Although the BMW is more powerful than its predecessor, it also has rear-wheel drive.
The Audi has a 2.9-liter twin turbocharged V6 engine that produces 331 Kilowatts (443 horses) and 600 Newton-meters (442 pounds-feet). All four wheels are powered by the same power. BMW’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Inline-Six produces 375 kW (503 horsepower) and 650 Nm (479 Lb-ft) more power. Although there is a significant power difference, both can reach 100 km/h (62 miles/hr) in 3.9 seconds. At least that’s what it looks like.
The real world is a little different. The Audi explodes off the line in the first race, a standing start. While the BMW struggles to maintain traction with launch control on, the BMW is able to keep up. The M3 couldn’t get the traction required to keep up with Audi and the BMW’s additional power was not enough to close the gap before they crossed the finish line. However, the rolling race was very different. The BMW and Audi remained neck-and-neck up until the end, when the BMW gained a slight lead and won by a few cars lengths.
This video shows how important it is for a car to be able to properly put its power to the ground. Even though a car has more power, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be faster. This is especially true if it struggles to get traction. Mercedes added all-wheel drive to AMG models to improve performance and usability year round.