Today I was putting my suspension on my I30{Sprint springs} and had to pick up a tool for the job, so I used my dust collecting 95 max SE 5spd with RT cat,Centerforce clutch,Aluminum flywheel{other wise stock}. So when I was driving home on the back streets nere my house I see a nice looking BMW tail gaiting me so I decided lets see what he has got so I passed the car in front of me and the 540I did the same. Before I new it I was going 75ish in a 40mph zone with a BMW still close behind,then he back off and shut of his lights{WTF?} so I say ok and shut my lights{it was dusk out} off and continue on my rute, before I know it the Bimmer comes out of now where and gets right up on my rear{at about 50 mph} and mathces my speed at 50mph, then he makes the first move and jumps over the yellow line and is trying to pass me, so I slam it in second and I see him just barely gaining on me, then came 3rd gear at 67mph and he gets right on my rear door and slowly passes me by the time I hit about 100mph. We then we continued to fly down the twisty streets at between 90-120mph. I stayed right up on his rear the hole time, needless to say, he beet me fair and square. A lot fun indeed!, I just wish I was driving my SC I30 at the time because then this race would have been a whole nother story all together. I will be out looking for him in my I30 to avenge my maxes death. Damn where was my damn I30 when I needed it?!?!? Ohh yeah the sprint springs look/work nice! One other thing I came to the cunclusion that a 95 5spd max {mostly stock} can hang with the best of them.

 

So how fast do you think a '95 5spd max(mostly stock) is in 1/4m?
I mean, talking about fast NA 4th gen known to this BBS, jeff K.'s modded 5sp did 14.6 on street tires, that's with almost all bolt-ons. are you implying a '95 5sp(mostly stock) should easily run faster than that??
if not(which i think you aren't), then i don't see how you can hang with the *best* of 540's.

 

Maybe it was a auto? I don't know. I would amagine my 95 max would run about 15.0 1/4 mile{opposed to the 540's 14.0, give or take a tenth or two. I know that a 540I is defenatly faster then a almost stock maxima but at speed of excess of 100MPH down twisty back streets you can hang with one, atleast I did, he never got more then a few cars ahead of me so I would say I hanged with him. BTW a 1 second difference in the 1/4 mile does not equate to a massive advantage at those speeds, maybe a car or two, maybe 3?

 

ugh... i think it's more like 8-10??

also i wasn't only talking about your specific case. i have no doubt in my mind that a certain max can beat a certain 540 given the right circumstance. but the way you put it, in general, in order to hang with the best of 540's, you need to be low 14's to be in competition, and i don't believe a nealy stock '95 is a low 14's car.

 

Good race. I tried to pick a fight with an "M3" today, but he wouldn't bite. I think it was a regular 3 series just all badged up. All show, no go...

 

Is a 540I available with a auto? Or just a 6spd? If I was racing a auto then it would make perfect sense how I kept up with him. BTW you are right about the 8-10 car lengths, For some I was thinking that it was a car length per second, silly me.

 

540 is of course available in automatic, which does mid 14's i think.
again, i repeat, i am not saying you didn't hang with one. my point is that *in general*, a 5sp na max(even modded) won't be able to hang with the best of 540's.

 

Point taken. BTW when I said a max can hang with the best of them I ment fast cars in general, of course there are some exception and many of them.

Later

 

BMW 540iA (auto) as tested by motor trend does 0-60 in 6.2 seconds, and the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds.
the 540 auto is NOT a 14 flat car. his max could have definitely kept up. I'm not saying that a max is just as good as a 540....540s are phat rides that are not even in the same ballpark as a max.