Weight, power and traction – these are the three most important factors in drag racing. Of course, many other parameters also contribute to the final outcome of a direct straight line fight between two cars and this is what makes drag racing so exciting. Today, we want to share with you a short but very interesting race that features two very different sports cars.
This 1:30 minute video is from Motorsport Magazine active channel Youtube and takes us to the track where the BMW M4 CSL meets the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring. Both performance coupes hail from Germany and both have six-cylinder engines, although there are only a few similarities between the cars from Munich and Stuttgart. Let’s look at the numbers.
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The M4 CSL has a twin-turbo inline-six engine, which in this application produces a peak output of 550 horsepower (410 kilowatts). Or, at least these are the numbers given by the automaker, which according to recent dyno tests, is a bit conservative. The coupe tipped the scales at 3,582 pounds (1,625 kilograms) making it heavier on the duo. Maximum torque is 479 pound-feet (650 Newton-meters) and power is sent to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
In contrast, the 911 GT3 in Touring trim uses a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six that produces 502 hp (374 kW) and 346 lb-ft (469 Nm) of torque. It may drop in torque but is significantly lighter at 3,285 lbs (1,490 kg). In the video, we can’t see any footage of the Porsche cabin and we can’t tell if the car has a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch, but judging by the sounds we hear, it’s most likely a PDK transmission.
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As you can see for yourself from the numbers above, it’s a pretty tight race. BMW has more power and torque but is also heavier. Porsche, meanwhile, has a higher rev limiter and fewer kilograms to tow at the starting line. Which one won the race? The answer is in the video at the top of this page.
