Video: Audi RS3 Sportback vs BMW 1M Drag Race

By Horatiu Boeriu. Read Bio
July 7th, 2011 | 1 Series M Coupe | 40 comments

Pocket rockets from BMW and Audi go head-to-head in a drag race shoot out over the quarter mile. But which is fastest?

The BMW 1M Coupe and Audi RS3 have two things in common… Power. Each offers an identical 335bhp and 450Nm of torque.

However, they are two very different beasts. The Audi’s 2.5-litre five cylinder turbo drives all four wheels via a seven speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. The BMW on the other hand has a 3.0-litre straight six twin-turbo. And it sends all its power to the rear wheels via a good ol’ fashioned six-speed manual.

Let’s have a look.

Tags: Audi RS3, BMW 1M, BMW 1M video, drag race Email Print 40 comments

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Babken

Another humiliation for BMW. A 2.5 liter Audi engine turns to dust the so-called “renowned” 3 liter engine of BMW.
Babken

Another humiliation for BMW. A 2.5 liter Audi engine turns to dust the so-called “renowned” 3 liter engine of BMW.
- Alex
  
  as much as I don’t like to insult people, you my dear babken are an idiot. If you knew anything about engines you would realise the renowned 3 liter BMW engine blows the 2.5 audi banger out of the water. The 1M lost due to the traction advantage of the RS3. If the audi banger is so good, how come it loses ground immediately after the traction advantage doesn’t matter anymer? 0-100, and after?
  - Babken
    
    As much as I don’t like ignorant assholes, I have to say you are one of them. The 1M lost because it had an inferior engine. Moreover it had an advantage of 0.5 liter displacement and despite that it was humiliated by the Audi.
- Shincai
  
  You’re such an ignorant prick. I guess you don’t know what the word “car” means…
  It’s not only about an engine idiot! such a stupid kid u are
  And even blind people can see that the RS3 is only quicker at 1/4 mile.
  give them 1/2 mile and the BMW wins and take them to the nurburgring and see what happens BMW is better end of story.
  - Babken
    
    BMW’s engine won’t have any advantage at any speed. Do you want some proof? Watch the video above. And the Audi driver slowed down a bit for the pathetic 1M coupe driver to come closer, but anyway the final result was an absolute win for the Audi. That’s why I say: Audi humiliated BMW, just like the latest A6 humiliates the 5 Series all the way.
    - Shincai
      
      on the nurburgring the 1M is 5 seconds quicker than the RS3
      now what do you say about that? BMW is faster at high speeds because of RWD and on track is faster too!
      - Tobias
        
        not to mention, BMW is more fun to drive. 1M is not about engine, it’s all about handling. Even if Audi was much quicker, I’d take superior handling 1m any day.
    - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1842858183 Ahmad Haziq
      
      So you’re happy with just a single drag race? Whow, that really shows Audi can’t build a car that uses a steering wheel!
    - Freudeking
      
      stop barking you idiot it’s fools like you who take the word of these retards at auto express …. a piece of shit RS3 “4X4 loses 0.3sec already that really shows the vw engine that’s crawling inside 1M is based on an M3 where the RS3 is based on a VeeDub golf so keep dreaming if you think that piece of shit can keep up to the 1M
- wazon8
  
  How long could you have a fun in drag racing? One day? Two? Perhaps with your childish attitude to cars, the right answer is “Eternity”!
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RSAT

Obviously, the BMW driver didn’t know how to drive. His timing was off at the start. Take a look again and you’ll see that the BMW looks to have slowed down instead of pressing the gas. Not a sound of screeching tires on the BMW. Driver seems to have a rolling start.
- wazon8
  
  Change from first to second gear was slow eighter.
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http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SKJYILRXYCHPIVC7CPISYMRCLQ goran

don’t care i’ll still take the 1 any time of the day, rain or shine :) Just because its a drivers car, the A3 i quick no doubt about it but when it comes to driving pleasure the 1 is second to none. Its puts one huuuge “ear to ear” smile on your face no mater weather you are going straight line or trough a corner. And because of that it will always be a better car. O yeah and because it an M :)
M3Drvr

Give the Bimmer to the Stig and see what happens…
- Babken
  
  It won’t change the outcome, i.e. Audi humiliates BMW.
  - Freudeking
    
    who cares about what you think? 1M is sold out ….. RS3 still hanging in the showrooms…. with no buyers… S H A M E
  - Stanley
    
    Audi always gets humiliated by BMW you imbecile, its why every article written about them always highlights the fact that Audis are boring, sterile, understeering turds, which have far too much weight over the front axel and are completely uninspiring!
    
    When you get yourself a license in a couple years, maybe you can come say sorry.
    
