Comparing Two Unique, Evenly-Matched Sports Cars
This edition of YouTube channel Sam CarLegion’s never-ending comparison of drag races puts BMW’s M2 against the soon-to-be-extinct favourite from America, the Chevrolet Camaro SS. Both are 2-door sporting coupes with unique methods of achieving velocity.
Sam observes that both cars have similar characteristics; however, deciphering which one may prevail in a raceface-off appears challenging on paper. Though, one indication of potential success might be the Camaro’s more lightweight construction and torque-edge.
On a sunny day, the YouTuber compares the sounds of two cars on a smooth pavement–the BMW M2 and the Camaro. The engine of the M2 produces a cleaner, substantial roar whereas the V8 of the Camaro issues a loud, untamed sound that evokes power and strength. And so, the races commence.
For the uninformed, a BMW and a Chevrolet might appear quite similar, however actually they are profoundly dissimilar.
The Chevrolet Camaro 1SS is equipped with a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 engine, which churns out 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. The power is then routed to the rear wheels through a reliable 6-speed gearbox.
In the second corner of this analogy lives the BMW M2, BMW’s most recent version of its concise M vehicle, a savage, hardcore motorcar that many compare with the renowned E46 BMW M3. Its three-liter twin turbo straight six delivers 453 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, though Sam assumes BMW underrates the power yielded by their cars. It will be a close race: though the Camaro has a top-notch Tremec gearbox, it is also around 100 lbs lighter than the BMW, yet the M2 will likely be rapid from the starting line and its turbocharged engine may assert more strength versus the natural aspirated Camaro.
Rolling races from speeds of 32 mph and 43 mph demonstrate that the Chevrolet Camaro and BMW M2 are both neck-and-neck from the get-go.
When the cars attain greater velocity, the M2 appears to acquire an advantage. Its motor accelerates constantly and is able to finish the quarter-mile before the Camaro.
Nonetheless, the disparity isn’t too vast. During one roll-race contest, the Camaro may prevail, hence indicating that driver aptitude and reaction rate can be deciding factors.
Drag races frequently demonstrate a uniform conclusion with a quarter-mile time of 12.6 seconds versus Chevy’s period of 12.9 seconds. What are three-hundredths of a second between comrades?
The 0-60 mph times of 3.9 and 4.1 seconds, respectively for the Chevy, implies that both vehicles appear to be level in the actual world at normal velocities. While Camaro users wouldn’t consider the BMW and vice versa, Sam has a number of musings on the M2 as well.
He highlights that the M2’s launch control is below average in quality, and its climate control and menus are complicated to use. Furthermore, he mentions that manipulating the gearbox on the M2 needs a certain expertise, while the Chevy Camaro 1SS is $20,000 less costly in the US than the BMW M2.
