The new BMW M4 may be generating polarising comments regarding its design, but no one is against the performance of the Bavarian coupe. In stock form, it can hit 60 miles per hour (96 kilometres per hour) from a standstill in just 3.8 seconds, while its top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph (250 kph) without the M Driver’s package.

Of course, the German auto industry has at least a few very capable performance vehicles on the market, and among them is the Porsche 911. The eighth-generation of the iconic sports car is offered in a number of different versions with the base model in most markets being the 911 Carrera.

These two cars are starring in today’s drag race, which comes courtesy of CAR Magazine. This is an exciting opportunity to see two of the hottest and most desired sports cars today going head to head in a direct race. And, surprisingly, the rivalry has two winners.

On paper, the M4 Competition looks like a clear winner here. It has an advantage of 0.2 seconds when it comes to the 0-60 mph (0-96 kph) sprint despite its higher weight. That’s a natural result of the coupe’s more powerful 3.0-litre engine, which has 503 bhp (375 kilowatts) in Competition form versus the Carrera’s more modest output of 380 bhp (283 kW).

With these numbers put on the table, you are probably wondering how did the Porsche manage to take a win in the first race? We can’t make a deep analysis based solely on the video but it seems that the driver in the M4 Competition failed to make the best start during the first race. For the second run, he showed better reactions and the BMW took a comfortable win against its less powerful competitor from Stuttgart.

We’d absolutely love to see a race between the M4 Competition and a 911 Carrera S. Judging by the raw numbers, it is probably going to be much more intense.