Post a pic of your Ride !!

[Kratos]

Saab is black and that's what I drive everyday
71 cougar is blue and has only 30k orignal miles, I haven't taken it out of storage in a few years...maybe this year.
Motorcycle is actual pic of the one I own

[Kratos]

what engines do they put in those nowadays?? i like the body style but i know they don't sport a diesel so screw dat.....EXCURSION all da way

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-suvs-...s-in-2009.html

denali comes with 6.0 liter gas right now good for 352 hp and 383 lb's of torque...plenty.
oh, wait that looks like an xl, so Corvette-based 6.2-liter engine making 403 hp and 417 pound-feet

diesel isn't really better in any way...they always seem to be $$$ maintence whores. At least where I live it runs over 50cents per gallon more. And please don't even bring up added fuel economy of diesel cycle when you're talking about an engine that size, that's just stupid.
Big Suv isn't going to get out of it's own way no matter what, unless you tow a huge boat or horses, what's the point?

[NewMuscle83]

Got the 03 M3 for now..only thing I did was dip the 19" M rims in chrome

I'm definitely thinking something old school for the near future. 67-69 Camaro or 63 Lincoln Continental Converable.

[T_Own]

Got the 03 M3 for now..only thing I did was dip the 19" M rims in chrome

I'm definitely thinking something old school for the near future. 67-69 Camaro or 63 Lincoln Continental Converable.

oh man.. don't go old school! german engineering over all. you have the almost-best right now, gotta stay with it. of all beamers (which are my favorite moderately priced cars) those models m3s are #2 behind the new m5s which are so sexy. 3rd might be an 8 series, those were baller.

[jbm]

oh man.. don't go old school! german engineering over all. you have the almost-best right now, gotta stay with it. of all beamers (which are my favorite moderately priced cars) those models m3s are #2 behind the new m5s which are so sexy. 3rd might be an 8 series, those were baller.

Bro! how about benz? any comment?

[T_Own]

Bro! how about benz? any comment?

i'm not mercedes' biggest fan.. at all. recently they have completely left their image as a LUXURY car maker. the c class killed all of that, since now you can buy a mercedes for like $30-40k. besides that part, i hate how conservative they are with designs, the interiors are very nice but seem to be directed at old people. even their cars with big engines generally SEEM slow (maybe because they are huge cars, but still) so i think they are less fun to drive. the exception is the AMG series, which all has nice sized engines and a little bit more of a sporty look to it.

so yeah, bmw > mb

[Kratos]

oh man.. don't go old school! german engineering over all. you have the almost-best right now, gotta stay with it. of all beamers (which are my favorite moderately priced cars) those models m3s are #2 behind the new m5s which are so sexy. 3rd might be an 8 series, those were baller.

German engineers aren't any smarter or better than american engineers. I know plenty of engineers, and they have no trouble understanding what makes for a good suspension or other aspects. It's more a case of German bean counting, they let the engineers spend a little more, and a little bit goes a long way for certain things.

[T_Own]

German engineers aren't any smarter or better than american engineers. I know plenty of engineers, and they have no trouble understanding what makes for a good suspension or other aspects. It's more a case of German bean counting, they let the engineers spend a little more, and a little bit goes a long way for certain things.

i never said they were smarter, just that they implement it better. more money or not, they make better cars

[scerpico22]

[Kratos]

i never said they were smarter, just that they implement it better. more money or not, they make better cars

Really? Better? or more prestigious?
If America made a 60-80k sports sedan and it performed as well and was as refined would you buy it?


"G8's MacPherson strut front and four-link rear suspension with progressive-rate coil-over shocks is very similar to the BMW's traditional 5 Series design. As a result, the Pontiac G8 GT rides a lot like, yup, a BMW."

"The G8 whipped around the skid pad with 0.85g of grip and then screamed through the slalom at nearly 66 mph...comparable to the BMW 535i Inside Line tested back in June, which whirled to 0.89g on the skid pad and galloped through the slalom at 65 mph." --motor trend

"With the exception of the lane-change exercise, the Bimmer’s test-track numbers were essentially identical with those generated by this new Poncho. The base price for a 550i today is $59,275. Subtract the G8’s as-tested price, and you have $27,430, which buys a lot of premium unleaded. Hallelujah, brothers and sisters! Can we get an amen? " --car and driver

[Dukkit]

my work installs alot of leathers and sunroofs in the new G8's
they are really sweet cars

well as long its the G8 GT

[Kratos]

What it comes down to, is you like German cars, the styling and telling people you own a bmw. It's about the girl and prestige factor. People just won't spend the money on an American car. I like euro cars too, but they aren't better engineered, cheeper to maintain, and they don't last longer...if anything they're expensive as crap to own.

