Borrowed from an Audi RS3, the turbocharged five-cylinder produces 420 hp, almost three times the car’s original horsepower. The extra power is immediately apparent as the Volkswagen Golf gets up to speed much faster. Before long, it’s cruising above 140 mph (230 kilometers per hour). 

Gallery: 2023 VW Golf GTI 40th Anniversary Edition

However, it’s not just the engine that’s changed. The timbre of the sound it makes is deeper, fuller, and more resonant. It’s also happier to rev. While the gauges suggest the stock motor redlined at just over 6,000 rpm, the turbo five-cylinder clicks off crisp shifts at 6,800 rpm. 

On the autobahn, the Golf GTI is the fastest car. Other vehicles pull to the right, letting it pass. Eventually, it hits 150 mph, showing 242 kph on the speedometer. The 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo motor seems like it has more to give. In the current Audi RS3 it produces 407 hp and offers a top speed of 186 mph, well into supercar territory.      

Whether or not the GTI can go faster could be a subject of debate. What is not up to debate is that the MK5 absolutely devours the autobahn, inhaling large chunks of it like a famished terrier. Compared to the modified MK1 Golf we saw make a sketchy autobahn run, it looks stable and unflappable. 

Volkswagen produced the MK5 Golf from 2005 to 2009. In the US, it was rebranded the Rabbit in an attempt to drum up more sales due to the name’s nostalgia factor. The original MK1 Golf was called the Rabbit in the US, and the GTI model kicked off the hot hatch craze. Thanks to its popularity, other automakers like Honda, Toyota, and Ford rushed hot versions of their compact economy cars to market to get a slice of the Rabbit pie. 

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For the record, the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime isn’t billed as a performance vehicle. However, it does have 220 horsepower on tap from its hybrid powertrain, consisting of a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder merged with a single electric motor. According to Toyota, that’s enough to send the Prius Prime to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. That’s a touch quicker than a Honda Civic Si, and just a couple of tenths away from a Volkswagen GTI – two cars that do identify with the performance genre.

Gallery: 2023 Toyota Prius Prime

The crew at Throttle House on YouTube didn’t choose those two models for this three-way race. Instead, the sleek Prius faces the latest Subaru WRX and turbocharged Mazda3. As a refresher, Mazda brings 250 hp to the party with its boosted 2.5-liter four-pot. The Subie is also turbocharged and delivers a bigger punch, 271 hp to be exact. Also, both cars grip the tarmac with all-wheel drive whereas the Prius turns the front wheels here. It’s also the heaviest of the trio by a small margin, no doubt due to its hybrid powertrain. In short, the Toyota has a steep hill to climb.

We see two races in the short video, one from a standstill and another from a roll. To no great surprise, the turbocharged all-wheel-drive competitors blitz the Prius at the launch. The Mazda3 and WRX are capable of 60-mph sprints under six seconds, and both pull to an early lead. Here’s where things get interesting, however. No, the Prius doesn’t reel them back in. But they don’t really pull away, either. Okay, the Mazda stretches things out a bit, but the gap to the WRX remains constant. It’s a loss, but not by much.

That leads to the roll race, where the launch isn’t as critical. Sorry Prius fans, but it’s still not potent enough to nab a victory here. Whether it’s the extra weight, Toyota’s CVT battling a cogged Mazda automatic and a manual Subaru, or a lower power rating, the Prius still finishes last. But the gap is even smaller, barely a car length across the line. This from a vehicle with snazzy looks and a combined fuel mileage rating of 48 MPG on the highway. Color us impressed.

We aren’t saying the Prius Prime is a sleeper sedan. But it’s far from the humdrum poster child of anti-fun that it used to be. And we aren’t the only ones who think so.

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The Audi RS3 Performance hides a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five engine under its blue hood. It makes 407 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 newton-meters) of torque, but the BMW M2 packs a larger twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine that produces 460 hp and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque.

Gallery: 2023 BMW M2: Review

The BMW might be more powerful, an excellent advantage, but it’s also heavier and has rear-wheel drive. The RS3 features all-wheel drive. The Audi also tips the scales at 3,558 pounds (1,614 kilograms) compared to the 3,831-lb (1,730-kg) coupe, making for a compelling matchup between the two performance cars.