    Naturally the RS3 would be quicker off the line, due to awd…but thats the trade off you make when you choose between rwd and awd…. awd allows better launching, but heavier weight means its slower abover 100km/h, more prone to understeer, and in the RS3/TTRS case feels like a fwd due to that rubbish Haldex clutch system they use!
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Lucky13

The 1 M engine is basically a stock 3.0 liter turbo that BMW admits isn’t a true M engine. The person driving the 1M drives like a grandma, my Clubman S would have beat the hell out of him the first 2 seconds. Didn’t listen to the sound but a stock A3 in the US is easily over $40K so I assume that POS was $60K plus vs about $47K for the BMW.
JRobUSC

Why do you guys keep responding to Babken? He’s a troll — he just wants you to waste your time getting riled up. Ignore him, he’ll go away.
Lucky13

He obviously has BMW envy or why else would he be on a BMW site. I find Audi’s grossly overpriced with questionable quality. They could not give the RS3 way in the US market, no one would pay $60K plus for a Golf and I don’t care if its 0-60 in 2 seconds.
Jorec_cnnb

THE TRUTH IS YEA WE HAVE TO ADMITED RS3 WIN 0-60 BUT THE REAL DEMOSTRATION OF REAL RACE CAR IS IN THE TRACK BY TIME LAP, AND AS WE ALL KNOW, NOBODY DEFEAT M POWER!…AND YOU KNOW THAT BABKEN YOU KOW!..
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http://www.facebook.com/people/La-Ma/1681833435 La Ma

It is still impressive from the 2.5l 4wd Audi. Sure the longer drive would have shown the 1M passing the Audi, but nevertheless it was beaten on the 1/4 mile strip.
this means bragging rights belongs to an Audi driver.
Meaning of this ? not a whole lot but 0.5l smaller engine, heavy 4wd system and all, the car is faster from 0-60 and up to the 1/4 mile. Its a fact, not a dispute.
Audi’s engine seems to be pretty strong, making similar numbers as the BMW 3.0l.
No reason to pull each other hair, watch the video, draw the conclusion, state the facts and move on.
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http://www.facebook.com/people/Hubert-Jadczak/100000325894622 Hubert Jadczak

Fun car should be designed for fun – BMW is 100% because it has RWD, audi is more safe cause of Quattro, and it’s not fun car, it’s just fast.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1842858183 Ahmad Haziq

I, myself actually trust Jeremy Clarkson’s view on cars seriously. Eventhough sometimes he’s an arse, moron or whatsoever – but he’s just about to have known everything that you must have in a car to make it more enjoyable and better to drive. So what’s the point of having a bloody fast car but gives you a damn to drive?

Jeremy himself admitted the Audi to be ahead in technology, faster but no quicker neither more enjoyable than a BMW. But Horatiu is correct, the RS3 and the 1M are both different kind of beast.

To the video, well I guess the car needs someone better to drive. The car started really slow and someway after the start the car jearks a bit and that let the RS3 thrust away. I wouldn’t comment on the gearbox but the AWD is proven to be better on the getaway…
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bmw expert

Lol, let’s see BMW put a double clutch like in the M3 into the 1M…the audi will be begging for mercy after that! As the speaker said, all the audi driver had to do was berry the pedal into the floor and hold the wheel straight..who knows if the driver of the bmw was so good! maybe he changed gear badly, that can make up to 0.6 seconds difference!
Shincai

Bakben/Viper/Retard
get a life stupid kid
CraigVXR

Load of crap i have seen this test a few times now top gear did the same an the RS3 did 60 in less then 4 and 100 under 10…..
LexusLVR

The Audi looks better than the BMW to. Plus you get AWD. Why anyone would go for the underperforming and overpriced 1M is beyond me. It’s basically a tarted up 116i.
- LexusLVRisaBitch
  
  They are both ugly and overpriced. The best looking car in this group is the Yaris. The Yaris run circles around both of these cars.
  
  LexusLVR you have steered me to the light with these stats:
  
  1.5 Liter DOHC 16-Valve Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) 4-Cylinder; 106 hp @ 6000 rpm; 103 lb.-ft. @ 4200 rpm FWD
  
  This Is the best car the market compare those pieces of garbage. I wonder howfast LexusLVR how you smoke that crack and sniffing up Toyota’s ass at the same time is beyond me.
Shincai

Babken you douche bag I’ma fk you up fk you fk you fk you up! Limp Bizkit style baby!
ChineseRule

Ah, see how BMW fan boys defend their cars so furiously even though the fact that 1M lost the 1/4 mile and 0-60. If this video showed that 1M won, they will be so bragging their ass off but this time they are in denial in all ways because 1M LOST this battle. Yeah, people will come at me saying: “oh, bad driver”, “oh, put a DCT in 1M and it will smoke RS3″, “oh, what ever!”
A guest

Who was driving the BMW? 13.9 quarter mile can only be attributed to a bad run/bad driver. BMW claims 13.2 seconds, road and track did it in 12.9…

Both cars are awesome, however BMW had no choice but to limit the 1M’s ability considering it’s close to as good as the M3. A bit of tuner ECM magic will fix that.