Horsepower doesn’t always win the race, and this latest showdown between the BMW M240i xDrive and the more potent Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 reflects that. Come to think of it, it’s not every day we see a sports car from Nissan’s luxury division being lined up against a German performance machine. Both are similarly powered vehicles with all-wheel drive, six-cylinder engines, and automatic transmissions, so we have all the ingredients for a close drag race.
In one corner, the Bavarian sports coupe delivers 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed auto in a car that weighs 3,871 pounds. Its Japanese contender also has a six-cylinder mill but arranged in a “V” configuration and with an extra turbocharger. Shared with the new Nissan Z, the engine produces 400 hp and 350 lb-ft, so what it lacks in torque makes up in horsepower. Output is delivered to the wheels via a seven-speed automatic.
YouTuber Sam CarLegion was curious to see whether the Q60 would stand a chance against the M240i. Bear in mind the Infiniti is about 150 pounds (nearly 70 kilograms) heavier than the BMW, which isn’t all that much but the difference isn’t negligible either. The B58 engine shined again and allowed the M Performance car to triumph in the drag race, but the Q60 Red Sport wasn’t that much slower.
It was a different story in the subsequent rolling race from 32 mph (50 km/h) as the Infiniti simply didn’t stand a chance. In another rolling race, this time from 62 mph (100 km/h), the duel was much closer until the very end, but it was ultimately yet another win for the M240i xDrive. It would seem the transmission was the Achilles’ heel for the Q60, but then again, everyone knows BMW has the tendency to underrate its engines, so the outcome was largely predictable.
Source: Sam CarLegion / YouTube
