biggest BMW, MB and Lexus 6 cylinder motors compared
January 13th, 2006Unlike the BMW’s 3.0 liter, the Benz’s 3.5… has the low-end grunt to pin your ears off the line as well as the high-rpm horsepower to pin your grin as you chase the horizon. As Walton noted about the Teutonic sixes, “The BMW I-6 is, indeed, smoother than the M-B V-6; however, it takes what feels like twice as long to reach the redline and only begins to make power above 4000rpm.” The Lexus 3.5, similar to the Mercedes’, has power on hand throughout the rev range – just a lot more of it. source: Motor Trend, 02.06
(One could argue that rivals focus on their engines to make up for BMW’s clear lead in chassis feel, but this torque deficit is another reason BMW inline sixes tend to be better when paired with manual transmissions while competitors do just fine with an auto).