BMW vs. Porsche: a comparison between two German manufacturers with notable similarities, but also quite different. Both are manufacturers from across the Rhine, and each of them has specialized and excelled in the field of luxury vehicles. They are also two brands with a huge history. Finally, they both have broad lineups, ranging from luxury sedans to premium mid-size SUVs and sporty convertibles. Therefore, making a choice between the two seems like a difficult one. Porsche Rive-Sud, your Porsche dealer of choice in St-Hubert, tells you why Porsche is the best choice for your next new luxury vehicle between Longueuil and Brossard!
BMW: an aircraft manufacturer that has become a manufacturer of sporty luxury vehicles.
Let's start by studying BMW. Founded in 1916, the Bayerische Motoren Werke (B.M.W., in English: Bavarian Motor Factory), was first a manufacturer of aircraft engines. However, following the German defeat after the First World War and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, BMW was banned from producing aircraft and aircraft engines and had to convert. It is then that the firm began to produce engines for motorcycles, cars, and trucks.
On the car side, BMW will acquire Dixi in 1928, which had obtained the production rights of the Austin Seven. The 3/15 PS model was born in 1929. The main modifications on it concerned the change of all the original screws with metric ones. But the evolutions of the BMW automobile productions will become less and less timid, particularly with the 303 and its six cylinders, released in 1933. However, it is only from the 1970s onwards that we see the "consolidation" of BMWs as we know them today, with the structuring of the ranges in series (e.g. 3 Series, 5 Series).
In the 1980s, BMW's Motorsport division came to the forefront with the famous BMW M3 E30. This branch will also be recognized for its work on the brand's in-line six-cylinder engines, which will allow it to establish itself as an undisputed specialist in this type of engine. Finally, the 1990s and 2000s will see the multiplication of the manufacturer's lineups, with the launch of new SUVs and roadsters in addition to their traditional luxury sedans.
Porsche: innovations and sportiness that can be experienced every day in St-Hubert on Montreal's South Shore
For Porsche, the story is different. Originally founded in 1931 in Stuttgart as an automotive design and consulting firm, Porsche's adventure seems to have begun long afterwards. However, that would be forgetting the journey of its founder, Ferdinand Porsche. He already had impressive achievements in his career, including the creation of the first hybrid vehicle in automotive history, the Lohner-Porsche, which was produced from 1900 to 1905. He was then recruited by Austro-Daimler as Chief Designer and later by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft as Technical Director. During his time with the latter, he created compressor racing cars that dominated their class in the 1920s. However, following a disagreement with the Daimler-Benz board of directors, he left the group in 1929 for Steyr, before founding his own engineering office two years later.
Ferdinand Porsche was also the creator of the legendary Volkswagen Beetle, an economical five-seater car with a rear overhung engine, produced in 21,529,464 units. This was a decisive step for Porsche: it was the basis for the iconic 356 in 1948. The latter, which was noticeably light and easy to handle, gave Porsche its first race victories. Its replacement, the 911, would enjoy an even more dazzling destiny. A sports car for everyday use (a 2+2-seater), it would inaugurate the legendary horizontally opposed six cylinders, which still equips today's 911s. The 911 will also contribute to Porsche's countless victories (more than 30,000!) in competition, winning on all terrains.
It will also be the main ingredient in the brand's DNA, first and foremost on a technical level. Indeed, it is through its profound 959 evolution that it will impose all-wheel drive in the road range as of the 911 Type 964. Porsche will also draw inspiration from it for the stylistic codes of the entire Porsche range from the first generation of Boxsters to the present day.
Finally, the last detail that proves the high importance of motor sports for Porsche: the names given to the different versions of the manufacturer's vehicles. For example, the terms "Carrera" and "Targa" given to the 911s are extrapolated from the Carrera Panamericana and the Targa Florio, which are demanding and central races for Porsche. The same goes for the term "turbo", which was a technology mastered quite early on by Porsche in competition, notably at Le Mans.
Comparison of BMW and Porsche vehicles near Longueuil.
This difference in philosophy between the two manufacturers can be directly felt first on the reliability of the vehicles. In J.D. Power's 2020 ranking of the most reliable brands, BMW ranks 8th. Porsche? 4th! BMW is good, but Porsche is even better! This better reliability for very sporty vehicles also allows Porsche to enjoy a more exclusive image than BMW.
Moreover, the current rivalry between BMW and Porsche on the South Shore of Montreal is first and foremost about their respective SUVs. In the premium compact SUV segment, the protagonists facing each other are the 2020 Porsche Macan and the BMW X3/X4 pair. In terms of performance, the Macan easily outperforms the X3 and X4 at the entry level, thanks to a 248-hp 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine providing 273 lb-ft of torque. The Bavarian twin has only 258 lb-ft of the same power (248 hp). In the 2020 BMW X3 vs. 2020 Porsche Macan and 2020 BMW X4 vs. 2020 Porsche Macan games, the Porsche is the winner in the first trim level.
Then come the 2020 BMW X5 vs 2020 Porsche Cayenne and 2020 BMW X6 vs 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe face offs. In this respect, these offers are very comparable. Indeed, the Porsche Cayenne is available as a classic SUV and a coupe SUV, while the same bodies are respectively the prerogative of the 2020 X5 and the 2020 X6. But that's where the differences end. In fact, when it comes to engines, the 2020 Porsche Cayenne/2020 Cayenne Coupe pair clearly gaining the upper hand over the Munich vehicles. In their most powerful version, the Turbo S E-Hybrid variant, both Porsches are powered by a hybrid unit consisting of a turbocharged V8 combined with an electric motor, which develops a combined power and torque of 670 hp and 664 lb-ft respectively. Given these values, BMW's turbocharged V8 can't compete with its 617 hp for 553 lb-ft.
Finally, we still have to decide on the 2020 BMW Z4 vs. 2020 Porsche 718 Boxster comparison. On this point, even though both vehicles are rear-wheel-drive roadsters, there's not much more similarity here either. Indeed, the 2020 Z4 has a classic front-engine configuration, while the 2020 Porsche 718 has a mid-rear engine. This difference in architecture says a lot about the vocation of each vehicle. While the BMW offers a behaviour intended for dynamic cruising, the Boxster is more dedicated to performance. Indeed, the position of its engine, which is also that of a Formula 1 car, offers an optimal balance for ideal behaviour on the track. As far as the engines are concerned, the Porsche also wins the round, with outputs ranging from 300 hp for the entry-range version equipped with a flat four-cylinder turbo (compared to 255 hp for the 2020 BMW Z4 sDrive30i), to 414 hp for the very sharp 2020 Porsche 718 Spyder, dedicated above all to the track with its incredible flat-six screaming through the laps (382 hp for the 2020 BMW Z4 M40i).
So, if you want the heritage of a luxury brand and the design of its models to come directly from the race, there is only one choice: Porsche. True to tradition yet constantly evolving, the vehicles from Zuffenhausen offer uncompromising sportsmanship that remains liveable on a daily basis. So, come by today at Porsche Rive-Sud, your Porsche dealer of choice in St-Hubert, to discover the range of the legendary Stuttgart manufacturer!
Posted: August 28, 2020