When you say better technology? can you be more specific?

When you have twice the money to spend on interior and refinements, it should look like an expensive car bottom line. Has nothing to do with engineering.

Or maybe you think a VW bettle is a prime example of engineering masterpiece.

[RuhlFreak55]

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-suvs-...s-in-2009.html

denali comes with 6.0 liter gas right now good for 352 hp and 383 lb's of torque...plenty.
oh, wait that looks like an xl, so Corvette-based 6.2-liter engine making 403 hp and 417 pound-feet

diesel isn't really better in any way...they always seem to be $$$ maintence whores. At least where I live it runs over 50cents per gallon more. And please don't even bring up added fuel economy of diesel cycle when you're talking about an engine that size, that's just stupid.
Big Suv isn't going to get out of it's own way no matter what, unless you tow a huge boat or horses, what's the point?

the 6.2 wouldn't be bad i guess.....still i want diesel in something that big...i love diesels....and they get SIGNIFICANTLY better gas mileage than a similarly sized gas motor. Yea they cost alot to maintain if you pay someone to do it.....whereas the oil change at ford costs 90 bucks though we can do it for 30 max....and diesel here is on par with gas for the past while.....and even when it's not.....18-20mpg compaired to 8-10 (the ford V10) gives quite a bit of leeway.

[T_Own]

better technology - better computers, better interface, better features, better niceties basically. now maybe pontiac has copied every thing from them NOW, but bmw has had idrive, satnavs, dynamic cruise control, even the turning headlights for years. the VERY FIRST navigation system was in a mercedes s class. things like heated seats, better climate control, probably better sound quality all separate a bmw (or most german cars) from an american one, even if they perform the same on a test track. i wouldn't be surprised if leather seats were only an option on the pontiac, which would put that 27k into the 30s, same with dvd nav, probably better speakers, and who knows what other amenities that make the pontiac seem much cheaper at a glance. all of that is almost a given in any beamer out there now. the last time they put cloth seats in a car was in the 318ti's from the early 90s

america tries to make expensive sports cars, look at the corvette, the viper, and the ford gt (3 different price ranges represented right there) and besides pure power, they have not much going for them. i know i would take a gt3 over a viper, an older lambo over a ford gt (and please don't say lambo is italian anymore....) the only american sports car i would CHOOSE is a zr1 corvette.

of course bmw will be more prestigious, but i didn't make it that way. that just means that people decades ago see the same things i do that put bmw in a different class from most american cars. all of this is without even mentioning that bmw isn't trying to make a racecar (although they do that quite well too, see williams f1 and the f1 mclaren street car) while pontiac isn't bragging about their comfortable seats or nice HUDs, just about their engine output.

lastly, since this is seeming long, they use the 535 in the tests, but then compare the price to a 550, which is going to be 5-10k MORE than a 535.

[Kratos]

the 6.2 wouldn't be bad i guess.....still i want diesel in something that big...i love diesels....and they get SIGNIFICANTLY better gas mileage than a similarly sized gas motor. Yea they cost alot to maintain if you pay someone to do it.....whereas the oil change at ford costs 90 bucks though we can do it for 30 max....and diesel here is on par with gas for the past while.....and even when it's not.....18-20mpg compaired to 8-10 (the ford V10) gives quite a bit of leeway.

well, it's a 7k option
I really doubt you're gettng those fuel econ numbers. Even the numbers ford comes up with aren't as good as the ones you posted

"Fuel economy was an issue. The tester showed a meager 6.2 miles per gallon around the suburbs, but Ford quickly protests that it's wildly unrepresentative. Heavy-duty trucks aren't required to post fuel-economy estimates, but Reyes says the company's testing, and reports from owners, consistently show 13 or 14 mpg in town, 15 to 19 mpg on the highway. Ford speculated there was something amiss with the test truck, but there was insufficient time to examine it."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...per-duty_N.htm

And this generation of diesel is the most fuel efficent ford has ever made. I'm guessing yours is an older model with even crappier fuel econ.

