In a veritable clash of the titans, the BMW XM met the Porsche Cayenne at a drag strip. It’s one of the first occasions to see the dedicated M model in a quarter-mile duel. It’s not just any XM but the Label Red version aka the brand’s most powerful production vehicle. As if 738 horsepower wasn’t enough, this speedy SUV has been tuned to over 800 hp.
In the other corner, the Cayenne is not an ordinary version either. We’re dealing with the Coupe Turbo GT and it too has had its V8 engine massaged for extra power. It now makes just over 700 hp, and while it’s considerably less than the colossus from BMW M, Zuffenhausen’s SUV is a lot lighter. The Porsche tips the scales at 2,328 kilograms (5,132 pounds), making it roughly 400 kg (882 lbs) lighter than its opponent from Munich.
These drag races are a good reminder that power isn’t everything since other factors matter, with weight being a major differentiator. The XM Label Red was slow off the line due to the driver’s poor reaction, allowing the Cayenne Turbo GT to gain a substantial advantage right away. The Porsche won the first duel without breaking a sweat.
The second fight was much closer but the outcome was the same as the Cayenne won yet again. The XM tried to get its revenge in the third battle but to no avail, as it lost in the epilogue as well. BMW’s flagship SUV posted its best quarter-mile time in the third race with 11.263 seconds whereas the Porsche’s best run was in the second duel, at 11.168 seconds.
Although the Cayenne Turbo GT was the undisputed winner that day, the XM Label Red did have higher trap speeds: 124.76 mph vs 122.18 mph in the second drag race and 125.15 mph vs 121.04 mph in the third fight. This tells us the two SUVs would’ve been neck and neck in a half-mile race where the BMW’s higher speed would have allowed it to catch up.
Despite being large and heavy SUVs, the two German luxobarges can do the quarter mile in the low 11-second range. It’s an impressive feat but that huge heft will be felt in a corner where a smaller and lighter car such as an M2 or a Cayman will shine.
Source: DragTimes / YouTube