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WATCH | Drag race - 600kW BMW M5 vs Ferrari 488 Pista

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BMW M5 vs Ferrari 488 Pista. Image: Youtube
BMW M5 vs Ferrari 488 Pista. Image: Youtube

• This latest drag race pits a modified BMW M5 against a standard Ferrari 488 Pista. 

• The M5 has been fitted with a new downpipe and air intake, and engine remapping to the ECU.

• The 488 Pista has 530kW and 770Nm from its 3.9-litre twin turbo V8 engine. 

Could a BMW beat a Ferrari in a drag race? Well that entirely depends on which models are lining up against each other. For this exercise the folk at CarWow have a 600kW M5 versus a standard Ferrari 488 Pista.  

BMW M5 by Evolve 

This is no ordinary M5 Competition. The folks at Evolve Automotive in the United Kingdom have fitted it with a new downpipe and air intake.

They have also remapped the engine control unit to deliver 600kW from its 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 engine, an increase of 140kW. The claimed torque figure is rated at 950Nm, 200Nm more than in standard guise. 

The M5 puts all that power down on the road via four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and it tips the scales at 1940 kilograms.

Ferrari 488 Pista

The Pista is the hardcore version of the 488 and is the successor to the Prancing Horse's V8-engined special series models, such as the 360 Challenge Stradale, 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale. 

It too is powered by a V8 engine with twin turbos but has a 3.9-litre engine compared to the BMW's 4.4-litre engine. Its peak power is 530kW and 770Nm, that translates into 136kW per litre.

It sends its power to the rear-wheels only via a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. Both cars have launch control systems to aid getting off the line without spinning the wheels too much. When it comes to weight, in comparison to the M5 , the Pista weighs 1390kg. 

The Pista has a top speed of 340km/h and a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.85 seconds. 

So, we know the Italian is like an espresso compared to the bulk of the Eisbein of the M5. But can M5's extra power see it give the Ferrari a challenge in this remarkable drag race? Check out the video below to find out.  

Carwow says: "No, your eyes don’t deceive you - this week we have a BMW M5 Competition going up against a 488 Pista!"

"Sounds a bit unfair, right? Well, things might not be as they seem, as the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 in the M5 has been tuned by Evolve! As a result, it can now put down an incredible 600kW and 950Nm!! In comparison, the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 in the Ferrari can kick out 536kW and 770Nm of torque, so these two cars are suddenly very closely matched!"

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