What happens when three different cars with the same engine, transmission, drive system, and torque figures take on each other? Mat Watson and his team from ‘Carwow’ decided to find the answers. They pit the BMW M8 Competition, the BMW M5 CS, and the BMW M5 Competition against each other for a series of drag and rolling races. Which of these three do you think wins?

All Cars Have The Same Engine, Torque, Transmission, and Drive System

All three cars here are powered by a 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine. The BMW M8 Gran Coupe and the M5 Competition make 625 horses and 553 pound-feet of torque, whereas the M5 CS makes 10 horses more. The torque is the same, though.

They all also have the same eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel-drive system with launch control. The difference, however, lies in the weight. The M8 is the heaviest of the lot, weighing in at 4,365 pounds (1,980 kilos). The M5 Competition is next, with a weight of 4,178 pounds (1,895 kilos). The M5 CS is the lightest, tipping the scales at 4,023 pounds (1,825 kilos).

Let The Games Begin

The M8 got a perfect launch in the first drag race and was the quickest off the line. The M5 CS was surprisingly the slowest to get off, but it went past the M5 Competition within a couple of seconds. The M5 CS started catching up with the M8, but the latter managed to have its nose ahead at the finish line and get a win in this round. They checked the replays later and it looked like the M8 jumped the start. So, they decided to give it another shot.

The M5 CS hooked perfectly this time and sprinted past both its BMW brethren. It continued to stay ahead and kept that way till the finish line. The M8 came a close second, whereas the M5 Competition took its own sweet time to complete the quarter-mile run. The M5 CS finished this run in 10.9 seconds, 0.4 seconds quicker than the M8, and 1.8 seconds quicker than the M5 Competition.

They moved on to rolling races. The first roll race was from 50 mph with the cars in their comfort settings and gearbox locked in automatic mode. The M8 and the M5 Competition had similar kickdowns, but the M5 CS was quicker once again. It started building a healthy lead and was on the verge of winning the race, but a bird hit the wing mirror, causing the driver to slow down. If not for this accident, the M5 CS would’ve finished this mile run first.

The race was restarted and the M8 had the best kickdown this time. It stayed ahead for quite a bit, but the M5 CS edged it just before the half-mile and kept building speeds. The CS won comfortably, whereas the M8 and the M5 Competition finished second and third, respectively. Mat noted that the M8 has the performance upgrade package that increases its top speed to 190 mph, but this one topped out at about 164 mph. Not that it would’ve mattered in the context of the race, though.

The next rolling race was also from 50 mph, but this time with the cars in sport settings and gearbox in manual mode. The M5 CS had the best kickdown yet again, whereas the M8 beat the M5 Competition right away. No surprises after this as the M5 CS came first, the M8 second, and the M5 Competition third.

Finally, it was time for the brake test from 100 mph. The M5 CS has carbon-ceramic brakes installed, whereas the other two have stock steel brakes. The M5 CS won this round as well by stopping in the shortest distance. The M5 Competition came second, and the M8 took a little more distance than the former to come to a halt and settle for the third position.

Watch the three BMWs take on each other and let us know in the comments section which of the three would you pick as your daily driver.