Modified Isuzu D-Max Drag Truck Races BMW M340i xDrive, Turbo Diesel Power Prevails

In Thai spec, the rear-wheel-drive D-Max in question produced 134 ps and 320 Nm when it was new, meaning 132 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque. Its owner modified it with a 3.0-liter mill packing a massive turbo, upping the ante to 630 metric ponies and some 1,300 Nm.

621 mechanical horses is Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren territory, whereas 959 pound-feet is very close to the Duramax V8 turbo diesel of the heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado. Speaking of General Motors, the Detroit-based automaker and Isuzu go a long way back. Remember the Chevrolet LUV from the 1970s? In addition to said rebadged Isuzu Faster, the collab also included the Colorado we all know and love.

Equipped with a five-speed manual and sticky rubber for the rear wheels, the crew-cabbed thriller is said to weigh in the ballpark of 1,600 kilograms (3,527 pounds). By comparison, BMW claims 1,670 kilograms (3,682 pounds) for the pre-facelift G20 in M340i xDrive specification.

As implied by xDrive, an eight-speed automatic transmission sends engine torque to a transfer box with a multi-plate clutch, which is tasked with channeling said torque to all four wheels. The ZF-supplied auto is connected to a single-turbo sixer with a displacement of 3.0 liters. Codenamed B58, it produces 387 ps and 500 Nm of torque.

That would be 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet in the United States, although the 2025 model is punchier still due to a mild-hybrid setup. For the facelifted M340i xDrive, its max output is 386 horsepower and 398 pound-feet (540 Nm) from 1,900 through 4,800 revolutions per minute.

You also have to bear in mind that BMW isn't exactly honest with advertised output figures. The B58 engine and M-specific S58 are known to make a few more ponies and torque than BMW says they do, which is a bonus for everyone. Slotted just under the base M3 with the manual tranny and rear-wheel drive, the M340i xDrive promises to hit 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.4 clicks.

Tang posted 4.42 seconds, which is a bit worse than the 4.36 seconds recorded by the D-Max's owner. In the quarter, the Isuzu asserted dominance with a best of 11.63 seconds compared to a hugely respectable 12.66 for the Bimmer.

At press time, customers in the market for a new diesel midsizer in the United States will have to compromise by considering a previous-generation Colorado with the Duramax inline-four turbo diesel. Over at BMW, the North American division killed off diesel options after model year 2018 in favor of plug-in hybrids.