BMW M240i Faces Audi RS3, AMG A45, Golf R For Tuned Drag Race Glory

Tuning has come a long way ever since the invention of automobiles. Nowadays, tuners are everywhere, offering various services that promise to extract ultimate performance from your vehicle.

That’s the very subject of this drag race, courtesy of Carwow. Meeting at the line are four German performance machines – each already received their respective tuning from their respective shops. But which one will perform the best in a straight-line contest? First, let’s compare the cars on paper.

In terms of power output, the BMW M240i and Audi RS3 both offer 454 horsepower (339 kilowatts) and 496 hp (370 kW) respectively, with the Bimmer boasting the highest torque output of 479 pound-feet (650 Newton-meters) compared to the Audi’s 465 lb-ft (630 Nm). The VW Golf R, with its heavily modified turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, offers the most power of the group at 523 hp (390 kW), closely followed by the Mercedes-AMG A45 with 496 hp (370 kW).

When it comes to engine configuration, the BMW features a turbo 3.0-liter straight-six engine, while the other three vehicles all use a turbo 2.0-liter 4-cylinder or 5-cylinder mill.

Tuning is expensive, and the VW Golf R has had the most extensive work done to achieve its blistering engine output. The work done involved a standalone ECU, a hybrid turbo, an intercooler, and a full exhaust system – for a total bill of £7,000 (around $8,430). The other three vehicles have had less work done, with the RS3 and AMG A45 each receiving £1,000 (around $1,204) worth of modifications through an ECU remap.

Other important points of comparison for this drag race are the weight and drivetrain. The BMW is the heaviest of the four cars at 1,690 kilograms (3,726 pounds), while the VW Golf is the lightest. All of the contenders come with an all-wheel-drive system.

Given these bits of information, which do you think crossed the quarter-mile marker first? Will those numbers translate to real-world performance? The video atop this page should give you the answer.