by the iX3 (a.k.a. NA5). The newcomer shouldn't be confused with the first-gen iX3, which is a development of the internal combustion X3.