The Audi capitalized on its advantages right from the start, getting an early lead off the line, but it was short-lived. The BMW’s extra power helped it catch up, taking the lead just before the pair crossed the finish line. The M2 won by about a car length, needing 21.5 seconds to complete the 3,280-foot (1000-meter, 0.62-mile) race. The Audi wasn’t far behind, completing the course in 21.6 seconds.

The M2 of the future might win by an even wider margin if the rumors are true that BMW will add all-wheel drive to the coupe. The xDrive system would also coincide with a boost in power for the variant, allegedly upping the coupe’s output to 520 hp, the same amount of horsepower expected in the M2 CS the company is developing. The M2 xDrive model isn’t expected to arrive until 2026, after the M2 CS launches.

The RS3 won’t be the same by the time the all-wheel-drive M2 could arrive. Audi is currently prepping a facelifted version of the performance model. Spy shots from a few months ago showed the hatchback hiding its mid-cycle styling changes under a partial camouflage wrap.

We don’t expect Audi to significantly upgrade the powertrain when it updates the car’s design.
While the Audi lost in this race, the sedan was Motor1.com Star Award’s 2022 Best Performance Vehicle winner. Sadly, the automaker doesn’t offer the five-door Sportback variant in crossover-loving America.

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As for David Coulthard, he got behind the wheel of the RB8 used by Red Bull Racing in the 2012 season when Vettel grabbed another title while the team was yet again first in the constructors’ championship. The Scottish driver is a former Red Bull driver himself, having raced for the team from 2005 through 2008 when he retired from F1 at the end of that season.

Those of you expecting to see a full lap of the Nürburgring at full throttle are in for a disappointment because the ex-F1 drivers didn’t push the cars to their maximum potential. In addition, we can see the Red Bull duo being escorted by a previous-generation BMW M4 Coupe serving as the safety car. Nevertheless, it’s a joy to watch the masters at work as they drive an F1 car on one of the most difficult circuits in the world. The soundtrack is a bonus since it reminds us of the V8 era that sadly ended after the 2013 season.

It should be mentioned that 36-year-old Sebastian Vettel recently told Sky News he is not completely ruling out an F1 comeback after his retirement at the end of the 2022 season. After all, if Lewis Hamilton (38 years old) and Fernando Alonso (42 years old) are still competitive in 2023, why shouldn’t the younger driver and winner of 53 F1 races return?

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The Model S Plaid has 1,020 horsepower on tap that can propel the family sedan to 60 miles per hour in around two seconds. It’s blisteringly quick, and the stripped-out version blasting down the famous highway has no trouble cracking the 200-mile-per-hour mark thanks to the new Track Package.

The sedan lacks its rear seats, which only helps its performance capability. The on-board data recorder clocked the car going from zero to 62 mph (100 kph) in 2.35 seconds, and it took the sedan just 9.33 seconds to run past the quarter-mile mark, which it completed at 151.15 mph (243.25 kph).

The Tesla sprinted from a standstill to 124 mph (200 kph) in just 6.41 seconds and needed another 8.89 seconds to go from 124 mph to 186 mph (300 kph). It would reach 203.8 mph (328 kph) in the video and take 14.64 seconds to pass the half-mile mark, cruising by the other cars on the Autobahn.

Data from a different Model S Plaid’s run earlier this year on the Autobahn returned slightly slower numbers. The car needed 2.56 seconds to reach 62 mph and 6.82 seconds to hit 124 mph. It was also slower through the quarter-mile with a 9.62-second time.

Those numbers are impressive, rear seats installed or not, and exemplify EVs’ biggest advantages. They are quick, often sacrificing top speed for raw power, but the Model S Plaid offers both so long as the battery has juice. EVs will continue to improve, becoming more efficient, affordable, and powerful.

Tesla recently made the Model S more accessible by cutting its price, a recurring theme with the company in 2023. The Dual-Motor All-Wheel-Drive version dropped from $88,490 to $74,990. The Plaid, with 1,020 horsepower and neck-snapping acceleration, decreased from $108,490 to $89,990, and you still get 396 miles of range. The base Model S can go 405 miles before a recharge.

