Tuned Wagon Drag Race: BMW M3 Touring Vs. Audi RS6 Avant

Gearheads seem to have a soft spot for performance wagons, but what happens when you pit two of the hottest wagons against each other in a drag race, the BMW M3 Touring and the Audi RS6 Avant? And for good measure, what happens when both of them are 800-horsepower-plus monsters?

Officially Gassed has done just that, taking the claimed world's fastest M3 Touring and pitting it against the world's fastest Audi RS6.

The M3 Touring in question belongs to DNA Autohaus in the UK and had its performance enhancements completed by Tom Wrigley Performance. Equipped with an RK Autowerks port injection kit, TTE 940 hybrid turbos and a full exhaust fromTheTurboEngineers, 1050cc injectors, and custom software, it puts out 830 horsepower and 671 lb-ft of torque. Its claim as the world's fastest M3 Touring is because it recently smashed the quarter miles in 9.74 seconds at 141 mph. Along the way, it did 0-60 mph in 2.35 seconds.

In the other corner, the RS6 Avant was tuned and built by QS Tuning. This RS6 puts out 965 hp and 915 lb-ft of torque from its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 courtesy of the QST Stage 3+ package with TTE1020 Hybrid turbos, larger turbo inlet pipes, AEM water-methanol Injection, QST downpipes, upgraded spark plus, and more. It's claimed quarter-mile time of 10.13 seconds at 141 mph is a smidge slower than the BMW, but an identical exit speed makes for an interesting comparison.

On paper, the BMW looks short on power, but with a circa-500-lb weight discrepancy in its favor, it could still stand a chance, as both cars boast similar power-to-weight ratios. Both cars feature all-wheel drive and ZF eight-speed automatic gearboxes, and both are wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 4S to make it a fair fight.

OG performs the drags both from a rolling start and from a dig, showcasing two separate facets of these performance wagons. The Audi already has the claim of fastest C8 RS6 from 62-124 mph, meaning rolling starts are its forte.

In the rolling race, this proves true, as the Audi takes 4.91 seconds compared to the BMW's five-second effort, with the extra torque in the Audi coming to the fore.

From a dig, less weight benefits the BMW M3 Touring, as it smashes the quarter miles in 10.05 seconds at 140.69 seconds. The M3 launches hard, too, hitting 0-60 mph in 2.37 seconds. The Audi was only just behind it, though, with a 2.47-second 0-60 mph time, a quarter-mile time of 10.20, and a 139.67-mph exit speed.

Both of these cars have proven tuner potential. Just this last week, we saw yet another 1,000-hp package for the RS6 from German tuner ABT, and the BMW S58 motor has proven itself capable of delivering reliable power, too. The M3 Touring is sadly not available in the US, but the forthcoming M5 Touring will be sold locally to battle the RS6. Audi is working on something special for the RS6 though, and may deliver a super-powered wagon as its ultimate combustion send-off.