As part of the 2025 Cars.co.za Awards, the South African motoring publication has raced three compact bruisers over the quarter mile. Although the M2 Coupe may be disadvantaged from a dig, the rear-drive thriller offers the most powerful engine of the lot.
Said lot further comprises two German hatchbacks in the form of the Audi RS 3 Sportback and Mercedes-AMG A 45 S. Neither can be had in the United States of America, but on the other hand, prospective customers are presented with a choice between the RS 3 Sedan and CLA 45 S.
Equipped with very clever all-wheel-drive systems, both the Audi and Merc are crazy powerful. The RS 3 may sound better due to five cylinders arranged in a line, but Audi's 2.5-liter TFSI generates fewer ponies than the 2.0-liter turbo I4 of the Mercedes.
Because Cars.co.za is based in South Africa, we'll use metric units first: 294 and 310 kilowatts, with both making 500 Newton-meters of torque at full chatter. That's 395 and 416 horses, respectively, and 369 pound-feet of twist at their respective cranks.
As you might have already guessed by now, the RS 3 Sedan for America is that little bit punchier, with Audi claiming 401 horsepower. The S58 of the Bimmer is a hugely special engine as well, for it builds on the already impressive B58 of the M240i. A twin-turbo affair compared to single turbo for the regular-production B58, the S58 sixer makes 338 kilowatts and 550 Newton-meters or 453 horses and 406 pound-feet.
Photo: Cars.co.za on YouTube
Had it been the 2025 model, the M2 Coupe would have outputted an M4 Coupe-matching 473 horsepower and 443 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters). In stark contrast to the RS 3 and A 45 S, the Mexico-built coupe uses a ZF-supplied automatic transmission.
With BMW sandbagging the output numbers of six- and eight-cylinder mills like crazy, it's pretty certain this fellow develops a few more horsepower and pound-feet than officially advertised. BMW also shames other mainstream automakers with its launch control know-how, and this clearly shows at the start of each quarter-mile drag race.
In the first of two races, the RS 3 was that little quicker off the line due to quattro all-wheel drive. But moments later, the straight-six lump of that BMW made a world of difference all the way to the finish. The M2 Coupe won by a considerable margin, with the RS 3 and A 45 S following suit in second and third. Their roles reversed in the second race, with the M division's entry-level model crossing the line way ahead of the RS 3 Sportback.
Unfortunately, the folks behind the wheels did not provide any quarter-mile times. For reference, Car & Driver clocked 11.7 seconds at 122 miles per hour (196 kilometers per hour) in the 2023 BMW M2 Coupe with the auto, besting the RS 3 and CLA 45 S.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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