Gone but not forgotten, the rear-wheel-drive-based 1 Series remains a force to be reckoned with in the M140i guise. This F21 facelifted model is a veritable sleeper since the hot hatch has been dialed all the way up to supercar levels of power without getting a flashy makeover. With a colossal 700 hp on tap, it has more than twice the punch of a standard M140i. As if that wasn’t bonkers enough, we’re dealing with a non-xDrive model, so all that inline-six power is going only to the rear wheels.
The tail-happy compact car was pitted against a performance car positioned on a whole different level – a Porsche 911. Not just any version of Zuffenhausen’s iconic rear-engined car, but the mighty Turbo S. If you know your Porsches, you’ve noticed it’s a previous-generation (991) model that hasn’t been modified at all. Its 3.8-liter, flat-six twin-turbo engine continues to produce 580 hp.
Power isn’t everything as weight also plays a major role in the outcome of a drag race. The modded M140i tips the scales at 1,475 kilograms while the untouched Porsche 911 Turbo S weighs 1,600 kg. On paper, the BMW has a huge advantage when it comes to the power-to-weight ratio, but let’s keep in mind the Porsche has all-wheel drive and a lightning-quick PDK.
It’s easy to see the M140i has difficulties in putting all that power on the road while the 911 Turbo S’ AWD system works effortlessly. Even with an advantage of 8 to 10 car lengths at the start of the drag race, the BMW still lost the duel. Onboard telemetry shows the coupe did 0 to 60 mph in a mind-boggling 2.82 seconds while the five-door Bavarian model did it in a respectable 3.6 seconds.
The Porsche took 10.75 seconds to complete the quarter mile at a trap speed of 131.73 mph while the BMW needed 11.27 seconds and had an exit speed of 131.2 mph, meaning it was going just about as fast at the end of the drag race. With traction issues out of the equation, the subsequent rolling races had a vastly different outcome as the M140i won both.
Source: OFFICIALLY GASSED – OG / YouTube
