Casual YouTube roll-race/review pitting a 2021 BMW 228i xDrive against a modified Abarth 124 Spider (Euro Compulsion phase two tune) across half-mile drag passes. The host (Sam) frames it as a lighthearted comparison of a heavier, quasi-sporty BMW subcompact sedan versus a much lighter, turbocharged Abarth roadster. Key vehicle facts given in the clip: the BMW is a 2021 228i xDrive with a 2.0L turbo inline-four rated at 228 bhp and 258 lb·ft torque, an 8-speed automatic, AWD, and a price just over US$40,000; the Abarth 124 Spider is tuned to about 220 crank horsepower, uses a 6-speed automatic, and is over 1,000 lb lighter than the BMW. The video format: two rolling starts and one dig; best two-of-three on a half-mile runway. Result: the BMW pulled away in the top end, trapping just over 120 mph in the half mile (~5 mph faster than the Abarth), and won the roll race overall.
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Sam. So today we've got another mundane Monday episode, but this time around it's a head to head. How exciting. But the first time we did one of these boring car, sorry, should say slow car because cars have feelings too. Slow car episodes is with a 2021 BMW 228i. And let me tell you, it's probably one of the slowest cars I've ever driven, with the exception of maybe my wife's Mazda CX3. But then that got me thinking. How does it stack up against the second slowest car in our collection, which is the Tundra Bars 124? Well, from a handling aspect, it's absolutely no comparison. The 124 is basically a turbo Miata on steroids. It'll take corners at the speed of light and then rip your face off with the amount of G forces it can pull. So we don't even need to think about that part. But what about a straight line drag race to say maybe a half mile? A little weird, I know, but I just kind of want to see how our slower sports car does against a modern budget BMW. Let's take a look. Well, we'll start with the 2021 BMW 228i xDrive. It's pretty much one of the cheapest cars you can spec from BMW. But cheap is a subjective term because even in this trim it's still a little over US$40,000. And frankly, to paraphrase what I said in my full review, that's too much money for a too little car. But because it's a BMW, it's quasi sporty and has a little bit of the brand's performance heritage baked into it. What that means is that it doesn't handle too terribly for being a subcompact sedan that weighs over 3,500 pounds. To move all that weight, it's powered by a 2 liter turbocharged inline four that makes a coincidental 228 brake horsepower and 258 pounds of torque, which is then channeled through an 8 speed automatic gearbox and put to the pavement via all wheel drive. But you know what, this car here also has about the same power levels because this Abarth 124 Spider has the phase two tune from Euro Compulsion as well as a bunch of supporting mods to bring it all up to about 220 crank horsepower. Sadly, even though we have the weight advantage of being over £1,000 lighter, this car is plagued by less than ideal gearing in the six speed auto. And though it looks sportier, it has more potential drag because of the roadster design. I'm not making excuses though. I still think I've got a pretty good shot at this, but just putting it out there in the event that I somehow get walked. Regardless, it's gonna be a pretty fun time. So like always, we're gonna take them down our airport Runway for some full half mile passes. It'll be our usual two rolls and a dig. Best out of three wins. You know the drill. Let's get this party. It's it's. Come on baby. Come on baby. Well, I was hoping for it to be a little closer than that since our 40 to 100 times in the fastless are similar, but hey, the numbers don't lie. The BMW pulled away in the top end because, well, it could trap over a buck twenty and a half mile, which is about five miles per hour faster than our Fiat. And looks like getting the jump from a dig barely saved me since the 228 was definitely reeling me in pretty hard towards the end. Overall, still a fun little drag race. Maybe we should have put them around the handling course. Maybe I'll do that next time. But don't take all this too seriously. We usually do much faster cars than this on the channel, so I thought it'd be fun to do something slow and weird for once. I mean, I'll probably do stuff like this more often in the future, and frankly, I really don't care that these cars have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Sometimes you just want to be goofy and race stuff for no reason. What's wrong with that? Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this Monday episode and as always, I'll catch you all on the next one. I hope you guys enjoyed this video as much as I did making it. If so, it'd be awesome if you can hit that like button and share the video with your friends. I can't cover everything I want to in the short amount of time that I have, so if I missed something, let me know in the comments below. As you probably know, it's mainly just me and my wife doing this channel in our spare time, so if you want to show your support, I'd really appreciate it if you took a look at our merch store or maybe bought something through our Amazon affiliate links in the description below. And if this is your first time here, don't forget to check out some more videos on the channel. If you I produce all sorts of cinematic car content, so if you like what you see, smash that subscribe button for new episodes whenever they come out. Thanks for watching.
