BMW X3 M Competition Drag Races Jaguar F-Pace SVR

High-performance SUVs are now a big thing in the automotive industry. What was started by some of the German automakers is now a trend that includes nearly every premium or exotic manufacturer on the planet - including Britain's Jaguar, a relatively new player on the SUV market in general. Can its F-Pace SVR beast conquer an established performance SUV maker like BMW? Let's find out.

In the sport utility vehicle world, the Bavarian company is mostly known for its X5 M performance model but it now also has the smaller X3 M on sale. It's a pretty capable machine thanks to a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six gasoline engine, good for 503 horsepower (375 kilowatts) and 442 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque in Competition guise. That's a solid output that should allow the SUV to effectively battle V8 models.

But is there anything better for a performance high-riding machine than a V8? Ask Jaguar and they'll tell you nothing can beat a supercharged 5.0-liter V8. But then, BMW won't easily agree and what better way to find out which car is faster than a direct drag race?

That's what the folks over at CAR Magazine SA did on their YouTube channel. During their annual Performance Shootout, our colleagues put the two machines against each on the drag strip, and the final result could probably surprise some of you.

Of course, we are not going to spoil the winner and will just inform you about the ¼-mile times. The first to cross the finish line did an impressive 12.53 seconds, while the slower of the two SUVs was behind at 12.70 seconds. Pretty close, right?