Internal combustion engine, hybrid or electric car? BMW M3 CS vs. AMG C63 S vs. Tesla Model 3

These three compact luxury sedans are all incredibly fast, but they achieve their speed in different ways.

Speed ​​and power are more important than ever in the automotive world. These three cars (Tesla, Mercedes, and BMW) prove that performance can come from a variety of sources. Two drag races give us insight into how these three sports sedans work.

First, let’s look at the numbers. The Tesla Model 3 Performance is the least powerful of the three, with just 510 horsepower (380 kilowatts). The BMW M3 CS follows closely behind, with its gas-powered twin-turbocharged inline-six producing 543 horsepower (404 kilowatts), and finally the Mercedes-AMG C63 S, with its hybrid four-cylinder producing 671 horsepower (500 kilowatts). On the other hand, the AMG also weighs about 860 pounds (390 kilograms) more than the BMW, and is heavier than the Tesla as well.

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All of these cars benefit from all-wheel drive, and all have launch control. From a standing start, they’re all capable of doing some pretty amazing things on their own. The Mercedes accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in three seconds and runs the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds. While that’s fast enough to keep up with the Dodge Demon 170, it ranks last in this group.

The Tesla got off to a quick start, accelerating to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. It continued to accelerate, finishing the race in just 11.0 seconds at 122 mph, but was still more than a car behind the BMW. The M3 CS was simply too good to lose in this race. It used launch control to fire up the turbochargers before the start, and then, when the hammer dropped, it stayed almost perfectly in its powerband thanks to the shorter gearing.

The result is a slightly quicker 0-60 time than the Tesla, with a quarter-mile time of just 10.9 seconds, but the race isn’t over yet. What happens when the three cars return to the starting line for a good old-fashioned stoplight drag race? In other words, what happens without launch control?

The results were starkly different. Just like the first time, the push-and-go Tesla pulled away. But the turbocharged cars that followed it struggled. The Mercedes, however, benefited from direct power to the rear axle and had more power to help it generate boost at low revs. The BMW didn’t have any of those advantages, and ended up far behind all three.

Only at the starting line did the M3 barely edge out the AMG, with both cars battling it out for second place. What does all this tell us? Whatever your style of performance sedan, there’s now a car for you.

Image credit: Hagerty