With the launch of the new BMW M340i xDrive, the Bavarians made it pretty clear that there’s a lot of performance available in the M Performance range. Some critics have argued that there’s not enough going for these models to justify the usage of the M emblems so freely and now, BMW seems to have hit back at naysayers with a brilliant package in the shape of the M340i. To highlight just how fast this car is in a straight line, we have a drag race posted at the bottom of the page.
The thing about the M340i is that is comes in two flavors: one for Europe and one for the US. That’s because of the different regulations in terms of CO2 emissions. In the EU, BMW has to fit its petrol-powered cars with an Otto particulate filter, which takes a couple of horses away and changes the sound of the cars a bit. Therefore, what you’re looking at here is the 374 HP model. I know 8 horsepower won’t make a huge difference, but I had to mention the specs.
In the first race, the M340i goes up against an older F30 335i. Both cars use 3.0 liter straight six engines but one has the new B58 unit under the hood while the other is powered by the old N55. The end result of this race is exactly what you’d expect; the M340i wins. The second race features the BMW M4 but , unfortunately, we’re not told whether the M car is a manual or a DCT. This time, I was surprised to see the M340i winning, yet again, over the 1/4 mile. All-wheel drive seems instrumental for a good race in these conditions, but the M car actually had a pretty good launch.
Then there’s the M550i thrown in just to even the odds in terms of traction. What I should mention is that the M550i here is the old model, using the N63 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 455 HP not the new one with 530 HP. Therefore, it has about 80 HP more than the BMW M340i. Will that be enough to compensate for the extra weight the 5er has to carry? Check it out.
