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If you're considering an e39 estate don't bother with a v8, get a 530i msport touring. I had a 520i msport saloon and it was perfectly damped with sublime steering. Great torque but just lacking a bit top end as it only had 170bhp. Ate miles and sat right in the torque band at 62mph in 5th so in gear acceleration on the motorway was great. The v8's use a steering box rather than a good old fashioned steering rack so feel much better. Of course I could live with that for an m5, but I wouldn't fancy the running costs alongside a porker.
Had an m3, don't think I'll ever have an M car again. It was great fun don't get me wrong, but too expensive to run as a daily, and just not quite special enough to use as a second car. An e61 m5 is just batty, I love them but I'd much prefer a 535i day to day.
I don't have much of an opinion anymore though, I traded my 5 series in for a clio haha.
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@Colm89 - makes a lot of sense.
Although, might be different here in Aus but... a mate of mine had a 520i. It was in his family from new and always looked after. The car was great to drive, like you say. Mechanically solid too.
Then a few electrical bits started to glitch. And wow, the running cost shot through the roof and completely ruined a good car. It had done 270,000 klms though. And the front bumper can't withstand a wombat impact. -
Don't buy a Passat. You don't want to make the same mistake twice and buy another front wheel drive estate car with a chassis approaching the limits of its abilities.
RWD and V8. You know it makes sense. (For a very specific value of sense)
You're suggesting that the the 850, a sub eight minute Nurburgring car (see Tim Williams YouTube vids) has a poor chassis?
The Passat uses a full time four wheel drive system, and whilst it isn't the last word in "because racecar" is meant to be pretty fast and grippy.
Anyway- the Mrs doesn't like the idea of a new car so it looks like I'll dump another ten grand into the Volvo.
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The Volvo is the same- at 70'ish you're in fifth and at the right revs for the turbo to spool instantly- press the pedal slightly and you have 20psi and all the torque, you're at 150 pretty effortlessly. As a motorway car it's only fault is a little wind noise due to the seals being 21 years old. It's elsewhere that the laggy nature of a relatively small engine with a relatively big turbo become annoying.
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The answer had been staring you in the face. What you need is another Porsche. Panamera has v8, rwd, can fit a towbar and has a decent (ish) boot.
Does the answer come with a bag of cash to hand?
Cheapest one on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2011-Porsche-Panamera-4-8-4S-AWD-PDK-White-/222331266891?hash=item33c3f9e74b:g:FygAAOSwa~BYPyB-
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Anyway, as I said earlier, the Mrs won't sanction a second car that is not the Volvo, so we now need to look at how we make the Volvo fulfil the brief.
i.e. all modifications to date are, essentially, in the same sort of bracket as fitting new wheels compared to what would be needed in the time ahead.
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Answer is easy. LS in the Volvo
Sparky
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Colm89
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About
Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc
Posted by
Saloons are mainly company cars, no one really wants them second hand, especially with big motors.
Estates are for leisure, so probably won't be doing as many miles so big engines as more tempting.
Basically, everyone thinks like you.
Except for the whole make a bike look like a penguin book thing, no one else thinks like that.