Top Gear pits the BMW 535d against the 545i

Prior to 2005, Top Gear blowhard Jeremy Clarkson was not a fan of diesel-powered cars. In fact, until July 2005 no diesel had ever turned a lap on the Top Gear test track. But then Jeremy met the BMW 535d. Although the 535d is a bit heavier than the gas version, Jezza found that it still comported itself remarkably well even on a wet track. The 535d didn't get quite as good mileage being thrashed on the track as it did in the ABG garage but that's to be expected. After Clarkson was done playing by himself, he took on the mighty Stig in a gas V8-powered 545i, and although the V8 beat the six-cylinder diesel, the 535d did remarkably well. Clarkson came away with a newfound respect for modern diesels. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: eGMCarTech]

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