BMW E92 M3 GTS Drag Races Audi RS4 B7, Almost Crashes

These videos have proven quite interesting because, for most of its life, the M3 was only compared to the AMG C-Class. And for a generation that value fun over speed, that's completely understandable.

But for the most part, the RS4 has proven an unworthy adversary to the M3. Sure, it's always had the traction advantage of AWD, but also a lot more weight. The magic of launch control is something that makes the current batch of Audis faster, but you don't get that with older manual models.

The M3 GTS was the crowning achievement of the short-lived V8 era. It features a bored out 4.4-liter setup with a screaming top end and 450 horsepower. The track special is also very light and features a stiffer chassis. But with the V8 hanging over the front, traction is not what you'd call... ideal.

Meanwhile, the RS4 7 only makes 420 HP from its 4.2-liter V8. Like the tortoise that it is, the RS4 starts slow and lets its frisky rival shoot off. But after a good launch, the M3 starts to spin its rear tires. We've seen the GTS do that plenty of times and in some cases, it ends in a crash.

Mat Watson keeps that from happening but ends up losing the race. Audi's horse crosses the quarter-mile line in 13.3 seconds while the M3 GTS is 0.1s away. But can the rolling race nullify the difference? Of course it can, but the destruction is not that severe.

For the sake of the good-old-days before drag races ruined YouTube, this video ends in a short review dedicated to handling and fun. BMW's equivalent of a 911 GT3 is super-crisp and engaging. The RS4 doesn't even compare to the normal M3 in that regard.