Thanks, mine is a 99 E39 sports 6 speed, it has more torque than E34 540i and 400E, I feel it can beat my 400E by 1-1.5 seconds just in 1st gear's range, 400E's tall rear diff makes it hesitate a big time from stand still, also the lazy transmission always wants to stay at 4th, plus those tiny shoes(195 vs. Bimmer's 255), soft suspension and 60/40 F/R balance, as someone quoted before, 400E is actually 200-300 lbs lighter than E39 540i, it has the potentials to be a very fast car but Mercedes tried its best to hamper it down..

__________________
99 BMW 540i 6-speed 110K Km
03 SAAB 9-5 wagon 80K Km
92 400E (Sold) 245K km
Still missing the days with the Benz, it kept me busy.