We’ve seen the BMW M340i hold its own in drag races against cars from a superior segment but how does the sports sedan fare against a bike? Autocar India decided to answer this question by pitting the M Performance 3er against a Triumph Trident 660. It’s an affordable bike powered by a three-cylinder engine making just 81 hp and 64 Nm (47 lb-ft) of torque.
While those output figures are not particularly impressive for some used to high-powered cars, it’s all about the power-to-weight ratio. The bike tips the scales at just 189 kilograms (417 pounds) whereas the M340i xDrive is nearly 10 times heavier. Yes, the sedan’s inline-six with twin turbos and a 3.0-liter displacement makes a healthy 387 hp and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft), but the bike still has twice the horsepower per ton. (428 hp vs 214 hp).
Despite a less-than-ideal start in the first drag race, the rider not only managed to catch up but overtook the sporty 3 Series and crossed the finish line first. It’s important to point out that the M340i not only has all-wheel drive but also a launch control system, so it rockets off the line by efficiently putting its power on the road. These features weren’t enough to beat the bike as the Triumph Trident 660 completed the quarter mile in 12.4 seconds at a trap speed of 165 km/h (103 mph) whereas the BMW needed 13.3 seconds at 161 km/h (100 mph).
The gap between the car and bike was even bigger in the subsequent drag race thanks to a vastly improved start for the rider. The two-wheeled machine improved its quarter-mile performance by finishing in 12.1 seconds at 106 mph (170 km/h) while the M340i took 13.3 seconds at a trap speed of 160 km/h (100 mph), thus virtually matching the performance in the previous run.
The M3 CS would have a better shot at going up against the Triumph Trident 600 courtesy of its extra power and lower curb weight. However, we’d reckon the bike would still take the win.
Source: Autocar India / YouTube