Autowelt

Alpina B8 4.6, E36. BMW said a V8 wouldn’t fit in the E36. Alpina didn’t listen. They took the M60 V8, reworked it to 4.6 litres, created a specific block for it and made it produce 333 hp, more than the E36 M3. To make it work, the chassis needed over 42 modifications. This wasn’t a simple swap. This was a full re-engineering of the car. It also became the first ever 3 Series with a V8, officially from factory. Only 221 cars were built. It shouldn’t exist. But it does.

Why do I like looking at that 7 series? I thought all new BMW's we're super ugly.

I am 19 years young and I don't like it

BMW E63 M6. A high-revving S85 V10 in a luxury coupe. That already sounds wrong. This engine belongs in something aggressive, lightweight, focused a mid engined supercar for example. Instead, BMW put it in a grand tourer. It revs to the sky, sounds like a supercar and feels completely out of place in a car designed for comfort. If it’s been maintained properly, it’s an incredible engine. If not, it’s just an another problem in your life. And that contrast is exactly what makes this car. A luxury coupe that behaves like something far more extreme, the sound from the V10 is like a banshee screaming.

Audi SQ5 3.0 BiTDI. An S-badged Audi powered by a diesel V6. That alone doesn’t make sense. S cars were always expected to be petrol. Here, you get a twin-turbo diesel V6 with over 300 hp with huge torque and real-world speed. And the best part? It actually sounds like what it is. No fake V8 noise through speakers, just a proper diesel V6. Fast, efficient and completely against what people expected from an S model. It shouldn’t exist. But it does and people liked it, today it doesn't exist no more though.

@BowesJody Oh my god I just realized, the video looks like its sped up a little bit

@1Percenterer It's hard to say. Can't imagine the video is slowed down, due to the speeds of other objects. But that is not where near the indicated speeds

Mercedes W222 S63 AMG. Powered by the M157 V8 or the M177 V8, big torque, comes in early, exactly what you want for effortless speed. This isn’t a raw AMG. It’s luxury first, performance second. And that’s why it works so well. In the city, you’re not using what the car actually has. But once you leave, get onto the motorway or the autobahn, that’s when it starts to make sense. You can cruise quietly, comfortably, and then use the power when you want. No drama, no stress. Just speed when you ask for it. And compared to the newer S63, it still feels lighter and less overcomplicated.

@DirektorOnkel in my neighbourhood, there is someone who has one, the S560 coupe

@1Percenterer I absolutely adore this generation of S class, especially the coupe version. Engine, design, interior, the car had everything...

@OliverWunsch3 You gotta translate, oh damn, okay this is interesting. But there is a thing called good debt and bad debt.

@1Percenterer what future?

Volkswagen XL1. This wasn’t built to be liked. It was built to prove Volkswagen could do something extreme. The goal was simple: achieve 0.9 L/100 km fuel consumption. To get there VW engineered the car like a science project. Carbon fibre construction, magnesium parts, covered rear wheels and camera mirrors instead of normal mirrors. The powertrain was just as strange: an 800 cc twin-tdi paired with an electric motor in a plug-in hybrid setup. Only about 250 cars were produced. More of a rolling engineering experiment than a normal production car.

@JanusasPaulius That is a scam, because the dealer who are selling those so called bargains, all of their listings are shady

@1Percenterer That should be a bargain.😂

Mercedes S 500, W220. This generation marked a huge change for the S-Class. The M113 5.0 V8 itself is a very good engine. Strong, simple and known to last. The problems came from everything around it. The W220 introduced much more complex electronics and systems like AIRMATIC suspension and SBC braking, which became expensive headaches as the cars aged. Rust didn’t help either. Today many W220 S 500s sell for less than 5% of their original price, which says a lot about how the market views them. Great engine. Much more questionable chassis and ownership experience is poor with them.

@welshdragon1979 Yes yess

@1Percenterer same technology...

Audi Q7 V12 TDI. A family SUV powered by a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 diesel producing around 500 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque. The engine was derived from Audi’s Le Mans diesel racing program, which already makes the idea unusual. Instead of building another petrol performance SUV like the ML 63 AMG or BMW X5 M, Audi went in a completely different direction. Massive diesel torque. The result was absurd capability. The Q7 V12 TDI became famous for demonstrations where it could tow extremely heavy loads, even aircraft. Incredibly complex engineering, but also one of the most outrageous diesel road cars ever built.

@arctictruckers Well I wouldn't get any of them, id go for older M57 as I think they are a safer choice as long is they are not the TU2 variants and I am not buying one from a joyrider

@1Percenterer Yes. I preferred to play on the safe side and got myself 30d as N57 tri-turbo problems are well-known in the community 😁

BMW M550d, F10. A luxury 5 Series powered by one of the most complicated diesel engines BMW ever built. The N57S straight-six diesel used three turbochargers, producing around 375 hp and 740 Nm of torque. That made it brutally fast for a diesel executive saloon or estate. The engineering was extremely complex though. Three turbos, advanced injection systems and a lot of hardware packed into one engine. Older examples on the market today often come with the typical problems of aging high-performance engines. But when everything is working properly, the engine can sound surprisingly good too. A tri-turbo diesel 5 Series was definitely one of BMW’s wildest ideas.

