Segway versus a BMW M3? Riiiight.

The web is full of comparison articles. These range from useful reviews (“Which MP3 player is best if I’m too cheap to buy an iPod?”) to the downright nerd-tastic (“Who would win, the Borg Cube or the Imperial Star Destroyer?”) and on nearly every point of contention in between. You get two people who are into a subject, and they’ll inconvenience trillions of electrons on the Internet to prove their point.

This one’s a bit different than that. Most of these comparisons are comparing like to like. Spaceships to Spaceships, gadgets to gadgets, cars to cars. We’re now about to cross over into the a zone beyond comprehension – comparing apples to, well, apples.

In Los Angeles, there was recently a head to head competition between a BMW M3 roadster, and a Segway HT i180. Racing for pink slips. You’ll need to watch the video above to see who won. After you’ve done that, read on. We’ll wait.

OK, so now that you’ve watched that, let’s talk about some of the other points of comparison. While the M3 isn’t exactly an SUV, it also has a big advantage on cargo hauling. A Segway might be able to carry a box at the driver’s feet or let him carry a backpack. Also, if you’re looking to avoid sunburn, or getting wet in the rain, the M3 is a clear winner on that contest.

However, there are other advantages to the Segway. First, let’s talk about the biggie: Parking. Ever tried to park your hot car in the cubical in your office? In some offices in the Beach Areas in Los Angeles and Orange County, the number of guys with Segways in their cubicals outnumbers the people without.

We’re also going to look at miles per gallon (equivalent). Everyone’s talking about cash for clunkers, and how we’re trying to boost the average mileage and all that. A Li-Ion battery Segway can run about 15 miles off of a single charge, which is great if you’re that close to where you need it. The older NIMH battery ones have about 60% of that range. So there’s a clear winner on cruising range. On the other hand, the cost for a complete charge on a segway is about six cents of electricity in most parts of the US. The cost of 15 miles out of the M3 is, with current gas prices, just about twenty five times that. Plus there’s the other added factors to car ownership as well.

One place where there’s a clear winner, though, is babe magnet. Did you see how the girl with the flags was draping over the Segway driver in this video? That, my friend, is the killer feature of the Segway.