Tuned BMWs vs supercars – which is better for drag racing?

If you’re looking to go as fast as possible on a drag strip, should you buy a supercar or save yourself some cash by modifying something from BMW’s M division?

Well I wanted to find out, so I’ve got a bunch of tuned BMWs ranging from 450hp to 1,100hp, and I’m going to pitch them against a selection of low-slung exotica.

To make things fair, I’ve grouped each of the cars into heats. The winner of each heat gets to race against a supercar, and the winner of that race goes through to the next round. We keep whittling cars down until we crown our champion.

Let’s take a look at the stats, starting with all the BMWs.

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Tuned BMW M140i

We’re kicking things off with this BMW M140i, which has just had an ECU remap to increase power from its 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six from 340hp to 445hp. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Track-prepped BMW M240i

Next up we have something a bit more extreme. This BMW M240i has the same basic engine as the M140i, but it has an induction kit, new downpipes, an uprated fuel pump and a tune. The result is 470hp, and this is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

It may be more powerful than the M140i, but this car is running semi-slick track tyres which may not grip too well on this cold day. That massive wing won’t help either.

Tuned BMW M2

The BMW M2 is meant to be the baby of the M range, but this one has had a serious power upgrade. The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight six engine puts out 700hp, over 200hp more than standard, and this is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Tuned BMW X3 M

This is the first BMW here to feature all-wheel drive, so it should be easier to get off the line than anything we’ve had so far. Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight six with new downpipes and an ECU tune, and it puts out 800hp to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Tuned BMW M5

Now it’s time for the new BMW M5, and this one’s had a tune to up the power from its 4.4-litre twin turbocharged V8 hybrid system to 850hp. That’s around 120hp more than standard, and this is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Tuned BMW M5 part 2

I also have a second tuned BMW M5 with me today, but this one’s a bit more extreme. It has new downpipes, intake, exhaust and an ECU tune to take the power from 727hp to 1,050hp. Like the other M5 it also has four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Tuned BMW M3 Touring

Next up is the first estate car here, this heavily tuned BMW M3 Touring. It has a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six engine with a new intake, six additional fuel injectors and an ECU tune. The result is around 800hp going to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Tuned BMW M3 saloon

The saloon version of the BMW M3 is around 160kg lighter than the Touring, so it has an advantage already. It has the same basic engine as the Touring, but this car has hybrid turbos, a new intake and an ECU tune so now it produces 900hp. It’s four-wheel drive and has an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Tuned BMW M4

This BMW M4 uses the same 3.0-litre straight-six engine as the M3, but the owner has fitted it with a stage three tune, new inlet manifold and some internal engine mods. As a result it has 930hp going to all four wheels.

Another tuned BMW M3 Touring

If you thought the other M3s were extreme, you ain’t seen nothing yet. This one has a fully rebuilt engine and an ECU tune, so it has 1,000hp going to all four wheels. The eight-speed gearbox has also been uprated to handle the extra power.

Tuned BMW M240i

Finally, we have this mental BMW M240i. It’s the most extreme car on the grid today, with a massive single turbo, a fully-built 3.0-litre engine, a new fuel system and an uprated gearbox. It puts out 1,100hp to all four wheels.

Lamborghini Huracan Performante

The first supercar I’ll be driving is the Lamborghini Huracan Performante, and it has a 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 with 640hp and 600Nm of torque. This is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and it only weighs around 1,500kg.

McLaren 750 S

The other exotic supercar I have at my disposal is the McLaren 750 S. It has a mid-mounted 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 750hp and 800Nm of torque, and this goes to the rear wheels only via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

So which car will emerge from this immense challenge victorious? You’ll have to watch the video to find out.

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