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Originally Posted by WilliCO
So this makes it look like real-world performance between the 35i and 35d are probably too close to be distinguishable.
That's good and bad for a guy considering a 35d. Good because it makes a strong case for fuel efficiency without performance compromise against the 35i. Bad because the buzz is that that 35d feels just as strong as the 50i in the "stoplight to normal speed" meter, where most of us want to feel like we have fast cars. These numbers don't say that.
Maybe there's more to it than the numbers suggest.
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IMO - That will be because the diesels have excellent torque down low whereas the petrol engines have a better top end. Subjectively this torque gives a great seat of the pants feeling that you are making good progress but the top end whack of the petrol cars more than makes up for it performance wise.
On a side note - the 8 speed ZF box has made the diesel cars even better relatively as they mask the diesels shortcoming top end wise by being able to drop the engine back into that massive torque curve on each upshift. The move from 6 to 8 speeds was a huge improvement in the E70 diesels and that continues and has been nicely refined in the F15.