The BMW M240i does hold a very special place in the industry right now, not just in the hearts of BMW enthusiasts. It’s a rather rival-less car at the moment, as most of the cars that used to compete against it are now either hatchbacks or front-wheel drive sedans. However, BMW decided to keep its DNA intact and stay true to its pedigree (as long as we all forget the 2 Series Gran Coupe) and for the new generation, they kept the straight six mill under the hood, along with the rear-wheel drive layout.
What we got is a small-ish Coupe (at least according to today’s standards) with a straight six and RWD that is a rare bird in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, comparing it to other models will be tricky. We’ve seen some videos so far, comparing the M240i against the likes of the Audi RS3 and Golf 8 R for some reason. While the Audi does stand a chance against the BMW, actually being more powerful, the Golf is lagging far behind.
The video below shows the three being compared in an acceleration test. As usual, to get a better grip on what we’re seeing, a spec comparison is needed. The BMW M240i uses a 3.0 liter straight-six good for 374 horsepower and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, sent to all four wheels via an automatic gearbox. The Audi RS3 uses a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine good for 401 horsepower and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, also using all-wheel drive but a dual-clutch gearbox instead of a torque-converter auto.
The Volkswagen seems way off when looking at the specs. With a 2.0 liter, four-cylinder, 320 horsepower engine under the hood, the Golf R doesn’t see to stand a chance. And yet, as you’re about to see, the difference compared to the BMW, especially in the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) run is not that big. Most likely, you’ll be surprised at how much punch this little hatch has under the hood.
