wow... this thread seems to pop up in other threads too. I think BMW is definatley made for sport with luxury still in mind, and the S55, SL55, C32, E55, etc. are all nice and fast, but still overpriced compared to their bimmer counterparts. As far as not changing the looks a lot, I think that lends to tradition, not a lack of imagination. To say that a bimmer looks like crap when it's old and devalues too much is ignorant. I've seen plenty of rusted out beat up 300D's (W123) that smell, and are loud and slow. The integrity of an old car depends on how well an owner takes care of it. I've also seen some awesome 1602's, 2002's, M6's, M1's and other 20 year old bimmers that make me want to trade my car in. Many arguments can be made against benz, like no stickshift option, too soft a suspension, too many "gadgets", etc. All this debate really boils down to is that BMW has performance in mind, and mercedes has luxury in mind, and both are becoming cheaper made and less reliable as the years go on, so they can compete with their japanese counterparts.