In dig and roll races, gasoline versus electricity
Electric cars currently rule the roost when it comes to the quickest-accelerating production vehicles you can buy. The physics-defying BMW M5 CS, which can go door-to-door alongside the fastest-accelerating hypercars, shows that gasoline isn’t going away. The Porsche Taycan Turbo is also a flagrant disregard of the laws and physics. These two elements are combined to produce some great drag racing action.
This is the essence of the GTBoard.com video, which was recently used to host a race event on a closed road. The stretch is long enough to allow competitors to use both internal combustion and electric powerplants. A BMW M5 CS with stock trim produces 627 horsepower (468 kilowatts), from a twin-turbocharged 4.4L V8. BMW claims it can propel the sedan to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds. Based on other M5 videos we’ve seen, it is.
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The Porsche Taycan Turbo is the other large sedan in the showdown. It packs a pair electric motors that produce 616 horsepower (459 kW). Overboost mode can produce 670 horsepower (500 kW), which propels the Taycan from 0 to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. This is a remarkable feat considering the Taycan’s 2.5-ton weight.
What does this all mean in the real world? It’s not as close as the numbers would suggest. The Taycan takes advantage of a standing start to gain an early advantage and makes the most of its torque. This is the first race in a series. The M5 is pushed back about one car length. It holds the position for a while, then loses ground as speeds increase. The M5 eventually surpasses the Taycan at the big end of track because it has more combustion power.
You would expect that the BMW will win the next roll race, but it is not an open and shut case. Both cars pull side-by-side until M5 finally pulls away. The Bimmer pulls harder in other races, but the Taycan has a slight edge over the BMW in the final roll race.
It’s simply some of the most exciting racing we have seen in a while. Both cars are well-matched below 100 mph, with the Porsche having a slight edge. The BMW holds an advantage above 100 mph. The performance limits are so close that neither driver can afford to make the slightest mistake.