Carwow has posted an unusual drag racing video on YouTube, comparing a tuned BMW M4 against the Bavarian company’s superbike, the M 1000 RR. Despite the massive power gap between the two, it was a thrillingly close race.
In its stock form, the new M4 utilizes a 3.0-liter I6 engine to get 510 PS (503 hp / 375 kW) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque. The example in the video has been rebuilt by Evolve Automotive to slam the wheels with 1,014 PS (1,000 hp / 747 kW) and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft). An eight-speed automatic transmission drives all four wheels.
The M 1000 R was the first superbike co-designed between the company’s M and Motorrad divisions. Packing a 1.0-liter four-pot, it develops 212 PS (209 hp / 156 kW) and sends all that power to the rear wheel alone.
One of the bike’s biggest advantages is the curb weight, which comes in at 192 kilos (423 pounds). For comparison, the car weighs 1,774 kilos (3,910 pounds). As a result, the bike packs a superior power-to-weight ratio of 785 horsepower per metric ton versus the car’s 560.
The bike did win the first race, but as it later turned out, the M4 driver fumbled his drive mode and launch controls. Once those had been properly set up, the sporty coupe proceeded to outrun the bike in every single race. In the end, the coupe’s best quarter-mile time was 9.9 seconds and the bike’s was 10.4 seconds.