540i
26 September 2003, 03:34 PM
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Blimey! flippin heck! they are fockin fast! A mate of mine just took me for a spin in his 540i touring!!! auto. The acceleration is staggering! it's just one long shove in the seat, Still like a barge in the bends though. Anyone any figures it would be interesting how they stack up against a scoob on paper at least?
dave
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26 September 2003, 04:00 PM
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I'd have to agree with Sub on this one. A mate's got a 535i and an M5, and neither are slow in any circumstances. Got tremendous grip and they are very well set up for all manner of surfaces.
I'd have thought that the Beemer (540i) would beat a standard Scooby in a straight line, 9 times out of ten, simply because it's an auto, and you can't mess up the gears. However, a well driven Scooby in tight lanes would pull away from the BMW, in the wet or dry.
I'd have thought that the Beemer (540i) would beat a standard Scooby in a straight line, 9 times out of ten, simply because it's an auto, and you can't mess up the gears. However, a well driven Scooby in tight lanes would pull away from the BMW, in the wet or dry.
26 September 2003, 04:14 PM
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The 540i has, IIRC, 286 brake. I remember a certain STI 5 driver having a bit of a play with one at last years Rally GB. He couldn't quite believe that it was an auto, but above 80 the Scoob did begin to make enough ground to have to back off.
They are very impressive cars, make no mistake.
Bit of a street sleeper too!
Matt
They are very impressive cars, make no mistake.
Bit of a street sleeper too! Matt
26 September 2003, 04:19 PM
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I bow to superior Knowledge on this one, perhaps 110,000 miles has taken the edge off it?
dave
[Edited by misty - 9/26/2003 4:31:10 PM]
dave
[Edited by misty - 9/26/2003 4:31:10 PM]
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26 September 2003, 04:58 PM
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110,000 miles it will be due its running in service soon
Auto car tested the 540 touring auto in may 98
They got 0-60 6.2 secs
0-100 15.9 secs
30-70 5.6 secs
they got the latest WRX 5 dr 221bhp
0-60 5.5
0-100 16.1 sec
30-70 5.8 secs
Lovely cars the 540 about 33mph per 1000 rpm in top means they are only doing about 3000rpm at 100mph very relaxing
Auto car tested the 540 touring auto in may 98
They got 0-60 6.2 secs
0-100 15.9 secs
30-70 5.6 secs
they got the latest WRX 5 dr 221bhp
0-60 5.5
0-100 16.1 sec
30-70 5.8 secs
Lovely cars the 540 about 33mph per 1000 rpm in top means they are only doing about 3000rpm at 100mph very relaxing
26 September 2003, 05:42 PM
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As someone who has gone from modded Scoob to 540i 6spd......
Lets put one (fairly obvious) question to rest. In a tight twisty lane situation the scoob will kill it. Even the longer wheelbase makes life harder to start with. In the wet I would be scared to push the beemer but that's because it has 310ft/lbs of torque through only the rears! The manual is quicker than a standard uk scoob in a straight line up to 100mph. Beyond 100mph there are not really any statistics. The difference is not how fast so much as how to reach that speed. 4.4ltrs of normally spirated engine shoving 1700kg along is a very diff sensation to a blown 2ltr flat 4 moving 400kg less.
I can assure you that a thrashed standard scoob whether one car length ahead or behind a 540i from c.30mph to over 90mph will sound like it may explode with the effort whereas the BMW seems like it is barely breaking sweat.
On a sweeping A-road there will be little in it other than the style of driving required to cover ground as fast as possible. The biggest difference is that whereas in my scoob I would have been revelling in my plastic fantastic interior concentrating hard in the BMW I can drive as fast on this type of road in my heated, 13-way elec adj sports leather seats, letting the auto volume control increase the noise from the Dolby DSP system to counteract the wind noise from the elec sunroof.
Get the picture.
By the wat any idiots who start talking about modded Scoobs are better blah blah. I had one. They are really different tools for diff jobs but a 450bhp, 390ft/lbs Supercharged 540i will kill most Scoobs. Except in the twisties of course.
(Hoping to buy a nice STI V5 type-R v-ltd to compliment it next year)
Lets put one (fairly obvious) question to rest. In a tight twisty lane situation the scoob will kill it. Even the longer wheelbase makes life harder to start with. In the wet I would be scared to push the beemer but that's because it has 310ft/lbs of torque through only the rears! The manual is quicker than a standard uk scoob in a straight line up to 100mph. Beyond 100mph there are not really any statistics. The difference is not how fast so much as how to reach that speed. 4.4ltrs of normally spirated engine shoving 1700kg along is a very diff sensation to a blown 2ltr flat 4 moving 400kg less.
