Even though this drag race has a predictable result, the E90 BMW M3 shows that it’s still a force to be reckoned with, thanks to its naturally aspirated V8 engine.
This isn’t the type of drag race you want to see “on paper”. Yes, the M4 won, as it should, but the old M3 kind of held its own by not falling behind by too many car lengths. Wait, are four car lengths too many? Yeah, they probably are. But still, in the real world, that’s called “keeping up with”.
Remember, the M4 doesn’t just have a weight advantage over the old M3 Sedan, but also more power and more torque.
Let’s look at the numbers: 431 PS & 550 Nm (405 lb-ft) for the M4 (V6 engine by the way), whereas the E90 M3 had 420 PS & 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) coming from its naturally aspirated V8. The difference in power output isn’t at all a big one, but with considerably more torque and less weight to worry about, the M4 can easily take the lead and steadily build it as they accelerate towards an electronically limited 250 km/h (155 mph).
Perhaps an even more interesting scenario would have been to see the two cars race each other on a proper track, with two capable drivers behind the wheel. Sure, the M4 would have won that challenge as well, but odds are, not by much. The old E90/E92 BMW M3 should be more than capable of keeping up with its newer sibling as long as there are plenty of twists and turns to compensate for the “dreaded” straight lines.