High-powered luxury cars have only gotten more potent in recent years, nipping at the tailpipes of supercars in terms of output and performance. Mercedes and Audi are two that cram massive amounts of horsepower and torque into some of their most mainstream offerings, creating beasts like the Audi RS6 Avant and Mercedes-AMG E63 S. Both are high on horsepower, and the CAR Buyers Guide YouTube channel drag raced them to see which was quicker.

The Audi is at a disadvantage right off the bat. It’s not only about 200 kilograms (440 pounds) heavier than the Mercedes, but it’s also down on power. Its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 produces 591 bhp (441 kilowatts) and 800 Newton-metres (590 pound-feet) of torque. The Mercedes makes 603 bhp (450 kW) and 850 Nm (626 lb-ft) from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Both send the power to all four wheels; however, the Mercedes’ extra power isn’t immediately noticeable in the race.

Gallery: 2021 Audi RS6 Avant: Review

The Audi gets the better start off the line, but there is a noticeable tire squeal as both cars fight to find enough traction. The Audi’s better start earns it a slight lead over the Mercedes, but it’s short-lived. The more powerful Mercedes slowly closes the gap between them before taking the lead just ahead of the finish line. The Mercedes crosses it first, beating the Audi by about half a car length. The Audi just couldn’t keep the Mercedes in its rear-view mirror.

On one run, the Mercedes clocked a 3.9-second sprint from zero to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometres per hour), which is stunningly quick for the four-door luxury beast and on par with what the Audi delivers. That’s not slow by any measure and is evidence of how far performance cars have come. There’s no shortage of aftermarket tunes and upgrades available that would make both even quicker through the quarter-mile.