Yes, there are power differences in German BMWs and US BMWs. I'm not referring to PS vs. HP. BMW cars for the homeland are less restricted. Typically more free flowing exhausts and air intakes (primarily to satisfy more strict US emissions standards and weaker petrol), and software which gives higher top speeds (since they are all restricted). So when you buy a US BMW, you get a lesser car than they get. Plus, BMW doesn't think very highly of US driver's capability so they like to restrict launch control and the like. In truth they're right. US drivers don't come close to using the car's capability. That applies to much of the world other than Europe.

Keep in mind also that looking at motor output alone (especially peak values) misses much of the story. The motor is just one component which produces force, which is the measure of power and acceleration. The motor power is multiplied through gearing (gearbox, rear diff, and the rear wheel circumference itself) across large ranges of rpms per gear. You can't just look at max motor output (torque or hp) and believe you know the whole story. That's why the M4 looks good on paper but doesn't deliver.

 

Close this thread......

 

Just quit looking at it if you don't like it. Like all threads, it'll die a natural death.

 

BMW M cars seem to get farther from the original concept with every new model. Even an M suv? Admittedly still new to me but I'll keep my 997.

 

You guys keep drinking the Porsche cool aid. 991s is over priced and Porsche still has an unpredictable rear when you lift off.

A Porsche used to be something. I see just as many p cars as m cars these days.

I love Porsches but I definitely don't think a 991s is worth $110-120k. If you think m is overly commercialized, a 996 was $80k 10 years ago. The m has gone up maybe 10-15k while 911 has raised by 30-40k.

 

if Porsche cool aid really existed, I would drink it all day long...

 

LMFAO...I couldn't help but laugh when I read this.

For half the cost of M3/M4, you can get similar performance in a new and modded Subaru WRX STi. So the WRX guy can say the same thing about M3/M4, it's not worth $75-85K

 

M = Marketing these days. It was good while it lasted. Still the E30 M3 is my favorite M, and if I were lucky enough to find a cherry one, I'd never sell it.

 

Think nothing of the turbo at a numbing $190k. I no longer consider it attainable.

M has become marketing, but so has everything else. Mercedes just drops a big engine into every platform and audi slaps an S on everything. The m3/4 platform still offers decent performance on a versatile platform.

 

+1 .

 

Hmmm, not so much. BMW M these days just slaps a couple of turbos on decommissioned or simply passenger car motors and just got around to using fixed brakes, and just now offering ceramic brakes. BMW used to produce highly tuned, race ready, strong motors with individual throttle bodies per cylinder for fantastic throttle response and power that delivered all the way through a high redline. Euro versions also got beautiful headers and huge air boxes. M suspensions and brakes were never that great. The new M brand has traded upper end power for lower end. I find the motors no where close to what they once produced. DisappointMent.

 

Sti does 0-60 in 5.3sec. That's about 1.5 sec slower than m3/4. I wouldn't say it's similar in performance. In fact, that's a tick slower than an e46 m3.

 

Modded...

 

Totally agree with this. Actually all the major lux brands are doing this. I went into a MB dealer to help my mother buy a E-class. I saw the AMG S-class and was blown away by the sticker.

They want ......$230k for it. I was like whoa, when did the AMGs hit quarter of a mill?

I think the last couple of years, the big brands decided to push prices as much as they can, and if buyers will pay (i.e. hedge fund guys, wall street, etc.) then so be it. All prices on luxury brands been going up from what I've been seeing.