Stuffing a Metric Mechanic 3.8 or 4.0 liter Sport engine into a 5 series
car causes the car to accelerate as if it's one gear lower. This big
power gain throughout the entire rpm range is what our larger engines
are all about.
A quick look at our European Counterparts reveals a different story.
The Alpina B10 and the Hartge H35 accelerate about the same as a stock
Euro 535i in 5th gear. So, what does 40 more horsepower and 8% more
gearing gain you? Only .3 seconds in a 60 - 80 mph 3rd gear run. So,
as we see it, our 3500 and 3600 HiFlo ST Sport Engines really are an
equal match to the European Tuners.
The BMW M5 (3.6 Liters), the Alpina B10 and the Hartge H35 represent
the upper performance level of normally aspirated BMW's coming out of
Europe. Most European models have about a 5% gearing and weight advantage
over USA models. Alpina and Hartge have almost 15% gearing and about
a 5% weight advantage over a USA 535i. What this means is that to produce
the same acceleration out of a USA 535i, it would have to put 20% more
power to the rear wheels.
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