The X3 M50 is currently the hottest version of BMW’s compact luxury SUV. But zesting up practical family-haulers is more in vogue today than ever before — meaning the competition is better than ever. Rivals from the likes of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz challenge the X3 M50 in presence, handling, technology, and refinement. But there’s one metric that’s a little bit more objective — and a lot more fun to watch — than the others. Today, we’re focusing on straight line speed. How does the X3 M50 fare in a drag race against some of the best competition yet?

 

The Contenders

The drag race comes courtesy of the Carwow YouTube channel. They’ve assembled a trio of performance SUVs to run a drag race and see who’s got the quickest. As a reminder, the X3 M50 relies on the same motor to get around as its predecessor did — the legendary B58 engine. Here, it’s making 393 horsepower (293 kW) at 5200 rpm and 428 pound-feet (580 Nm) of torque at 1900 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission bolts right up to the B58. The X3 M50 weighs 4535 pounds (2057 kg). While certainly no slouch, its rivals pack a punch, too.

 

The first is the AMG GLC 43. Under the hood is a hybrid-assisted turbocharged four-cylinder engine developing 416 horsepower (310 kW) and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) of torque. It weighs 4398 pounds (1995 kg) and touts a nine-speed multi-clutch automatic transmission. Finally, there’s the Porsche Macan GTS. With 434 horsepower (323 kW) available from a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, it’s the feistiest here by a long shot. At 4,321 pounds (1960 kg), it’s also the lightest here, although not by much. It also gets a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, arguably the sportiest choice here. All three competitors utilize all-wheel drive to put the power down. But there can only be one victor.

 

The Race

After multiple drag races, the X3 M50 does manage to come out on top against the competition. Which is remarkable, since the Porsche weighs less, claims to more power, and has the legendary Porsche PDK transmission on its swapping cogs. The BMW managed to run a 12.7-second quarter-mile time, which is pretty dang good for an SUV. Notably, the last-generation X3 M40i recorded a 12.8-second time in Car and Driver testing. The Porsche and AMG were right on the X3’s heels, running 12.8 and 12.9 second times, respectively.

 

But the video doesn’t end with a standing quarter-mile drag race. CarWow goes on to test the trio in a roll race, and the results are perhaps a bit surprising. It’s a mixed bag, but the BMW doesn’t take gold in either race. Similarly, a braking test finds the X3 M50 in dead last. While the X3 M50 is impressive, then, perhaps nobody’s perfect. You can watch the full video below.