Straight six to V8?
Discussion
Got a bit of a dilemma. Currently have an M340i but I've had my head turned by something with a V8, namely an S550 Mustang.
There's a few new cars left on the market before the Gen7 comes out later this year, and from discussions I've had with dealers, some decent deals to be had.
I really like the BMW, it ticks every single box for me, but I feel like I'd like to own a V8 at some time, and the Mustang seems a semi sensible way of doing it.
They seem to depreciate very slowly at the moment, with three year old cars hovering around the £40k mark still, and I've been told to expect the Gen7 to start around £60k, which should keep Gen6 car values pretty firm.
It'd have to be a manual I think, and I'm just not sure if I'd be opening myself up to a world of hurt, disappointment or regret after the BMW.
Any thoughts / ownership experiences?
There's a few new cars left on the market before the Gen7 comes out later this year, and from discussions I've had with dealers, some decent deals to be had.
I really like the BMW, it ticks every single box for me, but I feel like I'd like to own a V8 at some time, and the Mustang seems a semi sensible way of doing it.
They seem to depreciate very slowly at the moment, with three year old cars hovering around the £40k mark still, and I've been told to expect the Gen7 to start around £60k, which should keep Gen6 car values pretty firm.
It'd have to be a manual I think, and I'm just not sure if I'd be opening myself up to a world of hurt, disappointment or regret after the BMW.
Any thoughts / ownership experiences?
cerb4.5lee said:
You might miss a bit of the turbo punch from the M340i. However surely you won't be disappointed with that lovely 5.0 V8 though. 
I think the Mustang is a special car, so for me if I was you I'd definitely go for it.
Mrs Hotdogs is weirdly encouraging me to do it which is odd for her!I think the Mustang is a special car, so for me if I was you I'd definitely go for it.
Her theory is that you only live once and if I don't get on with the Mustang, just keep it for 12 months then go back to an M340i. If I wait for the new Gen7 I'll probably get priced out, and mine's worth a decent amount at the moment.
Looking at the financials, if the market for them is the same in 12 months time and it doesn't work out, I'd probably get all of my PCP deposit back so I guess there's little risk apart from not getting on with it.
ZX10R NIN said:
Go for it, you won't regret it, they feel special at low speed which really adds to the theatre.
+1. As your wife says you can always go back to the BMW fold, but for now enjoy that lovely V8 noise while you can. I test drove a couple a few years ago and the engine is incredibly flexible, pulling smoothly from low revs, so although there's not the turbo slug of torque it's a very nice thing to have control of with your right foot.Enjoy!
Do it. You won't regret it, the V8 absolutely feels more of an event at low speeds.
I've gone from 4cyl NA to V6 TT to 4cyl Turbo to V8 and can honestly say I've never missed one engine over the other and the V8 is the most fun to just tool around in. You dont' know what your missing until you try it!
I've gone from 4cyl NA to V6 TT to 4cyl Turbo to V8 and can honestly say I've never missed one engine over the other and the V8 is the most fun to just tool around in. You dont' know what your missing until you try it!
I love V8’s, had a 6.2 c63 which I miss, now an m140 so same engine as yourself and it’s the perfect all round daily/track car for me but I still find myself looking at mustangs recently, I feel another v8 is needed in my life. They sound epic even when just burbling around town you don’t have to be ‘on it’ to enjoy that engine.
I have an M4 with the twin turbo I6 DCT as well as a Mustang 5.0 6 speed.
The BMW is more refined and more precise but the Mustang is more fun in general and to me sounds better with the deep, low rumble.
Go get the Mustang - mine is a 2016 and I've had no real problems with it all including 3 years of using it as my daily driver pre-pandemic. I did daily school runs, shopping trips and work commuting and it was more practical than you might think while still making running errands special.
The BMW is more refined and more precise but the Mustang is more fun in general and to me sounds better with the deep, low rumble.
Go get the Mustang - mine is a 2016 and I've had no real problems with it all including 3 years of using it as my daily driver pre-pandemic. I did daily school runs, shopping trips and work commuting and it was more practical than you might think while still making running errands special.
