TheOrbiter

These are the numbers I found online for the 540i and this is a 2003 so.........

0-30 MPH 2.03 s
0-40 MPH: 3.20 s
0-50 MPH 4.47 s
0-60 MPH 6.16 s
0-70 MPH 8.02 s
0-80 MPH 10.09 s
0-90 MPH 12.91 s
0-100 MPH 16.02 s

Quarter Mile 14.39 @ 96.60 MPH

Braking
60-0 MPH
123 feet
100-0 MPH
344 feet

Does not seem that amazing on paper. Even if it is faster who cares? There are riced up pieces of **** that could smoke the 540i or the 928 off the line. Given the choice, I would rather drive a 928 than another car that looks like a 4 door Honda, which to me is what the 540i looks like. Plus they claim it sounds silent. Need I say more?!

sweet928

Let's not forget his 540 is rose color. That takes off about 100hp and your nuts with it.

Hilton

Interesting.. time for some numbers.

My '89 S4 owners manual lists Porsche figures: 0-60 is 5.7s, and 1/4 mile as 14.2s for 5-spd transmission. (For auto its 6.3s and 14.5 respectively).

A roadtest from Autocar magazine (UK publication) I've got for the 87 auto S4 has 0-60 as 6.2s, 0-100 as 15.2s, standing 1/4 as 14.5s @97mph,

A roadtest from What Car (UK publication) I have for the 5-speed '84 "Euro" (4.7l 928S) has their own measured figures with the 0-60 as 6.3s, 0-100mph as 14.9 (no 1/4 figures).

So I'd say the '79 will indeed be slower than the 540, but any of the 5-speed 300+hp models (1980 onwards "Euro"s, '85 onwards US models) will be faster.

edit: Road tests mentioned above can all be found here.. some UK guy who's scanned a heap of old car mages:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trigger...f/collections/

pcarfan944

The early (97-99) cars were faster due to a less restrictive intake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ2lq0DIKwM

Catfood

540is are equivalent to the E36 M3s performance under 100 or so. After that the 540 will leave the sixer behind. My dad has a 79 928 with headers, full exhaust, weight reduction and it is tuned a bit richer than a stock '28. We left an M3 from a light by two cars and kept the lead until 120 or so.

It should be a drivers race with the bimmer. I would go from a dig on em if you have good tires and launching technique. Either way should be fun to do. LSD and the stock wheel diameter will give you even more advantage.

Richter12x2

To each their own. The 540 doesn't appeal to the same market segment as the 928, there's no doubt about that. My 928 is my fun car and my 540 allows me to carry passengers in the back, pick up 10' sections of PVC from Lowe's (did today, in fact) without resorting to buying a minivan or an SUV and carrying my ********* in a matching purse. When the criteria is four doors, a comfortable ride, and still enough performance to have fun in, my 540 definitely meets that.

Plus, today my wife and I went grocery shopping WITH a set of new powdercoated 16" Porsche wheels and tires in the trunk and fold down rear seat, and still left a new Lexus from the light to the speed limit. Plus the A/C is cold by the time I get out of the neighborhood.

I'm sorry if you're getting butthurt over this, and sure, the 928 is definitely distinctive and will get you more respect, but the question came down to which was faster between an older stock 928 and a 540i BMW, and the BMW wins, unless you've gutted the interior and picked up 20-30 hp somewhere like the guy above.

Plus, when I really, truly want to exercise the speedlimits on our wonderful, wide-open freeway system, I prefer driving a relatively plain performance sedan that can easily be mistaken for a Honda rather than a piece of distinctive rolling automotive art like the 928.

littleball_s4

Less talking and more racing.

That's what races are for, to demonstrate which is the fastest car!

(Save, of course, F1)

Iwanna928

The 928 is a dog out of the hole. Ask me how I know. My fastest trap speed is almost as fast as the 540. my car should run low 14's all day but it's gearing and low Tq numbers at 2500 rpm kill it off the line. Slicks would help big time if you could launch it at a higher Rpm but I would be concerned about drive line, clutck etc.

The 60ft times on my car are horrible but I have a good trap and am a consistent high14's low 15 sec car. Once you get the car in it's powerband she will keep up.