[Kratos]

better technology - better computers, better interface, better features, better niceties basically. now maybe pontiac has copied every thing from them NOW, but bmw has had idrive, satnavs, dynamic cruise control, even the turning headlights for years. the VERY FIRST navigation system was in a mercedes s class. things like heated seats, better climate control, probably better sound quality all separate a bmw (or most german cars) from an american one, even if they perform the same on a test track. i wouldn't be surprised if leather seats were only an option on the pontiac, which would put that 27k into the 30s, same with dvd nav, probably better speakers, and who knows what other amenities that make the pontiac seem much cheaper at a glance. all of that is almost a given in any beamer out there now. the last time they put cloth seats in a car was in the 318ti's from the early 90s

america tries to make expensive sports cars, look at the corvette, the viper, and the ford gt (3 different price ranges represented right there) and besides pure power, they have not much going for them. i know i would take a gt3 over a viper, an older lambo over a ford gt (and please don't say lambo is italian anymore....) the only american sports car i would CHOOSE is a zr1 corvette.

of course bmw will be more prestigious, but i didn't make it that way. that just means that people decades ago see the same things i do that put bmw in a different class from most american cars. all of this is without even mentioning that bmw isn't trying to make a racecar (although they do that quite well too, see williams f1 and the f1 mclaren street car) while pontiac isn't bragging about their comfortable seats or nice HUDs, just about their engine output.

lastly, since this is seeming long, they use the 535 in the tests, but then compare the price to a 550, which is going to be 5-10k MORE than a 535.

I-drive is a peice of shit
all the things you listed are gadgets that cost money and drive up the cost
c-mon turning headlights...wtf is the point of that? one more thing to break
better speakers?
are you talking about a better car or a better option package?

Lastly they are two different articles from two different publications...one is talking about the handeling of the lighter car with the smaller engine...the other is about the performace numbers of the 550...notice how I listed the mag after the quotes.

[Matt]

Audi rs4.......

[RuhlFreak55]

well, it's a 7k option
I really doubt you're gettng those fuel econ numbers. Even the numbers ford comes up with aren't as good as the ones you posted

"Fuel economy was an issue. The tester showed a meager 6.2 miles per gallon around the suburbs, but Ford quickly protests that it's wildly unrepresentative. Heavy-duty trucks aren't required to post fuel-economy estimates, but Reyes says the company's testing, and reports from owners, consistently show 13 or 14 mpg in town, 15 to 19 mpg on the highway. Ford speculated there was something amiss with the test truck, but there was insufficient time to examine it."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...per-duty_N.htm

And this generation of diesel is the most fuel efficent ford has ever made. I'm guessing yours is an older model with even crappier fuel econ.

our Ex has the 6.0.....it's mileage is around 18 on the highway....12 around town....not 6.2 rofl.....even our 7.3 in the F-350 gets like 15 usually with my brother driving it. Granted the 7.3 is chipped and upgraded.

[RuhlFreak55]

well, it's a 7k option
I really doubt you're gettng those fuel econ numbers. Even the numbers ford comes up with aren't as good as the ones you posted

"Fuel economy was an issue. The tester showed a meager 6.2 miles per gallon around the suburbs, but Ford quickly protests that it's wildly unrepresentative. Heavy-duty trucks aren't required to post fuel-economy estimates, but Reyes says the company's testing, and reports from owners, consistently show 13 or 14 mpg in town, 15 to 19 mpg on the highway. Ford speculated there was something amiss with the test truck, but there was insufficient time to examine it."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...per-duty_N.htm

And this generation of diesel is the most fuel efficent ford has ever made. I'm guessing yours is an older model with even crappier fuel econ.

i rounded the v10 up too though a bit.....that thing is a HOG!!!! more like 6-9 probably....

[T_Own]

I-drive is a peice of shit
all the things you listed are gadgets that cost money and drive up the cost
c-mon turning headlights...wtf is the point of that? one more thing to break
better speakers?
are you talking about a better car or a better option package?

Lastly they are two different articles from two different publications...one is talking about the handeling of the lighter car with the smaller engine...the other is about the performace numbers of the 550...notice how I listed the mag after the quotes.

whats wrong with idrive? if you learn to use it its very easy, and GREATLY reduces the clutter that i will admit, was a little annoying in the older ones. turning headlights might just be a novelty, but it shows the technology they utilize over other companies. a lot of other automakers have started implementing them too, lexus and acura for a couple.

if you compared stock bmw vs a stock pontiac, NO OPTIONS, tell me you would think the pontiac is a nicer car. then same for fully loaded. cloth seats? who puts them in a car that is supposed to compete with a luxury car?

