Re: can you compare M5 engine with 540? (archive)

It's my understanding that BMW went with the V8 with the US market in mind. By that I mean that they are attempting to replicate what (most?)Americans like in their cars -- strong off the line performance, i.e., torque -- although the majority of misinformed individuals are really thinking *horsepower*, lol ;>) In the words of Ace Corvette Tuner John Lingenfelter (paraphrased): "Americans want to get from 0 to 120mph just as fast as they can." Thing is, once there they hardly ever stay as the risk of a very expensive ticket is just too high.

The Euro market/mindset, OTOH, is (or once was) geared more towards mid-range and top-end punch. At that the M5 excels. I don't think that I've ever driven anything that accelerates from 80mph to 140mph quite as quickly as does my Dinan 3.9 litre M5, especially if 4th is selected over 5th.

Remember, the M5 is a relatively heavy car with a motor that doesn't make much power (compared to a big V8) until the tach needle swings past approximately 4000 rpm. Of course, as we all know, that's how we like it. I've set the cruise at 140 out in the wilds of Nevada and just motored on down the road -- no muss, no fuss, no drama. Just doing what our cars do best ;>)

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