Epitomizing both luxury and sportiness in an arguably stylish package, the 2023 BMW 4 Series is a car for all seasons, coming in the form of a traditional 2-door coupe and convertible, as well as a 4-door gran coupe. The 4 Series luxury car offers twin-turbocharged 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine across its lineup, with output ranging from 255 to 382 hp.
With its V6 or V8 powertrain, standard rear-wheel drive setup, and quick-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, the 4 Series is quite quick on its feet. According to Kelley Blue Book, while the entry-level 430i Gran Coupe jets to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, the top-of-the-line M440i xDrive does the job in 4.3 seconds. But just how exactly would the new BMW 4 Series fare when pitted against the fastest Audis? Let’s find out.
10 2020 Audi RS4 Avant
0-60 MPH: 4.0 Seconds
If you love a sleeper car that packs a supercar-worthy amount of punch, you will love the 2020 Audi RS4 Avant at first sight. For 2020, the RS4 Avant wagon gets an aggressive facelift that makes Americans even sadder that it’s not available in the States.
Taking the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, Audi retains the Porsche-derived 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 for the 2020 RS4 Avant. This is the same 444-hp powerplant found in the RS5 and according to Zero To 60 Times, it helps the Audi wagon to cover 60 mph in 4.0 seconds—a 0.3-second gap from the 2023 4 Series M440i xDrive.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
4.0 seconds |
Top Speed |
155 mph |
Curb Weight |
3,847 lbs |
Horsepower |
444 hp |
Torque |
443 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
9 2008 Audi R8
0-60 MPH: 4.0 Seconds
At first glance, you will notice the 2008 R8 is radically different from any sporty Audi car. Even by today’s standards, the 15-year-old supercar still looks good, and it’s perfect for everyday commute and track use.
The R8 is Audi’s first mid-engined car, and it’s powered by a 4.2-liter direct-injection V8 that pours out 420 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. Zero To 60 Times claims the 2008 R8 accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and tops out at 187 mph.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
4.0 seconds |
Top Speed |
187 mph |
Curb Weight |
3,615 lbs |
Horsepower |
420 hp |
Torque |
317 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
8 2013 Audi RS5
0-60 MPH: 3.9 Seconds
Built on the backbones of the Audi A5 and S5, the RS5 is more powerful, faster, rarer, and more track-ready. Just like the 2023 BMW 4 Series, the 2013 RS5 is available in the form of a coupe and convertible.
A peek under the hood shows the RS5 is not as friendly as it presents itself. According to Zero To 60 Times, the RS5’s 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 returns a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds, while the 4 Series M440i xDrive can only hit 4.3 seconds.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
3.9 seconds |
Top Speed |
174 mph |
Curb Weight |
4,009 lbs |
Horsepower |
450 hp |
Torque |
317 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
7 2016 Audi S7
0-60 MPH: 3.9 Seconds
The S7 is Audi’s attempt at making the A7 more powerful and quicker. But power and speed are not all there are to the 2016 S7, as it is almost as livable as the 2023 4 Series 430i xDrive Gran Coupe and quite thrifty on fuel on the highway, even though it is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8.
This is the same engine found in the Audi S6 and RS7, and it cranks out 450 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The V8 joins forces with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic to launch the German sports sedan to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, according to Zero To 60 Times. That means the new BMW 4 Series M440i xDrive will need a 0.4-second headstart to catch up with the S7.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
3.9 seconds |
Top Speed |
155 mph |
Curb Weight |
4,564 lbs |
Horsepower |
450 hp |
Torque |
406 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
6 2020 Audi S8
0-60 MPH: 3.8 Seconds
As one of the few models developed by Audi Sport, the German automaker’s performance division that’s responsible for all the range-topping RS models, the 2020 S8 is a special sports sedan. It would excite performance and comfort enthusiasts that Audi’s performance engineers didn’t compromise on comfort in a bid to raise horsepower and speed.
