CSL AutoTime has returned with a very close quarter-mile showdown between the Recaro Edition R35 and the pre-facelift M340i xDrive. However, the Bimmer is a bit more special than your usual six-cylinder 3 Series, for it features a Stage 2 tune with a whole lotta torque on tap.
In bone-stock form, the M340i xDrive produced 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm). Its 3.0L straight-six mill is a single-turbo affair compared to 3.8L V6 and twin snails for the GT-R. With the aforementioned tune, it allegedly makes a mega 552 ponies and 664 pound-feet (900 Nm).
That's Aston Martin Valkyrie levels of torque, which is extremely impressive when you remember that the British automaker's flagship combines a free-breathing V12 from Cosworth with an Integral Powertrain electric motor and a Rimac-supplied battery. The same Rimac that developed Bugatti's long-awaited replacement for the Chiron, that is.
Tipping the scales at circa 1,670 kilograms (3,682 pounds) in Thai specification, the M340i xDrive uses a torque-converter automatic from ZF rather than a DCT for the Nissan. The R35's dual-clutch transaxle is a BorgWarner design, with the GR6Z30A being an R35-exclusive transmission.
To be discontinued after model year 2024 in the US and model year 2025 in the Land of the Rising Sun, the aging R35 is a bit heavier. The Recaro Edition for Thailand weighs 1,754 kilograms (3,687 pounds), makes 570 ponies, and smokes all four wheels to the tune of 466 pound-feet (632 Nm).
Photo: CSL AutoTime on YouTube
Equipped with stickier and wider tires, the Nissan should give this BMW a run for its money. It eventually did exactly that, with CSL AutoTime host Tang clocking a best of 10.98 seconds on a dusty runway. The white-painted M340i xDrive recorded a ludicrous 11.03 seconds, which is quite a bit quicker than your typical M340i xDrive.
BMW made its M Performance sedan that little bit more compelling for model year 2025 due to a 48-volt system that adds four more horses and 29 more pound-feet (39 Nm) over the pre-Life Cycle Impulse. Not currently available to configure in the US, the revised M340i xDrive carries a starting price of €76,000 (circa $81,660) in Germany.
Over at Nissan, the first GT-R not to bear the Skyline moniker is going the way of the dodo with two special editions dubbed Takumi Edition (starting at $151,090 in the US) and the Skyline Edition ($131,090 excluding the $1,895 destination fee). By decade's end, the R36 is certain to hit showrooms with some level of electrification.
The US-market press release for said Takumi Edition and Skyline Edition reads the following: "Nissan is now hyperfocused on the future and the next era of exciting innovation in performance." Hyperfocused may sound a bit cheesy, but it's a direct reference to the Hyper Force concept from the 2023 edition of the Japan Mobility Show. Does that mean the R36 will be fully electric? Alas, only time will tell.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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