Go to the gas station with a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series. Pop the door open and see what happens. That’s right. Every head turns to see what just happened. Has that door just sprung up?
Now what? Fill that tank, pay for the gasoline and drive off. Isn’t that what you do at the gas station? Well, not in this car. Every single person there, the cashier, the drivers and the occupants will ask questions about the car. It’s a gullwing Mercedes, so did you really think you could keep a low profile in that?
Do the same with a BMW M3 Competition. Of course, it gets plenty of attention. But is it just as much as with the SLS? Of course not.
Carwow put the two on the same starting grid. Mat Watson doesn’t compare looks, but performance. So if the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series gets all the attention at the gas station, which one will get it on the drag strip? It’s time for the BMW M3 Competition to keep the flag up for the new generation of high-performance cars. Will it be able to do it?
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series comes with the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine that delivers 631 PS (622 HP) and 635 Nm (468 lb-ft) of torque, steered to the rear axle. Its rival, the M3 Competition, features the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine with 510 PS (503 HP) and 60 Nm (479 lb-ft), also directed to the rear wheels. On paper, the Bavarian looks every inch a winner. But there is one more thing to consider: it’s 180 kilograms heavier than the SLS Black Series (1,550 kilograms for the Merc, 1,730 for the BMW).
“My door is better than your door!”, Mat Watson screams from behind the steering wheel of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series to the driver of the BMW M3 Competition, right before they set off for some donuts. And then the moment of truth comes. Which one is faster? Hit the play button to find out.
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