I made a similar switch - BMW M2 to a Lexus RCF. They're very different cars but the 5.0 V8 in the Lexus makes it worth it for me. The BMW always felt like it needed to be ragged to come alive, it very rarely felt like a special car to drive (but on those rare occasions it really was brilliant). The V8 in the Lexus makes it an event to drive at any speed, plus the interior is miles ahead which makes it a more interesting place to sit.
mythdat said:
I made a similar switch - BMW M2 to a Lexus RCF. They're very different cars but the 5.0 V8 in the Lexus makes it worth it for me. The BMW always felt like it needed to be ragged to come alive, it very rarely felt like a special car to drive (but on those rare occasions it really was brilliant). The V8 in the Lexus makes it an event to drive at any speed, plus the interior is miles ahead which makes it a more interesting place to sit.
I'd looked at the RCF as well, but used prices are strong and the finance was silly. Might be an idea in the future as they look great, and it's got the great mix of a V8 with a great interior and reliability. For me it's not about our and out performance or handling prowess, I just like something thats effortless to drive and a bit of an event if possible. I don't drive my m340i hard, and no doubt won't push a Mustang, I'll just enjoy the V8 burble
RonnieHotdogs said:
For me it's not about our and out performance or handling prowess, I just like something thats effortless to drive and a bit of an event if possible. I don't drive my m340i hard, and no doubt won't push a Mustang, I'll just enjoy the V8 burble
Yeah I totally understand that. I used to track my M2 and in that situation performance and handling are great, but I came to the conclusion that tracking my daily was just wrecking it and stopped doing it. For a pure road car handing and performance really aren't that important, it doesn't matter how it feels on the limit because you'll never get there, what matters is that it puts a smile on your face day to day and the big V8 does that.I also tested a Mustang before I got the RCF and that definitely had the smile factor too - sounds a great fit for you
BlackTank said:
One other thing to think about is that the Mustang is eminently modifiable. I've got mine set up to be my perfect mix of performance v comfort and it was relatively cheap to do so and didn't affect the insurance at all (LV).
What sort of things have you done out of interest? I've been reading about the subframe inserts / bushings which look to be worth it.How do you find rear grip? For some reason the Mustang always seems to be synonymous with oversteer, and I assume with it being quite a heavy car, if it goes it'll be hard to get back.
Are they predictable and easy to drive down country lanes etc, or do you always need to have your wits about you?
RonnieHotdogs said:
What sort of things have you done out of interest? I've been reading about the subframe inserts / bushings which look to be worth it.
How do you find rear grip? For some reason the Mustang always seems to be synonymous with oversteer, and I assume with it being quite a heavy car, if it goes it'll be hard to get back.
Are they predictable and easy to drive down country lanes etc, or do you always need to have your wits about you?
All suspension and wheel/tire related as well as a variable exhaust and short throw transmission.. I live in a pretty rural area so it's little lanes all the time for me. The Mustang is wider than a hatchback but no different than most modern BMW or Mercedes saloons. I found the biggest "bang for the buck" change was getting OZ Super leggera light weight wheels and Mich Pilot Sports 4s on versus the stock wheels with the P Zeros. This has made the Mustang much more stable and predictable and rear grip has not been a problem even in muddy and wet lanes. You have to be sensible though - the Mustang is raw with less nanny aids than the M4 so when it's very cold and wet, at least wait until the tires have been running for a bit before putting the foot down.How do you find rear grip? For some reason the Mustang always seems to be synonymous with oversteer, and I assume with it being quite a heavy car, if it goes it'll be hard to get back.
Are they predictable and easy to drive down country lanes etc, or do you always need to have your wits about you?
So I did it!
Managed to get everything slotted into place far easier and quicker than expected. One of a few new manual S550s available.
First impressions are positive - its got the Custom Pack 2 so has plenty of good spec. Interior obviously isn't in the same league as the BMW but isn't bad by any means.
First commute to work resulted in 23mpg as opposed to 30mpg in the m340i, but that's to be expected.
Time to enjoy that V8 burble
Managed to get everything slotted into place far easier and quicker than expected. One of a few new manual S550s available.
First impressions are positive - its got the Custom Pack 2 so has plenty of good spec. Interior obviously isn't in the same league as the BMW but isn't bad by any means.
First commute to work resulted in 23mpg as opposed to 30mpg in the m340i, but that's to be expected.
Time to enjoy that V8 burble
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