Although these three cars are tuned sedans with automatic transmissions and all-wheel drive, they belong to different segments. The smallest of the lot is the Audi RS3, followed by the BMW 3 Series, and the larger Mercedes-AMG E63. Their engines are also quite different, with the model from Ingolstadt featuring an inline-five whereas the 340i boasts a straight-six, with both topped by the mighty V8 of the AMG.
As you have probably figured out by now, that’s a previous-generation 3 Series (F30) so it’s not an M340i. In stock form, the flagship non-M model had 322 hp on tap but it’s been tuned to deliver a meaty 550 hp at the wheels. All three sedans have gone through massive changes to extract more power from their engines before meeting for a series of drag and rolling races.
The AMG E63 appeared to have some issues with the launch control since it was rather slow off the line, with both the BMW and Audi being notably faster. In all three drag races, the 340i took the win without breaking a sweat while the model carrying the Four Rings came in second. Despite having the most power by packing a colossal 761 hp, the E63 was dead last.
With the problematic launch control out of the equation, the AMG had its revenge in the subsequent rolling races from 32 mph (50 km/h) and 50 mph (80 km/h). The Audi was second while the BMW came in third, so the standings were reversed compared to the drag races.
Of the three cars, the Audi seemed to deliver the most consistent results. It goes without saying the AMG would’ve been much faster had launch control worked. It didn’t that day, and even though it was catching up in the drag races, it didn’t manage to recuperate the lost ground.
Source: Sam CarLegion / YouTube
