Fitting a V12 under the hood of a BMW has been reserved for few models over the years. Back in the 2000s and early 2010s, the only car that would get that treatment was the BMW 760Li. Today, the V12 is dead in the BMW range but it lives on under the hood of Rolls-Royce models. The guys from CarWow decided to take a walk down memory lane and they brought together two V12-powered beasts to see which is faster.
The thing is, while one of these cars could actually claim some sportiness back in the day, the other was definitely aiming for something else.
The Mercedes-Maybach, or simply Maybach, was a ultra-luxurious car, focused on comfort and effortless cruising more than anything else. Sure, it had a V12 under the hood with 551 HP and a whopping 900 Nm of torque but it only came with a 5-speed automatic so getting some speed was an issue.
The BMW, by contrast, was a bit of a different beast. It was noticeably smaller and the focus was also on the driving dynamics. It couldn’t match an M car but, for a car of this size, it wasn’t actually that terrible to drive.
It too used a V12, a 6-liter to be more precise, with 545 HP and 800 Nm of torque. Unlike the Maybach, the BMW has a more modern gearbox doing the cog swapping, an 8-speed to be more precise. Both cars are rear-wheel drive.
As for how they match up, the drag race kicks off with a bit of tire warming. The BMW didn’t partake in this craziness as tires were to be conserved but the Maybach was game. And it’s quite something to see such a big car doing donuts. I didn’t even think that was possible.
When it came to the actual race, the weight difference between the two couldn’t be ignored. Having to carry around over half a ton more was bound to have an effect.
