BMW M850i Outruns Audi RS4 Avant in Dig & Roll Races
The M850i shows it has the power – and the transmission tuning – to beat Audi’s lighter dragon wagon, but can the big Bimmer out-brake it?
American muscle cars have a reputation for being “quarter mile cars.” Many Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, and Ford Mustang owners play into that image by competing in their cars at street stoplights and drag strips around the U.S. But straight-line acceleration isn’t just for V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive Big 3 machines. As this head-to-head competition between the BMW M850i and Audi RS4 Avant shows, going flat out from a dead stop and from a steady speed is a great test of any vehicle’s power and gearbox.
carwow‘s Mat Watson knows both cars well. The Audi was his last long-term test vehicle; the M850i is his current one. He’s aware of their similarities and their differences, but he wants to find out how they’ll match up in terms of acceleration and braking. Both cars have twin-turbo engines, eight-speed automatic transmissions, and all-wheel drive.
However, the Audi has a 2.9-liter V6 as opposed to the BMW’s 4.4-liter V8. As a result, the Bimmer has a significant advantage in terms of outright grunt: 530 horsepower and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque vs. the Audi’s 450 horsepower and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm). The RS4 Avant has its own edge, though: its weight…or lack of it. “That BMW is about 200 kilos [441 pounds] heavier,” Watson says from behind the wheel of the RS4 Avant.
To see which car is fastest through the quarter mile, Watson and one of his colleagues start off by racing each other from a dead stop. Right off the line, they’re pretty much neck-and-neck. As they get further down the straightaway, the M850i begins to pull away. It crosses the finish line in 11.9 seconds. The RS4 Avant comes in right behind it with a time of 12 seconds flat. As Watson says, “Man, that was close.”
Watson and his fellow driver start the next race from 50 mph. The M850i absolutely bolts to the lead. Watson exclaims, “God, that gearbox just kicked down way faster than this one.” The Bimmer keeps that gap open right until the end of the strip.
For the third test, Watson and his co-worker go to the other end of the spectrum and test out their test cars’ braking from 70 mph. Once they pass through a pair of orange cones, they slam on the brakes. Just as the dig race was, the braking contest is close. In fact, it’s a little too close for Watson to call. Judging by the angle of carwow‘s footage, it looks as if the BMW stops before the long-roofed Audi…and that the long wait for the new 8 Series was worth it.
Join the 5Series.net forums now!
