Five cars line up at CarWow’s UK drag strip, engines revving, ready to go. The 2025 BMW M2, a compact monster, takes on the Volkswagen Golf R, Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, Audi RS 3 and Porsche Cayman GT4 RS.
First up, the BMW M2. This two-door coupe has a 3.0-liter inline-six with twin turbos, 473 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. With an eight-speed auto it does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, 4.1 with the six-speed manual. Weighs 3,813 pounds, the most of the bunch, and costs $68,000 in the US (or £69,000 in the UK, about $92,000). It’s a premium product and its weight could be a disadvantage but that power should give it some serious momentum once it gets going.
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Next, the Volkswagen Golf R. A hot hatch favourite, it has a 2.0-liter turbo four, 328 horsepower and 310 lb-ft to all four wheels. 3,412 pounds, it’s the lightest here and $47,000 in the US (£45,800 in the UK, about $60,826) is the cheapest of the group. No 0-60 time is given but with less power it relies on agility and all-wheel-drive grip to compete.
Then the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, with its 2.0-liter turbo four producing 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft, enough for a 0-60 in about four seconds. At $67,050 for the coupe in the US (£65,045 or $86,340 for the hatch in the UK), it’s close to the M2 in price but lighter, though weight isn’t given. All-wheel-drive and lots of power make it a formidable opponent.
The Audi RS 3, at $63,400, has a unique selling point with its 2.5-liter turbo five-cylinder engine, 394 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. Audi claims 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, one of the quickest off the line. All-wheel-drive and that engine note make it a reputation for speed and its weight, which should be competitive given its compact sedan body.
Last up the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS, $170,100 track-focused monster. Its 4.0-liter flat-six engine produces 493 horsepower and 331 lb-ft, 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, 11.3 seconds quarter-mile and 196 mph top speed. Weighing 3,119 pounds, it’s the lightest here, so it should have an edge in acceleration and agility.
As for the racing, we get to see three rounds, five cars, and one quarter-mile. In the first round, the Audi RS 3 launches hard, its all-wheel-drive system biting early. But the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS, with its lightweight body and screaming flat-six, powers past as the strip opens up and takes the win. The BMW M2 is second, its inline-six pulling hard despite the weight. The Audi is third, the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S is fourth and the Golf R is last, struggling to keep up with the others’ power.
