Video: I Took On The Former Stig In A BMW 540i, And Boy Was I Embarrassed! TFL Leaderboard

How much faster is BMW's iconic sports sedan in the hands of a pro over an amateur?

Video: I Took On The Former Stig In A BMW 540i, & Boy Was I Embarrassed! TFL Leaderboard
BMW’s 540i sits above the entry-level four-cylinder model, but isn’t as hardcore as the ‘M’ performance models. (Photo: BMW)

Fighting the Former Stig in a BMW 540i on the track proves to be an ego-shattering experience.

Paul, TFL’s professional racing driver is also a former Stig on U.S. Top Gear and we turned him loose driving a 2021 BMW 540i. On top of that, we wanted to see what would happen if we pitted him against a mere mortal. Tommy is young (shaving is not yet required), but he’s had some experience on various tracks. Simply put, he’s not a total and complete novice.

Video: I Took On The Former Stig In A BMW 540i, & Boy Was I Embarrassed! TFL Leaderboard

The point here was to test a supremely good track vehicle, with two completely different drivers. What would it look like on camera, and how would Tommy’s ego handle being demolished by Paul? More importantly, how would the 2021 BMW 540i handle both drivers?

For reference, this 2021 BMW 540i comes with an xDrive all-wheel drive (AWD) system. If you don’t need power pushed to all four wheels, the car is also available as a pure rear-wheel drive version. The 335 horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six hooks up to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

In this video, we get a chance to watch our newest TFL Leaderboard series and see how this new BMW does in the hands of an expert, and a relative novice. We’re taking a different approach to our old ‘Hot or Not’ series, by giving a point of reference against what Paul can manage in a given car. So far we’ve put this and two other sports coupes in Pauls’ hands this year, but how much faster will he be than an ordinary driver?

Here’s how it went: