Am I the only one unimpressed with the new BMW M series?
Power (SAE net): 500 bhp @ 7750 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 384 lb-ft @ 6100 rpm
384lb-ft? my CLS500 has almost that much. When will people start to understand that acceleration is all about torque. These companies keep throwing up all these big HP numbers with unimpressive torque numbers, with the exception of the GM LS2 (400hp-400lb/ft)
The new M6 puts up about what I would expect from that kind of torque; (from Car and Driver):
Curb weight: 3900 lb
Zero to 62 mph: 4.6 sec It weighs less than the E55 and the CLS55, with more HP but it's slower. That proves my point...torque rules!!!
I still remain underwhelmed by BMW, they are about 5 years behind Benz on performance.
Would i buy one? Yes! BUt not for long
New E63 will be something else!
This is a recurring pattern. . . the last gen M5 barely leapfrogged the N/A (pre-2003) E55, and then got creamed by the S/C (2003 and later) E55. Basically, the pattern that I am seeing is that the M5 enjoys one year of slight superiority over the AMB E-class, followed by 3-4 years of the M5 getting stomped.
Sounds like the BMW marketing gurus went to the same tard school as the BMW design morons.
Trending Topics
That thing must look sick with 325 rubber in the back and pulled over 1g
Congrats to American muscle going head to head with any Euro exotic.
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
i not to sure that mpower is 5 years behind on making NA power I think they are at the very least 5 years ahead of there competition in NA engines.
v10 block is using an magnisium/allum alloy mix like the F1 blocks are made out of
it will be years before you see any other car maker using this in there street engines
why dont you wait and see how the new mb NA engines do against the new m power engines then we can compair there strenghs and weakness.
0-62 times right now for most of these cars are limited to traction not that they dont have enough tourqe.
and if bmw wanted more tourqe they can make it no worries.
mclaren f1 lm back in 95 has 520ftlbs and 680hp staying NA and keeping the heart of M power true and not going the FI route.
That thing must look sick with 325 rubber in the back and pulled over 1g
Congrats to American muscle going head to head with any Euro exotic.
Mez
From Car and driver:
2006 BMW M5:
Manufacturer's performance ratings:
Zero to 62 mph: 4.7 sec http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=2
2003 MB E55:
0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=3
Last edited by RennTechV12; Sep 9, 2005 at 12:45 AM.
The Ariel Atom only has 284lb/ft of torque but does 0-60 in 2.3sec
From Car and driver:
2007 BMW M5:
Manufacturer's performance ratings:
Zero to 62 mph: 4.7 sec http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=2
2003 MB E55:
0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=3
one car has like 150 more ftlbs and is not even a half second faster
and on that link they say man 0-60 time.
Last edited by skratch77; Sep 9, 2005 at 12:49 AM.
one car has like 150 more ftlbs and is not even a half second faster
like I said 0-60 times for these cars is now limited by traction now.

they take like 6 years for a new model to come out and there comp puts out like 2 models every 2 years.
and then your stuck waiting even longer because they take so long for a new model that everyone wants one and you end up having to wait more
in the mean time there comp puts out new cars to match the newer bmers real quick
if your car is stock and has 7hp less than the m5 I dont see it beating it up top weighing 4,500 lbs enless your racing down hill lol
Last edited by skratch77; Sep 9, 2005 at 01:07 AM.
Btw if you still wanna chat about it, go to m5board.com they like to talk about it!
Dont forget it has 2 more cylinders and 2 more gears.... my bet is tho that new 6.3 V8 with 7g tronic will be faster :v
Horsepower is a product of engine revs and torque (theres a certain formula but it involves multiplying revs and torque)
Engine accelerates fastest around max power. Why? Put it this way: torque is a measure of how much an engine can pull in one revolution, while power is that amount of pushing (say 5000rpm) 5000 times a minute. So 384lb/ft torque at 7000 rpm is much more effective than 516lb/ft @ 2650 rpm. This is why ferraris, porsches etc go so hard with so little torque. No its not just coz they're lighter (weight is only part of the story), its coz they rev high (especially ferraris) so more power can be produced.
Consider the torque/power curve of the AMG supercharged 5.4 - max torque of 700nm from around 2650rpm - 4600rpm? But at WOT, change to second gear, does it drop below 4600rpm? It does all its acceleration past its max torque. And after 4600rpm, the torque stops plateauing and drops quite steeply (superchargers parasitic drag at high rpms).
The acceleration in a 55 feels quite linear from standstill to redline because the torque is massive at low rpms and drops off a lot at high rpms.
Someone with a more technical mind correct me if im wrong im only a little boy.
*edit* added more detail
Last edited by tommaey; Sep 9, 2005 at 03:26 AM.




Another analogy .... torque is how hard the engine can punch - power is how quickly it can punch... Bit like Tyson throwing a few punches a round and Sugar Ray Leonard throwing (with respect) much weaker punches but a 100 per round - who does the most work ?
So you can see they are unavoidably intertwined. What determines which is the quicker car - the one with more torque and less power or the one with less torque and more power? .... unfortunately - it depends on too many variables but generally the one should be quicker at get away and the other quicker on a flat out run...
In an outright top end run the car with more power should out run the lower hp car (all else equal) as it is able to do more work ... rate of force produced is higher ... at lower rpm the higher torque motor will produce more power as - given the same rate (rpm) - it can do more work; so low to mid range it should be quicker. The only problem with high torque low down is -> traction ... this makes an already problematic issue worse... and as has been stated before traction in these cars is critical... off the mark for example the E55 should stomp an M5 and the M5 pull away at top end ... assuming all equal on the aero front. This is one reason I cannot comprehend why the E does not have an LSD.... (go figure).... The E cannot make use of its low down torque advantage as the traction limit is reached earlier. Reckon need an LSD and some serious 315's or something at back.
This also explains why MB have gone the 6.3 NA route ... best of both worlds - but have to say I enjoy driving a high torque car any day of the week than driving a high hp , high revving motor - its far more easy to drive fast and sooo intoxicating. And finally - how often are you wacking your cars top end ??? I probably never will ...
Rgds Steve.
Last edited by stevebez; Sep 9, 2005 at 04:46 AM.