[RuhlFreak55]

one more thing to break
.

such a true statement......i noticed this on my mom's new Edge....goddamn there are so many little trinkets that can break

[Kratos]

whats wrong with idrive? if you learn to use it its very easy, and GREATLY reduces the clutter that i will admit, was a little annoying in the older ones. turning headlights might just be a novelty, but it shows the technology they utilize over other companies. a lot of other automakers have started implementing them too, lexus and acura for a couple.

if you compared stock bmw vs a stock pontiac, NO OPTIONS, tell me you would think the pontiac is a nicer car. then same for fully loaded. cloth seats? who puts them in a car that is supposed to compete with a luxury car?

GXP comes with all the options including leather under 40k
and has a slightly de-tuned vette engine
performs almost on par with M-5 and outperforms previous gen m-5 (90k)

A little motor to turn the headlight isn't going to impress me, who needs it? Some euro spec lenses (illigal in the states, but who's gonna check) will give you wider vision at a much cheaper price. Old (1980-s) american sports cars had motors to lift the headlights and be more aero-dynamic in the daytime. Cadilac put night vision as an option for awhile. Options mean money, money consumers won't pay in an American car.

My point is you aren't talking about engineering...it's about public perceptions, prestige and coming in at a price point people will pay.

BMW makes a nice car don't get me wrong, but you pay for every option.

[T_Own]

GXP comes with all the options including leather under 40k
and has a slightly de-tuned vette engine
performs almost on par with M-5 and outperforms previous gen m-5 (90k)

A little motor to turn the headlight isn't going to impress me, who needs it? Some euro spec lenses (illigal in the states, but who's gonna check) will give you wider vision at a much cheaper price. Old (1980-s) american sports cars had motors to lift the headlights and be more aero-dynamic in the daytime. Cadilac put night vision as an option for awhile. Options mean money, money consumers won't pay in an American car.

My point is you aren't talking about engineering...it's about public perceptions, prestige and coming in at a price point people will pay.

BMW makes a nice car don't get me wrong, but you pay for every option.

agreed mostly, but i do think they have better engineering. what size engine is in the g8? i'm guessing a 4. something v8, which is being tested against a 3.5v6. i HIGHLY doubt the new m5 would even be close to it. 5L 500hp in m mode, i would think it would run away with ease. as far as actual engineering, i find it impressive that they can get 500hp from a 5l n.a. when most american cars go for huge displacement to make comparable power outputs.

[madmustang]

.. great toys but they always break down

[Kratos]

our Ex has the 6.0.....it's mileage is around 18 on the highway....12 around town....not 6.2 rofl.....even our 7.3 in the F-350 gets like 15 usually with my brother driving it. Granted the 7.3 is chipped and upgraded.

I wouldn't brag about those numbers anyway
ewww you have one of the 6.0's...your mechanic must love you

[Kratos]

agreed mostly, but i do think they have better engineering. what size engine is in the g8? i'm guessing a 4. something v8, which is being tested against a 3.5v6. i HIGHLY doubt the new m5 would even be close to it. 5L 500hp in m mode, i would think it would run away with ease. as far as actual engineering, i find it impressive that they can get 500hp from a 5l n.a. when most american cars go for huge displacement to make comparable power outputs.

g8 is a 6.0
gxp is a 6.2
3.5 v6? 550 is a 4.8 liter v8

M5 motor is a sweet engine, but what do you have against displacement...the v10 is rev happy and almost tuned to the max already...any small amount of tuning with the bigger engines can yeild enormous power. What's the point of a high hp per liter in a daily driver, it almost always decrease reliabity. And there is no weight advantage.

BMW's M5 Product Information Guide says that the M5's 5.0 liter 500 hp (SAE net) V-10 weighs 240 kg/529 lbs.
The 6.0 liter comes in at 448 pounds and has cylinder deactivation for fuel econ.
In fact the big block 427/7 liter ls7 zo6 engine fully trimmed weighs 458 pounds.
Kinda stupid engineering to make a smaller heavier engine.

