BMW X3 M Competition G01 vs Porsche Panamera S 970.1: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Bmw X3 M Competition hits 100 km/h in 4.13 s versus 5.16 s for the Panamera S. At this point, the Bmw X3 M Competition leads by 1.03 s and sits roughly 13 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Bmw X3 M Competition is doing 151 km/h against 140 km/h for the Panamera S. The gap is 0.83 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Bmw X3 M Competition crosses the line in 12.22 s versus 13.31 s. The 1.09 s gap represents roughly 52 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the Bmw X3 M Competition continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 207 km/h versus 197 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Bmw X3 M Competition finishes in 22.37 s versus 23.98 s, with a 1.61 s lead. Despite a higher top speed (277 km/h), the Panamera S never recovers its launch deficit.

The Bmw X3 M Competition features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the Panamera S’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the Bmw X3 M Competition is capped at 250 (i.e. 155 mph - industry threshold) km/h, the Panamera S at 283 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 (3.91 kg/hp vs 4.43 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 7.71 seconds. The 1.03 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.