Track Battle: Can The Ultra-lightweight Caterham 360R Take On The BMW M3 xDrive Competition - gallery

Two cars represent two very different performance formulas. Which is better around a technical circuit?

The ultra-lightweight Caterham 360R takes on BMW M3 Competition xDrive, around a racetrack. Simplicity and lightness vs big power and technology

BMW M3 Competition xDrive

BMWs are notoriously tricky to launch. Luckily, this one comes with the company's xDrive AWD system. That said, the M3 Competition is a tech-heavy car and tips the scales at over 4,000 lbs

The inline-6 engine is a signature BMW trait

The Bavarian carmaker never stopped making inline-6 engines, and this S58 unit is something to behold. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo unit makes 503 hp and 479 lb/ft

With xDrive, the BMW M3 Competition is even quicker than advertised

BMW sometimes underrate their power output, but in this case, the same is true for the 0-60 mph time. Officially, the car can sprint to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, but xDrive-equipped versions are known to be capable of sub-3-second times

Caterham 360R

Like many other British sports car manufacturers, Caterham relies on simplicity and lightness. The 360R is as analog as possible and does not spoil with unnecessary (for the racetrack) luxury. It tips the scales at just over 1,200 lbs

The engine in the 360R provides more than adequate performance

It may be a plain, 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated inline-4, but it makes 180 hp and 143 lb/ft. This is enough for a 0-60 mph sprint in 4.8 seconds. Power, of course, goes to the rear through a 6-speed manual

The Caterham 360R is built for short and technical circuits

It's safe to say, the lightweight "Brit" is on its home turf. It also has superior power-to-weight ratio pf 321hp/ton vs BMW M3 Competition's 271 hp/ton

The lap times

After teh same pilot got to know the cars and did flying hot lap with them, the winner was clear. The BMW took 1:18.6 to lap the track while the Caterham - 1:22.8. A clear win for the much heavier and more powerful BMW

Swipe up for more on both cars and the race

The race between these two very different performance machines proves that the power-to-weight ratio no longer tells you who the faster car is. On the other hand, the lap times are a clear indication, you don't necessarily need a bare-bone car for fast ti