[T_Own]

g8 is a 6.0
gxp is a 6.2
3.5 v6? 550 is a 4.8 liter v8

M5 motor is a sweet engine, but what do you have against displacement...the v10 is rev happy and almost tuned to the max already...any small amount of tuning with the bigger engines can yeild enormous power. What's the point of a high hp per liter in a daily driver, it almost always decrease reliabity. And there is no weight advantage.

BMW's M5 Product Information Guide says that the M5's 5.0 liter 500 hp (SAE net) V-10 weighs 240 kg/529 lbs.
The 6.0 liter comes in at 448 pounds and has cylinder deactivation for fuel econ.
In fact the big block 427/7 liter ls7 zo6 engine fully trimmed weighs 458 pounds.
Kinda stupid engineering to make a smaller heavier engine.

the 535i which is compared in the skidpad is a 3.5l v6

i wouldn't say the m5s have no room left to add power. if you reworked the ecu you could put a turbo/s on it and get huge power.

i'm surprised the beamer is heavier, since all their cars are massive. but i'm guessing there is a reason they didn't make it any lighter. maybe just to balance it better

[RuhlFreak55]

I wouldn't brag about those numbers anyway
ewww you have one of the 6.0's...your mechanic must love you

rofl...actually no one even drives the Ex at home much anymore because that thing has been such a bitch....it sat at the ford dealer for like a month and they couldn't even figure out wtf was wrong with it.

[RuhlFreak55]

g8 is a 6.0
gxp is a 6.2
3.5 v6? 550 is a 4.8 liter v8

M5 motor is a sweet engine, but what do you have against displacement...the v10 is rev happy and almost tuned to the max already...any small amount of tuning with the bigger engines can yeild enormous power. What's the point of a high hp per liter in a daily driver, it almost always decrease reliabity. And there is no weight advantage.

BMW's M5 Product Information Guide says that the M5's 5.0 liter 500 hp (SAE net) V-10 weighs 240 kg/529 lbs.
The 6.0 liter comes in at 448 pounds and has cylinder deactivation for fuel econ.
In fact the big block 427/7 liter ls7 zo6 engine fully trimmed weighs 458 pounds.
Kinda stupid engineering to make a smaller heavier engine.

****in light engines.....i think my transmission weighs much more than that

[jbm]

i'm not mercedes' biggest fan.. at all. recently they have completely left their image as a LUXURY car maker. the c class killed all of that, since now you can buy a mercedes for like $30-40k. besides that part, i hate how conservative they are with designs, the interiors are very nice but seem to be directed at old people. even their cars with big engines generally SEEM slow (maybe because they are huge cars, but still) so i think they are less fun to drive. the exception is the AMG series, which all has nice sized engines and a little bit more of a sporty look to it.

so yeah, bmw > mb

I respect your opinion bro! but coz I'm a MB fan and not a BMW fan, might disagree with you. Anyways! as I've said I respect your opinion...

SUV, Vans and Trucks I go for American made I love the Hammer.
Luxury cars I go for European made like Mercedes Benz.
Sports and Exotic of course Italian made Lamborghini.
Small and economic cars I go for Japan made like Toyota and Honda.

[T_Own]

I respect your opinion bro! but coz I'm a MB fan and not a BMW fan, might disagree with you. Anyways! as I've said I respect your opinion...

SUV, Vans and Trucks I go for American made I love the Hammer.
Luxury cars I go for European made like Mercedes Benz.
Sports and Exotic of course Italian made Lamborghini.
Small and economic cars I go for Japan made like Toyota and Honda.

thats a fail statement..........

quoting from top gear as best i can remember "audi made everything in this car, and sent it back to italy, and the only thing they made was the gas cover, and thats why its impossible to figure out"

since audi owns lambo.

[mho]

Got the 03 M3 for now..only thing I did was dip the 19" M rims in chrome

I'm definitely thinking something old school for the near future. 67-69 Camaro or 63 Lincoln Continental Converable.

I've made so much money on those cars

If you ever take your m3 in for an oil leak, and it ends up being the constant pressure valve leaking, and they try to tell you the cats must be removed to replace it, they're bullshitting you! The job pays 9.5 hours and it takes 15 minutes! Just a friendly heads up

[jbm]

thats a fail statement..........

quoting from top gear as best i can remember "audi made everything in this car, and sent it back to italy, and the only thing they made was the gas cover, and thats why its impossible to figure out"

since audi owns lambo.

Ok! I know that Audi owns Lambo, My point was Lambo is still marketed as an Italian car.