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The M3 CS And M4 CSL pack the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter S58 inline-six engine. It produces 550 horsepower and 479 pound-feet (650 Newton-meters) of torque in the two cars and pairs with the brand’s eight-speed automatic transmission.

Gallery: 2024 BMW M3 CS

The two differ in the number of wheels they power. The M3 CS has BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, while the M4 CSL has rear-wheel drive. This gives the coupe one advantage over the sedan – weight. The M4 tips the scales at 3,582 pounds (1,625 kilograms), while the M3 weighs in at a chunkier 3,891 lbs (1,765 kg).

Sadly, the M4 couldn’t cash in on its weight advantage until the cars faced off in the rolling races, although it did have a little luck against the M3 in the first two drag races. That’s because the M3 raced in rear-wheel-drive mode, struggling to get off the line without launch control and giving the M4 two solid victories.

All of that disappeared in the last three drag races when the M3 raced with all four tires spinning. The sedan pulled away from the M4 right at every launch, needing just 11.1 seconds to complete the quarter-mile track. The M4 completed the race in 11.5 seconds.

BMW claims the M3 CS can sprint to 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds. While it takes the M4 CSL 3.6 seconds to reach the same speed, their top speeds differ. The automaker electronically limits the CSL to 191 mph and the CS to 188 mph.

The rolling races were the M4’s bread and butter. The lighter coupe pulled away in each run, finally utilizing its one advantage to secure three back-to-back victories. The M4 would ultimately lose to the M3 in the brake test, but not by much, with the two stopping at nearly the same distance.

BMW went to great lengths to lighten the M4 CSL, cutting 240 lbs from the vehicle using lightweight soundproofing, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, and a titanium rear silencer. It also eliminated the coupe’s rear seats. The M3 CS also underwent a diet, with the sedan dropping about 75 pounds.

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Powering the 918 Spyder is a hybrid powertrain. Porsche paired its 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine with two electric motors – one on each axle. The setup outputs 887 horsepower and 944 pound-feet (1,280 Newton-meters) of torque in total.

Gallery: 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S

The 911 Turbo S lining up against it has no electric assist, but it does have a mild tune from ES Motor. The twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six engine makes 650 hp and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque stock, but an assortment of upgrades like new intercoolers and a titanium exhaust kit increase the output. The tuned 911 makes 888 hp, one more than the 918, and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of twist.

The 911 is also lighter than the 918, weighing 3,615 pounds (1,640 kilograms). The hybrid tips the scales at 3,688 pounds (1,674 kilograms). Both have all-wheel drive, but different gearboxes separate the engine from the wheels, with the 918 featuring a seven-speed gearbox. The 911 has an eight-speed PDK.

The only race the Spyder won was the first one. It caught the 911 off guard, launching ahead of the Turbo S and crossing the finish line first. The 911 wouldn’t lose again, taking first in the next three drag races. It completed the quarter-mile race in 9.7 seconds, while it took the 918 9.9 seconds.

Things didn’t improve for the Porsche hybrid hypercar during the rolling races. The 911 flew past the half-mile marker in all four races ahead of its competitor. The 918 couldn’t even outperform the 911 in the brake test, losing by a bumper.

The 918 Spyder was a cutting-edge car a decade ago, with astronomical performance and an equally sky-high price tag. Today, a tuned 911 Turbo S can outperform it for a fraction of the price. The ES750 package from E

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“So part-way around, I was just thinking to myself, ‘how cool is this? I’m in a GTO at Goodwood,'” Chandhok told the Goodwood website. “Then coming out of Lavant onto the straight – I was in second and cruising – I heard a bang and the back wheels locked up. As I turned I saw flames, so I got right off the track safely, to minimize oil going down and get out of the way.”

The 250 GTO’s engine failed due to an unknown internal problem. The issue was large enough to blow a hole in the powerplant. The fireball came from the expelled oil hitting the hot exhaust pipes. The onboard fire extinguisher quelled the blaze. The owner says his crew is now investigating the cause.

