Quote:
Originally Posted by ainarssems
E34 540 manual was a tiny bit faster then S8, I blame it on gearbox. I could exit roundabouts faster as BMW could not get get power to the ground through 2 wheels and make a bit of gap but beemer was closing in later.
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Not really a fair fight though, given that the E34 540i was fairly lightweight, because it was made before all those dire EU regs came into force and turned new cars into bloated, overweight bubble shapes. It's also a class size down from the S8!
A fair comparison would be an automatic S8 vs E38 740i contest, or a manual S8 vs E34 540i comparison. Like for like in terms of transmission I doubt there would be much (if anything) in it. And at higher speeds, the S8 would win out, I expect.
One thing not much mentioned on the D2 A8/S8 is the aero (or lack of obvious aero). But it seems to 'slip' through the air very well. Little noise which I am guessing means little resistance. That low stance, gently raked windscreen and general smoothness in design was probably another under-appreciated engineering masterstroke in the D2 A8 design.