It feels like the BMW M3 Touring and Audi RS4 Avant have been at each other’s throats for years. However, the G81 has only been around for a couple of years. The Four Rings have had their super wagon since 1999 as a successor to the iconic RS2 Avant. A drag race battle between the two is always fun to watch, regardless if you’re on team M or RS.
The French journalists at Motorsport Magazine lined them up for an old-fashioned acceleration test on the straight line of the Lurcy-Lévist circuit. Even the diehard Audi fan can’t realistically expect the RS4 Avant to be the faster of the two speedy German wagons. The Ingolstadt marque touts a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds for the model equipped with the Competition Plus Package. BMW’s performance division says the task is done in just 3.6 seconds.
With 60 extra horsepower and an additional 50 Nm (37 lb-ft) of torque, the M3 Touring proved its worth. The RS4 Avant didn’t stand a chance in the drag race. In Audi’s defense, we can see the launch control wasn’t finished building boost. Would that have made a big difference? Probably not, but the gap would’ve likely been narrower.
The long-roof M3 needed 20.8 seconds to complete the standing kilometer (0.6 miles) whereas the RS4 took an extra 1.5 seconds. Motorsport Magazine wasn’t able to conduct a top speed test but the Audi is likely to beat the BMW. The Avant can do 180 mph (290 km/h) whereas the Touring is limited to 174 mph (280 km/h).
As to what the future holds for these two exciting family vehicles, the RS4 Avant will soon be retired. In its place, Audi will launch an RS5 Avant with a plug-in hybrid V6 setup. Meanwhile, BMW is about to give the M3 Touring a 20-horsepower upgrade this year before launching a CS version with another 20 hp in 2025.
Source: Motorsport Magazine / YouTube
