BMW M340i, AMG A45, And Alfa Stelvio Compete In Wagon, Hatch, SUV Duel

On the surface, drag racing may look like a very simple type of motorsport, but keen readers will know that there's more than meets the eye. Mat Watson from CarWow is no stranger to staging an entertaining straight-line sprint, but his latest video has a neat twist. Along with vastly different competitors – a wagon, hatchback, and SUV – the other two drivers are his mom Sally and girlfriend Jo.

As a bit of fun, and should we say a slight driving handicap, he allowed the racing newbies free reign on which car to choose for the competition; on offer was a BMW M340i wagon, Mercedes-AMG A45 hatchback, and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Sally went for the Alfa, Jo leaped for the AMG, and by process of elimination Mat ended up in the Bimmer.

Just like every CarWow video you've likely seen, a sound test is required before the first hit. The BMW began with a surprisingly hefty sound but was quickly relegated by the deep baritone exhaust note of the Alfa Romeo – Mat's mom comparing the Alfa's noise to Italian opera virtuoso, Pavarotti. In stark contrast, even with the AMG being the most potent package on the start-line, it doesn't make much of a racket when you put your foot down.

After a false start by the Stelvio, the next successful run proved to be very interesting. While the BMW and Mercedes beat the Alfa off the line, the big SUV pulled back a couple of car lengths but wasn't able to hold off the mighty Merc. Another hit revealed the same result with the hatchback taking another easy victory.

While we were convinced that a rolling race would produce a different result, we weren't so lucky; the AMG A45's featherweight combined with over 400 horsepower and a dual-clutch gearbox looks to be a force to be reckoned with in a straight line. However, there was a bit of a role reversal in the brake test where the Bimmer proved victorious.

Regardless, we think Mat Watson could be on to something here for a family fun activity.