Chandhok said the owner wasn’t upset about the incident and was happy the driver was safe. The plan is to put the 250 GTO back together and bring it back to future events at Goodwood.

The driver tweeted (above) a photograph showing his melted boot. The only significant damage appears to be to the toe.

Chandhok was taking part in a race called the Lavant Cup. It was specifically for Ferrari GT cars from 1960 to 1966. Sixteen cars took place in the event.

He raced in Formula One in 2010 and 2011. He was with HRT the first year and raced for Team Lotus the following season. 

Ferrari built just 36 original 250 GTOs with a 3.0-liter V12 engine plus three 330 GTOs with a 4.0-liter V12. The cars were technically road-legal but with a spartan cabin like cloth seats and no speedometer. The automaker meant for them to excel at racing. They found massive success at the track, including multiple GT-class competition wins from 1962 to 1964.

Today, the 250 GTO is among the most valuable cars in the world. An example brought $38.115 million at auction in 2014.

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The black hood, which doesn’t fully close, and the excessive number of stickers should be your first indication that this isn’t a Volkswagen with just a mild upgrade. The front-wheel-drive car has chunky Hoosier tires attached to a mysterious diesel powertrain that offsets the car’s balance.

The video shows the Golf driver peeling out for the pre-race tire warmup, slamming on the brakes. However, the VW doesn’t come to a gentle stop. The sticky Hoosier tires wrinkled like a Top Fuel dragster, sending the car’s lightweight rear end into the air as it performed an endo.

The car had so much momentum that its front bumper helped prevent it from toppling all the way over. The car’s front wheels also appeared to have left the track, but it was brief if it did happen. After the VW scraped its bumper, it crashed back down onto all four wheels before completing its run.

The peppy Golf, which spewed black smoke during its warmup from right behind the front tires, faced off against a blue Shorty bus. The Golf rocketed away from the starting line and had a 1.74-second 60-foot time. It crossed the finish line in 14.867 seconds and appeared to beat the bus. 

It’s unclear what kind of powertrain and upgrades the Golf has, but we know it was built by Waldek Cars in Dresden, Germany. The race took place at the Santa Pod Raceway in the UK during the VW Action Show, which ran from September 1-3 and is now in its 47th year.

The modded Golf and the VW Action Show captures the breadth of the automotive community. Seeing a 30-year-old Golf almost roll forward onto its roof is not something you see every day, and it wouldn’t be possible without dedicated enthusiasts behind the wheel and in the stands.  

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That’s the problem with owning a vehicle like the BMW M5 Competition. The 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 produces 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. It’s enough power to propel the 4,400-pound sedan to 60 miles per hour in 3.1 seconds and exceed 190 mph when given enough runway. And despite its weight, the M5 can dance. In 2019, the standard M5 turned in a seven-minute, 38.95-second lap time at the Nurburgring. The Competition version bested that time with a 7:35.90 lap. 

Gallery: 2021 BMW M5 Competition: Review

Runway or not, the driver of this BMW M5 wastes no time getting up to speed. The powerful sedan makes several passes above 170 mph and even touches 192 mph at one point. The M5 accelerates like a private jet, building momentum like it’s preparing to leave the ground. Every run begins with the muted growl of the forced induction V8 as the speedometer races and the scenery blurs.

Despite its mass, the F90 BMW M5 was heralded as the return of the king. Produced from 2017 to 2023, it’s regarded in some circles as the true heir to the E39 M5, which ended its reign in 2003. The E39 established the formula and set the bar for subsequent M5 sedans. The E60, with its screaming V10 engine, and the F10 that followed, were amazing cars. However, the F90 really confirmed that BMW was back on its game. Like the other M cars, the current M5 is an incredible machine capable of embarrassing more exotic-looking performance cars. 

Lately, there’s been a new BMW M5 testing at the Nurburgring. Expected to debut for the 2024 model year, the next version retains the V8 engine and adds hybrid power. Judging from what we’ve heard, the next M5 will be faster and more capable. But for now, we can enjoy the audacious performance of the current one. 

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