When it comes to drag racing, cars vs motorcycles is particularly interesting. We always wonder how powerful a car needs to be in order to run with a crouch-rocket, but this time, it’s the other way around. A highly-modified Vespa scooter thinks it has enough horsepower to go up against an almost stock, BMW E92 M3. The BMW outguns the Vespa 10:1, in terms of horsepower, but it also weighs a lot more, which results in some surprisingly close races.

BMW E92 M3

Representing the four-wheel community is a BMW E92 M3 1 out of 500 Limited Edition. This means that it is one of the last 500 E92 M3s made. Modifications are pretty mild, including a custom, straight-through Valvetronic exhaust system by Overkill Performance, AFE cold-air intake, and Stage 2 remap by Modstock, resulting in 430 horsepower. The M3 weighs around 3,527 pounds (1,600 kg), which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 286 horsepower per ton.

Vespa 50 Special

The Vespa is, by far, the more heavily modified vehicle of the bunch. It started out with a 50 cc blender, good for 4 horsepower and a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). The Vespa now has a 150 cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine with reversed barrel, five-plate drag clutch, 40.5mm carburetor, and 10-inch wheels. The engine was tuned and built by FRT Ferro racing and packs 43 horsepower. As it is, the Vespa weighs 187 pounds (85 kg) or 352.7 pounds (160 kg) with the rider, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 268 horsepower per ton.

The Drag race

Both vehicles line up for a best-out-of-three quarter-mile drag races before the rolling race. Despite the BMW having 10 times more horsepower and a seven-speed DCT, the Vespa, with its four-speed gearbox, left it in the dust. However, the Beemer’s horsepower advantage became apparent towards the end of the run, allowing it to barely beat the super moped.

The second race is, pretty much, a repetition of the first one. Both the BMW and Vespa have nearly identical 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) times, with the M3 managing a 4.43-second run versus the Vespa’s 4.47 seconds. As for the quarter-mile, the BMW M3 manages 12.77 seconds at 112.6 mph (181.2 km/h).versus the Vespa’s 13.42 seconds at 97.4 mph (156.7 km/h).

The roll race

You probably wouldn’t expect much of the Vespa in a roll race and you would probably be right. The much more powerful M3 managed to beat the Vespa in two consecutive races, from a 50 mph (80.5 km/h) roll. However, the Vespa wasn’t as far behind as you may think. Still, the BMW managed to beat the Vespa much easier from a roll.

For science!

In the end, we learned that a 43-horsepower moped that weighs 352.7 pounds (160 kg) can keep up with a performance car that's 10 times more powerful and 10 times heavier, fairly easy, at least from a dig despite worse aerodynamics. Actually, we didn’t learn much, but it was fun to watch. Go check it out for yourself.