Originally Posted by JCL

Money not being an object is not the same as saying one doesn't care about money. I do care about money, but it wasn't a hindrance to choosing the vehicle I actually wanted.

One buys an I6 because the BMW inline six (in almost any version) is simply one of the best, classic, modern era engines. You get a chance to own an incredible engine. The V8 is fine, but it simply isn't in the same class as the inline six. An inline six is inherently balanced, giving it a turbine smoothness that you simply can't get with a V8, with its inherent imbalance. Some people like the rumble of the V8, but that is just another way of saying imbalanced power strokes.

Money was no real object for me, and I chose the I6. It wasn't specifically for purchase price, or maintenance price, or fuel economy, although those are all better with the I6. When I got the 535, I was buying the engine, and I just chose which BMW car to get that engine delivered in. I chose it over the V10 in the M5, which had the same body style.

If money were truly no object, one would not buy a V8, but rather a V12, which is an inherently balanced engine. Not necessarily practicaly, but a solid design choice. The V8 is simply 2/3 of a V12, so it can't really be called the ultimate anything.