It’s an epic showdown of internal combustion and hybrid electric supercars.
June 4, 2023 at 10:11 a.m. ET
What’s faster in a drag race between a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S e-hybrid, a BMW M5 Competition and a Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-hybrid? Is this a case of electric-assisted cars beating internal combustion? Or does the lone non-electric hybrid stand a chance?
BMW plans to launch a new 5 Series later this year, including a new M5 with a twin-turbo V8 and hybrid electric drivetrain, similar to the car Motor 1 tested at the Nurburgring last month. But the current M5 CS isn’t far behind, producing 627 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque from its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. It’s good for 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 190mph. With a quarter-mile time of 10.6 seconds, he has a fighting chance.
Looking at the competition, however, it will need all that power. Starting with the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S e-hybrid that produces 843 horsepower and 1,400 Newton meters of torque, the equivalent of 1,032 pound-feet, from a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. It hits 60 mph in 2.84 seconds, less time than it takes to say its name. We’ve seen it in drag action with an AMG EQS 53, and it wasn’t pretty for the electric-only EQS.
The final car in this three-way match is the Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-hybrid. Like the BMW M5, a new version of the Panamera was recently seen working on the Nurburgring. The current model uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor like the AMG GT. Unlike the Mercedes, it only produces 700 horsepower and 870 Newton meters or 641 pound-feet of torque. Still, it hits 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and runs the quarter mile in 11 seconds.
Although three cars race, it quickly becomes apparent that only two are in the game. The BMW M5 comes off the line fast, so much so that it looks like it jumped at the launch. But a second run produces similar results. The M5 is quicker to 60 mph than the other two cars, but after that, the AMG GT makes up for it with its extra power.
