[paradocs98]

Originally Posted by dmw16

I envisioned some fresh off reading Atlas Shrugged and seeing everything around him through that lenses.

Just because the only tool you have is a hammer doesn't make every problem a nail...

I like it...haven't heard that one before.

Originally Posted by Foodle

Off topic politics thread pretending to be relevant to the general forum.

Yep--should be over in the off-topic section.

Originally Posted by Foodle

No, the Ayn Rand loonies in here are radicals on the other side of the political spectrum.

Not really a loony (although my kids might think so). Just concerned about the direction this country has been taking over the last few years, and worried about the implications for us and future generations. The stereotype is often true--you're a liberal hippie when in college, rooting for the excitement that is Bill Clinton, and then you become more conservative when you actually hit the workforce, start paying taxes, become aware of rampant government waste on all levels, witness the abuses of overly generous public sector employee benefits, etc. And the way things are now, despite my being more conservative, Bill Clinton is looking good again (you can just see him grinning and saying, "Miss me now?").

Originally Posted by dmw16

I think you are looking for political meaning where none exists. The move to retire the S65 is based on profits for BMW.

The engines in M-cars past were special; S54, S65, S63, etc. The engines in current and future M-cars (M5, X5M, 1M, and F3X M3) are not nearly as special. Because, at least in my opinion, they are just modified production-line mills.

The development cost of the past S-code engines is likely huge and then shared among a fairly small market base when compared to the number of units over which BMW can spread of cost of the 3 and 5 series engines.

Also, OP, thanks for your service. Despite which side of the political spectrum any of us are I can assure you we appreciate it!

And since this thread is already political I'll take a moment to climb upon a soap box and just say some crap about that:

The reality is both parties want what's best for the nation. If you believe the hype that one side of the other will "destroy America" then put down the koolaide and use the gray-matter between your ears for a moment. Both parties try to stir up their base and that's all fine and good, but America is bigger than either party and the Constitution and American resolve are stronger than Obama or Romney. They are both just a passing phase.

Probably a valid point re. BMW looking to maximize profits by spreading development costs among a larger pool of units. I think we can all agree that BMWs are not built today the way they were in the past. Plastic has replaced metal in mechanical components, partially to save weight but also to save money. The cynical among us would suggest that BMW now designs their cars to self-destruct not far beyond the warranty period--witness the way they are built now, and the ridiculously long "scheduled maintenance" intervals. The idea being that BMW wants its customers to buy a new car every three or four years to get the "latest and greatest" tech and doo-dads.

As far as both parties wanting what's best for the nation, I don't totally agree. Again, being somewhat cynical, I think both parties want what's best for them. It's about consolidating and maintaining power, with benefits to the citizens being a somewhat secondary concern. This is true for Democrats and Republicans. I think it all started to come unravelled when politics became a career option. Our country started with businessmen, carpenters, doctors, farmers, lawyers, etc., who had full-time careers in their chosen professions, but were interested and passionate enough to serve a term in elected office while still performing their original professions and then returning to their jobs full-time. But then at some point being a politician transformed into a dedicated career, and as with any job, those involved do whatever necessary to maintain their position and advance. Soliciting campaign donations became necessary, and therefore doing political favors. Doing what's really right for all of us became secondary.

Oh, yeah--I love the S65 engine. Unfortunately, because all engines are necessarily electronic these days, I wonder if examples of the S65 will survive into the future. It's one thing to own and maintain a '60s Chevy 427 or Ford 289 race motor, because they're relatively easily worked on. I doubt that the average Joe would be able to do the same with an S65 15 or 20 years from now.