A sedan going up against a 911 Turbo S in a drag race might not make a lot of sense, even if the Porsche in question is an older 997-generation model. However, the M5 CS is no ordinary saloon after BMW worked its magic to add power and remove weight from the Competition model. Carwow had the neat idea of lining up the two different takes on a performance car in a straight-line acceleration test.

With 635 horsepower and 750 Newton-meters (553 pound-feet) of torque, the M5 CS’s twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine packs an extra 105 hp and 50 Nm (37 lb-ft) over the decade-old 997 Turbo S. On the other hand, BMW’s speedy sedan is still a bit of a porker even after going on a diet. It weighs 1,825 kilograms (4,023 pounds), thus making it a substantial 240 kg (529 lbs) heavier than the coupe from Zuffenhausen.

Both have automatic transmissions with launch control sending power to all four wheels, but obviously, the 911’s flat-six 3.0-liter engine is mounted at the back for better weight distribution. The 3.8-liter, twin-turbo mill of the Porsche comes from an era when emissions and noise regulations were less strict, so it’s no wonder it sounds more aggressive than the S63 engine of the BMW with its mandatory gasoline particulate filter.

The two performance machines were pretty much neck and neck throughout the whole drag race, but the M5 CS took the win by a small margin. The story was much different in the rolling races from 50 mph (80 km/h) in comfort and sport modes as the BMW’s torque-converter gearbox kicked down much quicker than the Porsche’s PDK.

It was yet another win for the M5 CS in the brake test from 100 mph (161 km/h) despite the BMW being considerably heavier. Both cars had carbon-ceramic brakes, with the Pirelli P Zero tires for the sedan and Bridgestone rubber for the coupe. The gap was rather big, but then again, the 911 Turbo S from the 997 generation was discontinued back in 2013 so it’s quite an old car.

Depending on how you see things, the fact that the M5 CS was the undisputed winner is a real feat for a big and heavy sedan while others would argue that for such an old car, the Porsche is still an absolute weapon if it can keep up with the BMW.

Source: Carwow / YouTube