@ShakeAlarm Well that sums it up

@1Percenterer It was pretty good, and it was fast ... Until I wrote it off.

Powered by the M30, one of BMW’s longest running engines. Built from the late 1960s all the way into the early 1990s and known for strong torque and durability. The 530 was never the wild one in the range. But the E12 shows what the early 5 Series formula was about. A comfortable saloon that still wanted to be driven. Hydraulic steering, manual gearboxes and no modern driver aids. Just a straight-six you could rev out daily without getting into serious trouble. This generation also introduced the fuel injected 530i models and the 530 MLE which was SA only. The design set the template too. Clean proportions, classic BMW lines and the shape that later evolved into the E28.

@NorfolkBricky61 I have wondered what are those gears actually for, 3 2 and what else is there

@1Percenterer He was holding it in gear rather than it shifting up automatically 😳

Mercedes 500 SE, W126. Powered by the M117 5.0 V8, one of Mercedes’ most durable engines from the era when these cars were built to last decades. Many people still think this is where the S-Class reputation for indestructible engineering really came from. Later S-Classes were also built like tanks, but the W126 avoids a lot of the electrical problems that appeared in newer generations. This generation introduced a lot of luxury and safety equipment for its time: ABS, airbags, climate control, power seats and advanced crash protection. And it still looks exactly like what an S-Class should be. Elegant, solid and unmistakably Mercedes.

@hashmegently You don't have to be arrogant, just tell me

@1Percenterer Are you seriously asking me why this car is retarded?

@AdrianoCarnelli 330d is way more worth I think, the performance difference isnt really that much either

@1Percenterer I think the better choice is the 330D with the same B57, costs a lot less, cheaper roadtax and insurance and with a tune you can have the same performance

BMW M340d. A performance 3 Series powered by the B57 turbocharged straight-six diesel, paired with a mild-hybrid system. Together with 335 hp and 700 Nm of torque. The engine is strong and surprisingly quick while still delivering very good fuel economy, if that is what you are looking for in a performance car. On paper the idea makes a lot of sense. A fast daily car with the torque of a diesel and efficiency that a petrol performance car cannot match. The problem is simple though. Most buyers will still choose the M340i petrol instead. That’s why the M340d is relatively rare, forgotten, even though the concept itself works perfectly.

@PistonTalkZW Aight, I'll believe you

@1Percenterer M340d ,it lacks top end power and that's where the M340i wins. The B58 is easier and cheaper to maintain than the B57 as they age. ( Js look up the cost of diesel injectors)

@GilesHogman I gotta agree there, the inside though, it doesn't look the same

@1Percenterer It looks like a big E. 😁. Says the Audi A8 fan. 🤣🤣

Mercedes S 500, W223. The newest S-Class continues the evolution, but it also shows how much the formula has changed. Under the bonnet sits the M256 3.0 turbo inline-six with mild-hybrid assistance, a smooth and modern engine, though very different from the V8s that defined older S 500 models. The design of the pre-facelift car actually looks very good and clean. It still carries the S-Class presence even if the proportions have changed. Inside is where the biggest shift happens. Massive vertical screens, touch controls everywhere and a much heavier focus on digital interfaces. With the facelift you can even have the screen cover the whole dash. Mercedes has pushed innovation in the S-Class for decades with heated seat belts being the new highlight in the new facelift. With the W223 it almost feels like they’ve run out of ideas and replaced them with screens.

@welshdragon1979 There is no way that its this quiet, I always heard the N57 diesel roar to life as my father started it up. I am in my room, X5 outside my window

@1Percenterer next thing i know dad was driving off without starting the engine, it was that quiet, i didnt realise the engine was still running....

@peterstopcrime Sounds true to me, but Bentleys have appeal too, to those who don't appreciate them which is all of us, will end up breaking them and selling them for peanuts

@1Percenterer Rolls Royce still has Rolls Royce appeal A Bentley is just a VAG product

Rolls-Royce Wraith. Powered by the BMW N74 twin-turbo V12, and this is exactly where that engine belongs. Not in a spec sheet war. Just in a Rolls-Royce. Yes it’s demanding, but these cars are cared for better than Bentley's, aging Bentley vs Rolls Royce, your choice? Of course. Different kind of ownership. And that engine is still being used today for a reason. The whole car is about one thing: Silence at speed. You’re doing 200+ km/h and it feels like nothing is happening. No stress, no noise, no effort. Just distance disappearing. Even today, it still looks new. That’s what makes it work here. Not how fast it is. How little it feels like it’s trying.

@StripeyMiata @hoellentourist and the MX5 is also a tiny car, what the hell

@1Percenterer @hoellentourist They are smaller than you think, my MX5 parked beside one.

@hoellentourist And this is electric

@1Percenterer Define rarer VWs. My Favorit was the ID.R.