Originally Posted by bernd22' post='478324' date='Oct 5 2007, 06:49 PM

Congrats to your government they seem to have more brain than the European ones Diesels are still polluting a lot more than gasoline ones and they are noisy. Come to Germany and visit the inner city of Frankfurt or Berlin and you know what I mean. Not only that you can smell it the noise from the Diesels is an annoyance too as BMW and Mercedes Diesels are minority.

Originally Posted by mrfva' post='478501' date='Oct 6 2007, 04:49 AM

Top gear comparison of 535d + 545i,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z-afHO7Yqo

Originally Posted by swajames' post='478448' date='Oct 6 2007, 12:07 AM

That's a very market specific thing, fuel cost and company car taxation (which in the UK give diesels a free pass on greenhouse gases other than C02, in the US the current BMW diesels fail the CARB emissions tests for this reason) are driving the stronger residuals in the UK market. FWIW the 535 gasoline engine is also very easy to remap if you're into that kind of thing - tuners are getting 550i-like levels out the twin turbo gasoline engine. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the diesels over in the US next year, but in this market they don't make quite as much sense as they do in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Originally Posted by ressla' post='478525' date='Oct 5 2007, 11:17 PM

HP may win races, but how many of us here actually "race"? So, OK, even compared with current hi-tech diesel cars a high revving petrol engine is going produce more HP.

It all depends on what's important to you. If you do track days all the time, or more idiotically, race on public roads,then a high peformance gas engine is for you.

However if you want REAL WORLD overtaking power which requires only a gently prod of the loud pedal then the TT e60 diesel is difficult to beat.

For me what I hated about my previous petrol cars was having to put the accelarator to the floor,or having to change down a gear, every time I wanted a burst of speed.

It's a shame that many people here are dismissing the 535d, when they have never had the chance to drive one.

Originally Posted by pgilc1' post='478539' date='Oct 6 2007, 01:29 AM

Yes, thats why i put the (UK) in brackets.

Remapping of the 335i twin turbo engine here in the UK seems to have been much slower to hit the market. The big players here, DMS Automotive, from memory arent yet able to do them - but i could be wrong....

Originally Posted by swajames' post='478576' date='Oct 6 2007, 08:37 AM

I don't think anyone is dismissing the 535d, quite the contrary. It wasn't me that made the initial point about racing (I don't race either, although I do own an incredibly quick car) but at the end of the day, the point is accurate: higher RPM and higher horsepower will ultimately prevail. I do agree with you that the 535d has a lot of real world benefit, but then overtaking in the 545/550 is just as easy. The difference is that it requires a slightly different driving style as you are playing with 50% more available RPM than with the diesel and need to work a little harder to get the most out of it.