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[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by mmm3587
To each his own, I guess, and it really depends what tune that engine is in. The 2006 5er gets a bump to 255 hp for that engine, and I'd like to drive it like that. BMW has always been pretty conservative about how much they push their motors, and there are available many tuner chips to get a lot more HP out of many of their motors, mostly with simple and safe stuff like more aggressive timing and ignition settings.

I had the 3.0 engine that's in the 2005 and lower 530i in a 600lb lighter car for a year, and it just didn't have all the power I wanted. Sure, it is silky and smooth and sounds amazing, but that engine in 225 hp tune is rapidly getting left behind with current engine technology.

Like I said to Atty, it depends on what his old man wants. For many, the little (2.5) 6 will do just fine for them in the 5er (although I think it's woeful); they want it for the fit, finish, reliability and (commonly) the prestige of owning a BMW. That's fine. For others, like me, more power is always better and 9 seconds is too long to get to 60mph. Those people, in a 5er, are going to go for the V8, which also provides all sort of low-end advantages. The 3.0 is a nice compromise for some.

The sensation of speed is enhanced in a larger, heavier car because of the increased momentum; I know that you think that you are "[jumping] to 80 mph fast enough," but others want it faster. That's why BMW makes M versions of those cars.

I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd rather have the 540. I looked at it, and I could have grabbed it for a only 5k more than I paid for mine (I bought the 530 used, as I have evry car I've evr owned). But then I thought, "Where could I really let that fucker out?" I drove a 740i for a summer in the mid 90s and thought it was overpowered in that big body. The 540 has the same engine and 500 less lbs. What do you do with that? Unless you live in the desert, what do you do with a 911 in suburbia? I see these cats with 911s everywhere and think they must either be pussies who buy it purely for status, or very frustrated people, since they can never use their cars as they were intended to be used.