The BMW 540i’s 4.4-liter V8 is one of the meatiest sounding engines that BMW ever put in a car not wearing an M badge. But sometimes you want a little more power, a little more noise, and a touch more America.

A classic Fifth Gear episode finds the gang in a fake parking garage, flogging a quartet of potential getaway cars including the BMW 540i.

With almost 600 horsepower, the new M5 is the most powerful car that BMW has ever created. Of course, the M5’s overall larger size makes it quite a bit heftier than the svelte M4. So which one would win in a race, and which one is actually better?