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Home›Duel›Audi S3 vs BMW 118d

Performance comparison

Audi S3 Sedan vs BMW 118d xDrive F20LCI: which is truly faster?

Simulated drag race 0 → 1,000 m in real time. Synchronised speed counters and stopwatch. Physics calibration on 7 manufacturer measurements.

AudiPetrolFaster

S3 Sedan

333 hp · 420 Nm · 1,535 kg · 2026

VS
BMWDiesel

118d xDrive F20LCI

150 hp · 320 Nm · 1,470 kg · 2018

MotorwayRange & chargingPerformance0-100, top speedConsumptionAnnual TCO

Parameters and assumptions

Simulation

Start
Standing, straight line
Surface
Dry asphalt, 23°C
Wind
None
Driver
1 person, 75 kg

Calibration

Splits
0–100, 0–200 manufacturer
Power curve
Real measurement (Caralogy)
VMax
Manufacturer limited
Transmission
Losses integrated in model

Physics model calibrated on manufacturer splits. The limited top speed is not the real aerodynamic top speed of the vehicles.

S3 Sedan118d xDrive F20LCI
0–100 km/h4,63 s−3,99 s8,62 s
400 m standing start13,08 s−3,21 s16,29 s
1,000 m standing start23,69 s−6,18 s29,87 s
Top speed (electronically limited)250 km/h+40 km/h210 km/h
Power-to-weight ratio4,61 kg/hpbetter ratio9,80 kg/hp

Watch the race

Standing-start drag race, calibrated on manufacturer splits. The gap shows at each stage.

AudiPetrolS3 Sedan
Speed
0km/h
Timer
0,00s
Distance
0m
BMWDiesel118d xDrive F20LCI
Speed
0km/h
Timer
0,00s
Distance
0m
100 m
200 m
300 m
400 m
500 m
600 m
700 m
800 m
900 m
1000 m
0m → 1000m
Gap0m

Stage-by-stage comparison

Simulated performance at each stage. Winner in green.

PalierS3 Sedan118d xDrive F20LCI
0–30 km/h1,20 s1,80 s
0–50 km/h2,00 s3,05 s
0–80 km/h3,37 s5,89 s
0–100 km/h4,63 s8,62 s
0–120 km/h6,64 s12,06 s
0–160 km/h10,96 s23,03 s
0–200 km/h17,37 s52,90 s
400 m standing start13,08 s16,29 s
1,000 m standing start23,69 s29,87 s
Top speed limited250 km/h210 km/h

Under the bonnet

Manufacturer technical specifications. The power-to-weight ratio is the key physical factor in a drag race.

Audi

S3 Sedan

4,61kg/hpratio better by 5,19 kg/hp
CharacteristicValueDetail
Power333 hpPending
Torque420 Nm
Weight1 535 kgmanufacturer kerb weight
DrivetrainIntegrale (AWD)
Gearbox7-speed S tronic
BMW

118d xDrive F20LCI

9,80kg/hpcompensated by −65 kg
CharacteristicValueDetail
Power150 hp4 cyl
Torque320 Nm
Weight1 470 kgmanufacturer kerb weight
DrivetrainIntegrale (AWD)
Gearbox6-speed manual

The start: 0 to 100 km/h

Off the line, the S3 Sedan hits 100 km/h in 4.63 s versus 8.62 s for the Bmw 118d xDrive. At this point, the S3 Sedan leads by 3.99 s and sits roughly 23 m ahead.

From 100 km/h to 400 metres

At 200 metres, the S3 Sedan is doing 138 km/h against 112 km/h for the Bmw 118d xDrive. The gap is 2.05 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the S3 Sedan crosses the line in 13.08 s versus 16.28 s. The 3.21 s gap represents roughly 117 m of track — a gap visible to the naked eye.

Beyond 400 metres: top speed comes into play

Past 400 metres, the S3 Sedan continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 198 km/h versus 155 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the S3 Sedan finishes in 23.69 s versus 29.87 s, with a 6.18 s lead.

What the numbers don’t tell you

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the S3 Sedan is capped at 250 (i.e. 155 mph — industry threshold) km/h, the Bmw 118d xDrive at 210 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit — it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (4.61 kg/hp vs 9.80 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Manual).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 14.20 seconds. The 3.99 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.

Compare with other alternatives

Swap one of the two models to explore an equivalent duel in the same segment.

Instead of S3 Sedan
Bmw M140i xDriveBmw M140iBmw M135i xDrive
Instead of 118d xDrive F20LCI
Audi A1 Sportback 35 TFSI S tronic 110 kWAudi A3 Sportback TFSI 110 kWAudi A3 Sportback

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Frequently asked questions

Sur 0–100 km/h, S3 Sedan gagne (4,63 s vs 8,62 s).

S3 Sedan passe de 0 à 100 km/h en 4,63 secondes (simulation calibrée).

S3 Sedan : 333 hp, ratio 4,61 kg/hp. 118d xDrive F20LCI : 150 hp, ratio 9,80 kg/hp.

S3 Sedan : 250 km/h. 118d xDrive F20LCI : 210 km/h.