[srebrenica]

2004 audi a4 mines black though

[mho]

I-drive is a peice of shit
all the things you listed are gadgets that cost money and drive up the cost
c-mon turning headlights...wtf is the point of that? one more thing to break
better speakers?
are you talking about a better car or a better option package?

Lastly they are two different articles from two different publications...one is talking about the handeling of the lighter car with the smaller engine...the other is about the performace numbers of the 550...notice how I listed the mag after the quotes.

I am a BMW technician so I like to hate on BMW a lot, but even when I first started I found iDrive to be pretty self explanitory and straight forward. The new iDrive in the '09 models is even easier, and looks awesome!

The turning headlights are more useful than you'd think. The point is to light the road ahead, and if you're rounding a corner there is obviously no need to have the path straight in front of you illuminated.

[mho]

i never said they were smarter, just that they implement it better. more money or not, they make better cars

BMW doesn't make a car that can out run a C6 Z06.

[mho]

the 535i which is compared in the skidpad is a 3.5l v6

i wouldn't say the m5s have no room left to add power. if you reworked the ecu you could put a turbo/s on it and get huge power.

i'm surprised the beamer is heavier, since all their cars are massive. but i'm guessing there is a reason they didn't make it any lighter. maybe just to balance it better

BMW calls it the DME. Digital Motor Electronics.

[T_Own]

Ok! I know that Audi owns Lambo, My point was Lambo is still marketed as an Italian car.

haha ok good, just making sure.

BMW doesn't make a car that can out run a C6 Z06.

i never said they did, i just said american cars rely on pure speed to market them

BMW calls it the DME. Digital Motor Electronics.

of course they would be different.. lol

[Kratos]

the 535i which is compared in the skidpad is a 3.5l v6

i wouldn't say the m5s have no room left to add power. if you reworked the ecu you could put a turbo/s on it and get huge power.

i'm surprised the beamer is heavier, since all their cars are massive. but i'm guessing there is a reason they didn't make it any lighter. maybe just to balance it better

So? What does engine size have to do with skid pad? You drive in a circle until the wheels break loose.

Tuning an M5 isn't something you are going to do yourself...even pro tuning shops aren't doing much more than adding an exaust and maping the ecu for the new exaust. With more than 1,000 individual components, this engine management system is stupid complex. You aren't going to add a turbo to that thing and expect it to run.

It's heavier because it's needlessly complicated. Balance by weight? try again. It's heavier cause you have a high compression ratio and too many little pistons moving too fast, and you need metal if you don't want it to blow. But why should it matter, it's heavier and what's the advantage of less displacement if it comes at the price of weight.
It's a cool engine don't get me wrong, and has won enough awards but beyond the wow factor it isn't that practical. It winds like a bee-hive, gets 11 mpg city / 17 mpg highway? Expect them to dump the v10 in favor of a smaller twin turbo v8 at some point for fuel econ, pushing less hp. The SMG gear box has been a bit of a flop, being too clunky for many, most are opting for the no cost option 6 speed.

Zero to 60 in 4.6-4.8 depending on your source...The G8 GXP is capable of moving from 0-to-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, and can turn a quarter-mile time of 13.0 seconds at 108 mph. 13 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. Less than half the price.

Anyway bottom line is m5 is a super cool car and nobody is going to make fun of you for driving up in that...but the german engineers have a heck of a lot more money at their disposal per unit.

[mho]

agreed mostly, but i do think they have better engineering. what size engine is in the g8? i'm guessing a 4. something v8, which is being tested against a 3.5v6. i HIGHLY doubt the new m5 would even be close to it. 5L 500hp in m mode, i would think it would run away with ease. as far as actual engineering, i find it impressive that they can get 500hp from a 5l n.a. when most american cars go for huge displacement to make comparable power outputs.

The engine is very poorly balanced. The S85B50 (M5 engine) has abysmally low torque in comparison to its HP output. 500hp, 384lbft at the flywheel... that's insulting. Who needs that kind of imbalance? In a city envrionment it is much more advantageous to have a torque monster than a high reving, short stroke 210mph car that's governed to 155mph.

Any car company in the world can squeeze 100hp/liter out of an engine to a certain extent. There is no super secret automotive technology that the Germans know about that the rest of the automotive world doesn't. Look at what Americans do in drag racing. ~7500hp ~6000lbft of torque out of an 8.2 liter engine. That's 914hp per liter!