Welcome to the 2025 Cars.co.za Awards, and welcome to the first drag race video in a three-part series, filmed during the intensive testing of our 39 Awards finalists by 20 judges, in November 2024. In this video, we pit the new BMW M2 against the Mercedes-AMG A45 S and Audi RS3. What car will win? Watch the video!
In this classic battle of Germany vs Germany vs Germany, the hot-hatch poster cars of our generation go head-to-head on the drag strip, side by side.
The M2 may initially appear disadvantaged by its rear-wheel-drive layout versus the all-wheel-drive RS3 and A45 S AMG, however with significantly more power, if it can get off the line, you can never count it out.
With the least power of the three, the RS3 actually has the quickest 0-100 time of the group, while the A45 S arguably has the best launch control system.
We’re so excited to bring you this drag race and we hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.
Start the engines, let’s race!
