Sometimes the internet answers questions that not many people asked. In this case, it’s the quickest ICE-powered practical car from BMW M, with the contenders being two ultra-hot rides: the M3 Touring and the X5 M.
Despite both of them having generously-sized cargo areas and decent space for those sitting at the back, they’re very different. One is a premium compact wagon that guns for the likes of the Audi RS 4 Avant and the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Estate and the other is a business crossover with a sporty twist that is dressed to impress.
The differences do not stop here, because they also pack incomparable powertrains. The M3 Touring uses a straight-six 3.0-liter unit, with twin-turbocharging, and it is good for 510 ps (503 hp/375 kW). The torque is rated at 650 Nm (479 lb-ft). The X5 M brings a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 to the party, with 625 ps (616 hp/460 kW) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft).
You don’t need to be a connoisseur to tell that the balance tilts in favor of the super crossover in terms of power. But since it is bigger and, therefore, heavier, it is also slower from zero to 100 kph (0-62 mph). The official spec sheet reveals 3.8 seconds, two tenths more than the sporty wagon. The top speed is irrelevant in a drag race, as both of them are capable of blowing your license away on all public roads that have a speed limit.
Now that we’ve reminded ourselves about what they can do, it is time to shift our attention to the reason behind this story. Embedded at the bottom of the page is a 10-minute long video signed by CarWow, which pits the two against each other in a series of challenges with emphasis on their performance. A quarter-mile sprint was part of the test, revealing that both can do it in over 11 seconds, and so was a half-mile run, or more, for that matter, with rolling starts, in different driving modes. To better conclude the confrontation, they also hosted a braking test.
The latter result might surprise you, and so could the rest of the challenges depicted in the short film that’s only one mouse-click away. But if you were to place a little bet in the quarter-mile sprint, would your money be on the M3 Touring, which is lighter and less powerful, or the X5 M that is punchier and heavier? That’s a tough one, especially when taking the driver factor into consideration, as it ultimately comes down to how skilled the person holding the wheel of each car is. So, without further ado, this is the part where we invite you to hit the play button.
The differences do not stop here, because they also pack incomparable powertrains. The M3 Touring uses a straight-six 3.0-liter unit, with twin-turbocharging, and it is good for 510 ps (503 hp/375 kW). The torque is rated at 650 Nm (479 lb-ft). The X5 M brings a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 to the party, with 625 ps (616 hp/460 kW) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft).
You don’t need to be a connoisseur to tell that the balance tilts in favor of the super crossover in terms of power. But since it is bigger and, therefore, heavier, it is also slower from zero to 100 kph (0-62 mph). The official spec sheet reveals 3.8 seconds, two tenths more than the sporty wagon. The top speed is irrelevant in a drag race, as both of them are capable of blowing your license away on all public roads that have a speed limit.
Now that we’ve reminded ourselves about what they can do, it is time to shift our attention to the reason behind this story. Embedded at the bottom of the page is a 10-minute long video signed by CarWow, which pits the two against each other in a series of challenges with emphasis on their performance. A quarter-mile sprint was part of the test, revealing that both can do it in over 11 seconds, and so was a half-mile run, or more, for that matter, with rolling starts, in different driving modes. To better conclude the confrontation, they also hosted a braking test.
The latter result might surprise you, and so could the rest of the challenges depicted in the short film that’s only one mouse-click away. But if you were to place a little bet in the quarter-mile sprint, would your money be on the M3 Touring, which is lighter and less powerful, or the X5 M that is punchier and heavier? That’s a tough one, especially when taking the driver factor into consideration, as it ultimately comes down to how skilled the person holding the wheel of each car is. So, without further ado, this is the part where we invite you to hit the play button.