How much of a difference can 20 HP make? Is it enough to set two cars apart in an all out acceleration comparison? That’s the question that seemingly haunted the collective mind behind the AutoTopNL Youtube channel as the guys put together a comparison between the old F10 BMW M550d xDrive model and the new one. On paper, at least at first, the difference between the two is of just 19 HP and some torque but things are a bit more complicated than they appear.
The current generation uses a whole new engine that’s based on the modular B57 mill brought forward a while back. It replaces the N57S tri-turbo 6-cylinder diesel engine that’s still in production today on cars like the BMW X5 M50d and X6 M50d. The old engine is good for 381 HP and 740 Nm of torque, numbers that made the mill the most powerful 3-liter diesel monster in passenger cars back in the day. That title is held by the B57S mill powering the new G30 M550d xDrive today.
It makes 400 HP even and raises the torque output by 20 Nm to 760 Nm in total. That may not seem like much but the biggest difference in how it delivers this wave of push, as thanks to the fourth turbocharger, the G30 M550d has 450 Nm of torque available from 1,000 RPM and that’s just crazy.
On the road, the new car will also outrun the old one, claiming a 0-62 mph sprint of just 4.4 seconds. That’s 0.3 seconds faster and some of the credit goes to the all-wheel drive system which has been reworked to be more efficient as well as the cut in overall weight. The advantages of the added power and torque are noticeable at higher speeds as well. The video below offers a great insight into what the difference between the two is at triple digit speeds.
