These three cars could not be more similar. It looks like they were built in the same country as the BMW M135 is now front-wheel drive based, so it competes more directly with its Audi S3 Sportback and Mercedes-AMG A35. Because of that, their recipes are all the same. In this new video from Carvo, you can see all three cars going upside down in successive drag races and braking tests.

All three cars fit well on paper. All of these are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces about 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, giving or take a few ponies and lb-ft. They all have automatic gearboxes, however BMW uses a torque-converter auto, while the other two have dual clutches, all with Haldex-based all-wheel drive systems. Hell, these all weigh only 1,500 kilograms. So the differences in performance come down to calibration and tuning, really. So which is better?

Well, if you want to go faster, the Audi S3 Sportback is the best. All three drag races won it easily; Standing race and rolling race. However, how Audi won those races is actually more interesting. All three cars have similarities on paper as they have their own strengths and weaknesses but they react very differently in the real world so you should watch the video to see for yourself.

This video does not go into any subjective driving tests, so it will not tell you which car is better to drive on the winding road, which is more comfortable or has better technology. Instead, it’s just a video showing objective and repetitive performance. So if you have a hot-hatch concern straight-line speed, that’s the Audi S3 Sportback you want.