New Audi RS5 vs BMW M3 Competition: is power better than lightness?

Has Audi fitted the new RS5 with a plug-in hybrid system for performance gains, or is it just a tick-box exercise to meet ever-tightening emissions regulations?

To find out, I’m going to drag race the most powerful RS5 ever against the BMW M3 Competition. It’s a bit of a dinosaur by comparison, with less power and no electrical assistance, but it does have one thing working in its favour.

Let’s take a closer look at the stats.

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New Audi RS5 Sportback

The new Audi RS5 is available as both a saloon-shaped liftback and a practical estate, and I’ve got the former for this drag race.

Under the bonnet is a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine, just like the old RS5 Sportback, but it’s supplemented by an electric motor. The result is a combined 639hp and 825Nm of torque. That’s 189hp more than the old RS5.

All that power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox with launch control. However, thanks to all the new hybrid tech it is rather heavy. This RS5 weighs almost 2,400kg, almost as much as the much larger BMW M5.

The new Audi RS5 starts from just under £90,000, or you can lease one through Carwow from around £1,200 per month.

BMW M3 Competition

By comparison, the BMW M3 looks a bit old-fashioned. It’s been around since 2020, and like the Audi you can have it as a saloon or an estate.

To keep things fair, I’ve got the saloon here. Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six engine with no hybrid assistance at all. It has 530hp and 650Nm of torque, and this is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox with launch control.

Where the BMW has the advantage is weight, because it tips the scales at 1,790kg. That means the M3 actually has a better power-to-weight ratio than the Audi, beating it by over 20hp per tonne

It is slightly more expensive than the Audi though, with prices starting from £91,500. However, because it’s been around for longer than the new RS5, there are savings of up to £15,700 available through Carwow.

What will happen?

The old Audi RS5 always played second fiddle to the BMW M3. It was half a second slower than the BMW down the Carwow drag strip, so this new one has the chance to turn things around.

I reckon it’s going to be close, but you’ll have to watch this week’s video to find out what happens.

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