In a world where downsizing used to be shoved down our throats as a better alternative to higher displacement, the V-8 engine has managed to somehow survive but it is only doing so in the stratospheric blankets of the car realm.

Carwow’s most recent drag race manages to bring together a quartet of V-8-powered monsters: you’ve got the Audi RS6, the BMW M5, the Mercedes-AMG E63, and of course, the Porsche Panamera. Interestingly enough, these are not your go-to supercars but mere luxury cars that can deliver both on performance and practicality, when required. So, how do they fare in a drag race, then?

It’s really hard to pick a favorite

Besides their turbocharged V-8 hearts, each of these contestants uses all four wheels to slam the power down as efficiently as possible.

The Audi RS6 rocks a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 good for 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. 0-60 mph takes 3.6 seconds en route for a top speed of 155 mph.

Also powered by a 4.0-liter bi-turbo vee-eight, the Mercedes-AMG E63 S makes do with 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of twist channeled through a nine-speed AMG Speedshift MCT gearbox and 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive. In this setup, the E63 needs just 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill.

The only hybrid in this mix, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid takes things up a notch as it harnesses electricity to aid its ICE (internal combustion engine). Its twin-turbo V-8 churns out 550 horsepower and 567 pound-feet of torque complemented by an e-motor’s 134 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The overall output rises to a hip-cracking 677 horsepower and 626 pound-feet. That sort of firepower channeled to all four corners allows the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid to blasts from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds (with the Sport Chrono Package installed).

Last but definitely not least (as you’re about to see in the video below) the BMW M5 breaks the norm and flaunts a 4.4-liter V-8 packing 600 horsepower (617 in the Competition) and 553 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough for a 0-60 mph sprint time of 3.2 seconds (3.1 for the Competition) and a top speed of 156 mph.

So let’s recap. We’ve got the RS6 which can hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, the Panamera S E-Hybrid which can do it in 3.2 seconds, the AMG E 63 that pulls it off in 3.3 seconds, and the M5, on par with the Porsche, capable of running 3.2-second 0-60 sprints. That said, we believe that there’s only one real winner here. And that winner is Germany.