I can assure you that a thrashed standard scoob whether one car length ahead or behind a 540i from c.30mph to over 90mph will sound like it may explode with the effort whereas the BMW seems like it is barely breaking sweat.
On a sweeping A-road there will be little in it other than the style of driving required to cover ground as fast as possible. The biggest difference is that whereas in my scoob I would have been revelling in my plastic fantastic interior concentrating hard in the BMW I can drive as fast on this type of road in my heated, 13-way elec adj sports leather seats, letting the auto volume control increase the noise from the Dolby DSP system to counteract the wind noise from the elec sunroof.
Get the picture.
By the wat any idiots who start talking about modded Scoobs are better blah blah. I had one. They are really different tools for diff jobs but a 450bhp, 390ft/lbs Supercharged 540i will kill most Scoobs. Except in the twisties of course.
(Hoping to buy a nice STI V5 type-R v-ltd to compliment it next year)
26 September 2003, 05:48 PM
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Yes exactly what I said to my m8, if I was up and down the motorway all day then it would have to be the B.M. for me. Quiet as the grave, sublime luxury, but I'm not, so thank god for Fuji heavy industries!!
dave
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26 September 2003, 05:51 PM
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By the wat any idiots who start talking about modded Scoobs are better blah blah.
tiggers.
26 September 2003, 05:56 PM
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Just a driver m8.
Don't care what it is as long as it's made by people who like to drive.
(unlike my wife's impossible to get a good driving position 206!)
Every day I don't drive the 540i I wish I still had my scoob/had bought a new one/had another etc.
Then I have to drive somewhere and change my mind again!
There is def something rather nice about a big powerful engine and a good manual gearbox.
Don't you have a 540i sport?
Don't care what it is as long as it's made by people who like to drive.
(unlike my wife's impossible to get a good driving position 206!)
Every day I don't drive the 540i I wish I still had my scoob/had bought a new one/had another etc.
Then I have to drive somewhere and change my mind again!
There is def something rather nice about a big powerful engine and a good manual gearbox.
Don't you have a 540i sport?
26 September 2003, 06:46 PM
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No sorry I've not seen the light yet 
I do think the top end 5 series are good cars though, but I'm not ready for all that comfort just yet.
My comment was made in jest btw. On here we get a lot of threads start like this and degenerate into Scooby vs. BMW to which there is no defnitive answer as it's a case of horses for courses.
Regards,
tiggers.
I do think the top end 5 series are good cars though, but I'm not ready for all that comfort just yet.
My comment was made in jest btw. On here we get a lot of threads start like this and degenerate into Scooby vs. BMW to which there is no defnitive answer as it's a case of horses for courses.
Regards,
tiggers.
26 September 2003, 07:32 PM
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Aye.
The working week is done.
Have a great wkd all.
Well versed in the BMW vs Scooby arguments m8
Been on here and viewing for 4-5yrs.
Of course I am now with the 'dark' side LoL!
The working week is done.
Have a great wkd all.
Well versed in the BMW vs Scooby arguments m8
Been on here and viewing for 4-5yrs.
Of course I am now with the 'dark' side LoL!
27 September 2003, 10:07 PM
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2001 540 sport.....wouldnt change it if i won the lottery, faster than most cars, more luxuroius than most cars.....better than most cars.
there is no area i can think of where it does not rate at least 8 out of 10.
T
[Edited by Tiggs - 9/27/2003 10:08:30 PM]
there is no area i can think of where it does not rate at least 8 out of 10.
T
[Edited by Tiggs - 9/27/2003 10:08:30 PM]
01 October 2003, 02:47 PM
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I suppose it's down to personal preference, but I don't see what is so good about autos. Okay, in traffic jams they're useful, and for optimum 0-60 launches, they're almost unbeatable... but I find they give a somewhat detached driving experience.
On a driving day couple of years back, I drove a Ferrari F355, which had the paddle stick shift (I know, not normal auto), and sure, it was nice to drive, but the experience of getting back to basics with a normal manual box, felt so much better from a driver's perspective.
Just feels like you're missing something when in an auto. Maybe that's why the current M5 is manual only?
On a driving day couple of years back, I drove a Ferrari F355, which had the paddle stick shift (I know, not normal auto), and sure, it was nice to drive, but the experience of getting back to basics with a normal manual box, felt so much better from a driver's perspective.
Just feels like you're missing something when in an auto. Maybe that's why the current M5 is manual only?