Since the S8 targets those with little or no interest in performance numbers, they’d probably never know the German sedan houses a potent twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Even though it looks innocent in the eyes of a performance freak, with no extra vents or ducts, the S8 can pull a few surprises on the track, as the German manufacturer claims a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds—a 0.5-second advantage over the 4 Series M440i xDrive.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
3.8 seconds |
Top Speed |
155 mph |
Curb Weight |
5,302 lbs |
Horsepower |
563 hp |
Torque |
590 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
5 2020 Audi SQ7 Premium Plus
0-60 MPH: 3.6 Seconds
The 2020 Audi SQ7 is Audi’s attempt at satisfying the hunger for power and need for speed of customers that the Q7 couldn’t meet. With a seating capacity of seven, the SQ7 is Audi’s largest high-performance SUV—giving the best of both worlds.
For a three-row SUV that weighs 5,291 pounds, it’s almost unbelievable that the SQ7 sprints from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. That’s a 0.7-second margin over the fastest Audi 4 Series. As if that’s not crazy enough, Zero To 60 Times goes further to claim that the SQ7 whips through the quarter-mile in 12.1 seconds.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
3.6 seconds |
Top Speed |
155 mph |
Curb Weight |
5,291 lbs |
Horsepower |
568 hp |
Torque |
568 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
4 2020 Audi SQ8
0-60 MPH: 3.6 Seconds
The 2020 Audi SQ8 is not exactly show-offy and the only outward signs that tell you this is a Lamborghini Urus in disguise is the set of oval tailpipes and 21-inch alloy wheels.
Built on Volkswagen’s MLB Evo platform, the SQ8 is powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. According to Zero To 60 Times, this engine teleports the 5,004-pound large luxury SUV to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds—a 0.7-second margin over the 4 Series M440i xDrive.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
3.6 seconds |
Top Speed |
130 mph |
Curb Weight |
5,004 lbs |
Horsepower |
500 hp |
Torque |
568 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
3 2018 Audi TT RS
0-60 MPH: 3.3 Seconds
Marketed as the baby brother to the Audi R8, the 2018 TT RS delivers supercar-worthy performance. However, Audi sports car purists might be happy to know that, unlike the 4 Series, the TT RS lacks a rear-wheel drive configuration and manual transmission.
Audi stuffed a 400-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 under the hood of the TT RS. With this engine, the TT RS obliterates the 60 mph barrier in 3.3 seconds, according to Zero To 60 Times. That’s a whole one second before the fastest 4 Series model.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
3.3 seconds |
Top Speed |
155 mph |
Curb Weight |
3,174 lbs |
Horsepower |
400 hp |
Torque |
354 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
2 2021 Audi RS6 Avant
0-60 MPH: 3.1 Seconds
With its gloss-black grille, roof spoiler, flared wheel arches, and 21-inch wheels, performance enthusiasts can tell the 2021 Audi RS6 Avant is no ordinary wagon. In fact, the Audi RS6 Avant is one of the coolest super-wagons in 2021.
Working with a 591-hp 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, a paddle-shifted automatic transmission, and Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system, the RS6 Avant zooms to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, per Zero To 60 Times. That means the 2023 BMW 4 Series M440i xDrive will need about 1.2 seconds to catch up with the 4,960-pound wagon.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
3.1 seconds |
Top Speed |
174 mph |
Curb Weight |
4,960 lbs |
Horsepower |
591 hp |
Torque |
590 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
1 2021 Audi RS7
0-60 MPH: 3.0 Seconds
After a two-year hiatus in the States, the Audi RS7 returns for the 2021 model year with a whole new level of performance, cabin tech, and sharp looks.
The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 is the most exciting part about the RS7. Its output is similar to that of the RS6 Avant station wagon, but the RS7 has the edge when it comes to straight-line acceleration. Zero To 60 Times claims this sportback eclipses supercars with a 0-60 mph of 3.0 seconds and top speed of 190 mph.
Performance
0-60 MPH |
3.0 seconds |
Top Speed |
190 mph |
Curb Weight |
4,938 lbs |
Horsepower |
591 hp |
Torque |
590 lb-ft |
Layout |
Front engine, all-wheel drive |
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