Post a pic of your Ride !!

[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?

[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]

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

[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.

[madmustang]

audi?????????? just traded in my girls a4 for a new 370.. nothing but problems with that car

[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

[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!