Have you ever wondered which car would win between an old BMW M3 and a new generation Toyota Yaris? Well, CarWow answers that question for you. The British Youtube Giant is famous for putting together some unusual drag races. They even did one with tipper lorries, believe it or not.

A Toyota Yaris Against A BMW M3? How Silly

On first impression, you'd completely dismiss the Yaris. A tiny little hatchback taking on an M3? Not a chance. But you'll think otherwise once you look at the numbers. Don't let the Yaris' tiny footprint fool you. GR or Gazoo Racing, Toyota's motorsport division, has worked their magic on this Yaris. In essence, the Yaris is a Pocket Rocket.

The BMW is no slouch either and wears the legendary M3 badge. The E46 is still hailed as one of the all-time greats amongst enthusiasts.

It packs a six-speed manual and weighs around 3,152 pounds (1430 kilos.) The GR Yaris, meanwhile is rocking a modest 1.6-liter three-cylinder with 261 horsepwoer and 265 pound-feet (360 Nm.) It also has a six-speed manual and weighs in at 2,711 pounds (1230 kilos.)

Pound for pound, some quick math reveals that these two cars are closer than you think. The GR Yaris comes to 203 horsepower per ton and the E46 M3 is at 233 horsepower per ton. The BMW is rear-wheel drive only. This particular example is wearing different sets of tires on both axles. The Yaris GR is AWD and has a limited-slip differential on both front and rear axles.

Eventually, its the traction that might make all the difference. Do keep in mind that there's almost twenty years between these cars. In the first drag race, the Toyota annihilated the BMW. It took 12.5 seconds to do the standing quarter-mile, while the BMW took 13.2 seconds. It was traction and weight that cost the M3 this win. They even had another go with an outcome that was far worse for the BMW.

Things were much closer in the Rolling Race. The two cars set off from 30 mph locked in second gear. The Toyota was quick to leap forward over the M3 with its AWD system. By the half-mile mark the BMW reeled it in and managed to get past the Toyota by the mile marker. The Toyota has a speed limiter at 143 mph as it has low gearing.

In the second rolling race, they set off from 50 mph in third gear. Again, the Toyota did manage to get ahead, but not for long. It was much closer this time around with the M3 getting past the Yaris at the mile marker.

The brake test challenge for these two was a no-brainer. The Yaris not only has modern brakes but they're also performance brakes. There's better traction as well with newer tires. It was no contest against the old M3. The M3 failed to beat the Yaris in two attempts. This is where the M3's age does start to show. Watch how the drag race unfold in the CarWow video below.