Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikkahtropolis
You're wrong, he's right. This is a textbook example of someone being clueless thanks to clever badging (strong form of marketing).
The 3.2 has been removed. It hardly offered better performance at the cost of more weight over the 2.0T.
A5 2.0T = 328i (A5's 211 bhp/258 lb-ft VS 328i's 230 bhp/200 lb-ft)
S5 = 335i/is (S5's 354 bhp/325 lb-ft VS 335i[is]'s 300[322] bhp /300[332] lb-ft)
RS5 = M3 (RS5's 450 bhp/317 lb-ft VS M3's 414 bhp/295 lb-ft)
The Audi typically costs more and is slightly heavier, yet more powerful, than its direct BMW competitor, but the trim levels line up.
The S5 is basically an A5 in S-Line trim with a bigger engine. The suspension parts are the same, but with different tuning. The distinction its badging creates is purely a marketing thing, although it could be attributed to company history. The RS5 and M3 are entirely different from the more plebeian models in that the majority of their body panels, underpinnings and drivetrain are extensively modified.
|
Thank you!
The badging is actually a big draw. There's a lot of people who don't like the idea of spending 50+k on a "3 series bmw" that is indistinguishable from a 38k variant to the common observer...
throw an "s" badge on it... now the driver feels like he's bought something special. It's probably the biggest reason behind ditching the v8 in the a6. When the S6 comes out, I guarantee you people who would buy a 550 will defect to the S6 just to distinguish their 70-75k cars from lower variants.