It all boils down to traction.
Although the BMW M3 has a powerful performance sedan, it is not immune to new and existing competitors. The channel has released a new Carwow video that pits an M3 Competition against a highly tuned Nissan Silvia S15, which produces 600 horsepower (447kilowatts). The video features the two cars racing under various parameters before they are put through a brake test.
The numbers are the only way to determine the effectiveness of the program. Nissan Looks ready to sweep the BMW They are not the whole story. M3 Competition features a 3.0-liter straight-six twin-turbocharged engine that produces 510 horsepower (380 kW) as well as 479 lb-ft (650 Newton-meters). This is then sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission with launch control. Silvia’s bored-out, turbocharged 2.1-liter four-cylinder produces 600 horsepower and 516 lb/ft (700 Nm). The Silvia’s manual gearbox does not have BMW’s fancy launch control technology.
This difference gives BMW the advantage in standing-start races. Both the M3 and Nissan won, with the M3 completing the quarter-mile in just 11.8 seconds. This was due to its ability to get an even better start. The Nissan took 12.6 seconds. The rolling races are where the Nissan shines, burying the BMW in its rearview mirror. The Silvia S15 has more power and the rolling starts enable the Nissan to use all of that against the M3.
The last event was a brake test, which measured how fast the car could stop. The Nissan weighs in at 2,645 lb (1.200 kg) and the BMW is 3,813 lb (1.730-kg). The Nissan does not have anti-lock brakes and so it can fly past the BMW with its rear tires smoking at the emergency stop. The Nissan also struggled to traction on damp tracks, whereas the BMW did well.