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Perhaps the best way to describe the car's performance is to say it acts just like my 540 would if it only ran up to maybe 3,500 rpm. :-) It's fairly strong at the low end, but it doesn't have much of a top end. For example, in the exit from the steep uphill Ex-Muhle turn, the car barely accelerates at all-- not enough power. I got lap times a little under 11 minutes, which meant I spent a lot more time getting passed by other cars than passing other cars. (I never did see a motorcycle I could pass apart from the occasional two-wheeled sightseer.)
Off the track, however, I was very happy with the car. It'll pass most things on the road when needed, and it'll reach 200 kph easily-- 220 if you give it enough room, at which point it seems to reach its electronic limiter. It's quiet, it rides as well as my 540 and steers maybe a little better, and I learned something else interesting-- BMW's manual seat and steering-wheel adjustments are better at accommodating tall people. Most importantly, the steering wheel can be brought further back to increase the horizontal distance between the wheel and the pedals.
This car was equipped with the nav system, a cellphone, and a full leather interior. All in all it was a heck of a deal, especially given the unusually favorable exchange rate we're enjoying at the moment.
And of course the fact that I was able to drive a round trip from Frankfurt to the Ring, drive eight laps, and do some sightseeing of my own around the towns in that area on just 3/4 of a tank of diesel fuel saved me some money too. My 540 might have shaved more than a minute off my Nordschleife lap time, but it would have cost twice as much to drive there. I'd still take the 540i over the 530d any time, but if I was looking to save some money on the car and gas, the 530d would be my choice.
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