As for those who know, it is not always about horsepower but torque.. and the S TYPE R has plenty of it. I remember I was at the car show last year and got into a conversation with the salesman from BMW. We were discussing why the new BMW had 500 horses but only 300 lb of torque.. He went on to tell me that it was because torque is never supposed to be higher than the horsepower...
 
My response to that ...absolute rubbish!!
 
The reason why BMW decided to make there 500 hp pillager with only 300 ft-lb of torque are because of gibbons with money.. You see the torque is what spins those tires with authority and when you have little miss Muppet driving her down the street and accidentally gives it some stick...well you know what happens -she finds herself looking the other way in on coming traffic.
 
It would simply get away from too may individuals, not to mention the gas-guzzler restrictions -so to solve this issue they limited the torque to 300 plus.
 

This is the reason why the S TYPE R is such a proper sports saloon.
With 400 -hp and 408 ft -lb of torque the S type R has, one of the enormous brakes peddles, you will ever find on a car, as you will need it - on the regular...
High point of the car "Race car Like handling" - Bad point of the car "race car Like Handling"
This car is not for the novice or the faint of heart as you will have to have plenty if you would like to keep this thing on the asphalt. Don’t get me wrong it is civil -that is until your do something stupid like press the gas..
 
One word "Depends" !
 
With other features like superior brembo brakes and Bluetooth technology, this is the perfect "well to doer grocery getter", and you can shut down a few M3’s on you way home.. but don’t think that M5 is going to relinquish it’s crown so easily, though the S TYPE R comes with Game, unfortunately it is not enough to take it to BMW’s net without getting some elbow.
 

At this point, Jaguar is still playing around, as they put it "we did not want to challenge BMW directly", which is why the Leaping Leopard now has a leash-(ford)- to much pomposity and not enough brash brit.
 
If anyone had the boots to take it to BMW it would have been Jaguar..but for now we will have to settle with "A minus.

Instead of Pure" A” game!

For more on the New British rule go here:
http://www.jaguarusa.com/us/en/vehicles/s-type/overview/introduction.htm

I am going to put the M5 on the plate, and this is for some more than they can chew.

Bavaria Motor Works have done it again, we all know that for Decades BMW has set the benchmark in terms of what a sedan could and should do. Not sure what is in the water over in Germany but even today the Japanese have a hard time competing with the likes of BMW.

Yes the Japanese have created some very infamous machines like the Supra and the Nissan Skyline to name a few, but you don’t get the same responsiveness from these vehicles as you would get in a German vehicle. Germany has figured how to give there cars "Soul".

This is no way an attack on the Japanese powers of persuasion as on the track Nissan, and Toyota are forces to respect and recon, but we seldom see these fundamentals transpire to the mortals of daily commute. Yes you get some pretty fun to drive cars but it is not the same. Every body knows that BMW has been dominating and in some ways rewritten the book on how a sedan/ sports car should act and respond.

My first impression of the BMW was familiarity. This is one thing I like over the domestics, every time I see a new concept car it makes me think " what! You didn’t get it right the first time"?

BMW lets you see the progression of there genius, and the past of there thinking - I like this, it is why a BMW is a BMW, like Jaguar it says I have roots, my grandfather did it and my father did it and now I do it.

When I sat in the 2006 M5 I was not overwhelmed by new materials or a whole new way of turning on the radio - even though I will point out there Option select feature was not a big hit, but as an idea it actually was a very good one -but it needs to be perfected. Their interior if you have not been exposed to the likes of Audi and Jaguar will suite you just fine but if you are aware you know that Audi makes some of the best interiors ever offered in a vehicle, which is why Mercedes hired them to do the interiors in there vehicles. None the less it is livable.

The Brain

BMW have always been know for the seasoned hand with engines and this engine is no acceptions, what do you expect from the people who built the engine for the Meclaren F1 - (the fasted production vehicle in the world).

One think that I found odd is the sound- every time you start the engine it sounds like - a freaking truck!!

What the hell is up with that!!?

But once you give it some reves and a bit of stick it starts to sound like the car you know and love. Just to push the point about what I was mentioning when I did my Jaguar S Type R post, BMW gives you the option too push a button and increase the horse power from 400 to 500 hps. Once you do this ooommpphh, you better be on a straight piece of asphalt. BMW should have had a disclaimer for this car- this is not for: first time BMW Buyers - Men with small tools - Soccer Mom - or Guys who were shades while driving a minivan.

So:

• would I drive this Car -Yes!
• would I buy this Car -No!