The internet keeps talking up a storm about the E60 M5 and its awesome V10 engine. It's probably one of the Top 5 most iconic BMWs of all time. But what happens when the legend faces some normal models from today?
To find out Carwow lined up the old-timer against the 840d, which only a week ago was in an all-diesel drag race with the Audi A8 50 TDI and the E 400 d version of the E-Class Coupe. Also, if you want a cheap, fast Bavarian car, you need the M140i. It's small and unassuming but packs a punch.
Both the 840d and the M140i use 3-liter inline-6 engines with 320 and 340 HP, respectively. But the 8 Series has a lot more torque, two turbochargers and the obvious advantage of an advanced AWD system. Yet both of those pale in comparison to the 5-liter V10 from the E60 M5. It screams like no other BMW engine and delivers just over 500 ponies to the rear wheels via an automatic gear slammer.
Like the modern diesel coupe, this has a launch system that somehow seems to do more harm than it does good in the drag race. The M5 took 12.8 seconds to complete the quarter-mile race while the 840d came close with 13.1 seconds, which is impressive for a diesel. But actually, the E60 was much faster than the numbers would lead you to believe, as it spent a couple of seconds pointlessly spinning its wheels at the beginning.
The outcome of the rolling race is even stranger, as all three cars are even in the beginning. Only when the M5 reaches the top end of its rev range does the V10 really pull its weight, but the M140i is very close behind it. Despite having the most torque the 840d was last, maybe because it's also very heavy.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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