deedub 144 Report post Posted Wednesday at 01:02 AM 28 minutes ago, topnotchrally said: 2. They had/have high taxes on engines over 2000cc (eg Maserati bi-turbo. 2L specifically for this reason) E30 320iS is another example. 2L S14. Basically an M3 equivalent for Italy and Portugal with the same displacement tax. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kodachrome 174 Report post Posted Thursday at 10:10 PM (edited) On 8/20/2025 at 12:29 PM, topnotchrally said: I'll try not to sound condescending, but... In many European countries, 25 years ago, and still today... 1. Petrol is very expensive. (small engine, less petrol) 2. They had/have high taxes on engines over 2000cc (eg Maserati bi-turbo. 2L specifically for this reason) 3. A big quiet car is nice to have... it will still go 150km/hr.. it just takes a while to get there. I've been driving a E36 318i for more than 20 years because 140hp is plenty.. it's quick enough, but easy to stay out of trouble.. it gets decent fuel economy. No one needs more than 100hp... it's a capitalist luxury. Hah, Im from one of those European countries and lived it. We had an E34 520i and family had a host of different BMWs of the era (including e34's). The 518i is 112HP in a heavier car than the E36 so your comparison is kinda pointless. The 518i, depending on options, is between 50 and 75hp a ton. IMO, they only get balanced properly at the 525i level (around 120hp a ton) and in our familial experience, fuel consumption is better on that mid point than on the entry level engines, in the real world. I think we can probably agree the designers of the e34 did not plan the 518i as an optimum or efficient idealised example of the product. Its a symtom of tax regimes, not good product design. Is it functional? Yes. Is anything more competent a capitalist luxury? In my opinion, no, thats a tad extreme lol. Edited Thursday at 11:10 PM by Kodachrome 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
