Video: S1000RR vs M3

Place your bets now. Here we have yet another take on the classic Car vs. Bike race. Fans of Top Gear have undoubtedly seen these types of comparisons before, and when you stop to think about it, you can figure out pretty quickly that the outcome is much more likely to be determined by the track and pilots than it is by the actual machines.

Sport Rider actually ran a M3 vs S1000RR race at Streets of Willow back in August of 2010 with similar results. Both the bike and the car were piloted by Source Interlink employees, and the bike's lap time was a hair over six and a half seconds faster than the M3. Fans of Top Gear may remember the R1 vs 911 Carrera 4 race. Unlike Sport Rider, Top Gear hired 3 time BSB champion Neil Mckenzie and 2001 BTTC champion Jason Plato. They had a much closer race, and in the end, the car won it by a hair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUAfXnmjyz0

BMW's new video puts a new spin on the bike vs. car challenge. The machines have been slightly modified and rather than starting at the same time, or running solo and comparing times, they start from opposite sides of the track and run until one catches the other on the damp track. Of course the only thing proven in any of these races is what happened on that particular day. The fundamental differences between cars in bikes make it an apples to oranges comparison. Bikes accelerate brutally fast, but cars often have higher top speeds. Bikes work great in some corners, but in others, a car will walk right past them. Still, it makes for an entertaining watch. I hope go-fast enthusiasts keep trying to prove once and for all which is faster.