V12 Versus V4: Bmw M760li Duels Ducati Panigale V4 In Drag Race

6 years, 7 months ago - 22 March 2018, motor1

The outcome is pretty obvious, but getting there is still interesting to watch.

Who said a drag race has to be organized between two similar cars from the same segment? It certainly wasn't Carwow. After pitting the BMW M760Li against the humble Skoda Superb 280, the British folks are at it again. The Bavarian luxobarge is back, but this time around its competitor doesn't have the same number of wheels. Yes, it's a motorcycle, and not just any motorcycle as it's Ducati's hardcore Panigale V4 S.

The M760Li may have three times the number of cylinders, but it also has to carry around more than two tons compared to the ultra-lightweight Panigale V4. Indeed, the fullsize BMW sedan we had the pleasure of reviewing a year ago tipped the scales at exactly 5,128 pounds (2,326 kilograms) whereas Ducati's first mass-produced four-cylinder motorcycle weighs 436 lbs (198 kg) with all the necessary fluids in it.

Of course the M760Li did not stand a chance in a drag race with the Panigale V4 S, but nevertheless we are amazed by the fact that for a brief moment at the start of the race, the BMW actually managed to pull ahead. That being said, the bike's launch was far from being perfect.

The luxobarge needed 3.7 seconds to complete the sprint from a standstill to 60 mph (96 kph) whereas the motorcycle completed the same task half a second sooner. The flagship 7 Series ran the quarter mile in 11.3 seconds or 1.2s more than the Ducati.

So there you have it, the Ducati Panigale V4 S is quicker than the M760Li. The former has a 1.1-liter V4 engine with 214 horsepower (158 kilowatts) on tap at 13,000 rpm and a peak torque of 124 Newton-meters (92 pound-feet) reached at 10,000 rpm. It's worth mentioning Ducati has an even more powerful version in the form of the limited-run Panigale V4 Speciale with a titanium Akrapovic exhaust. To refresh your memory, BMW's luxed-up missile has a whopping 601 hp (448 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) from its biturbo 6.6-liter V12, which might be retired from the Euro-spec M760i/M760Li in 2019 because of the more stringent emissions regulations.