I’ve had both and I know for a fact a 6 speed 540 will beat a 5 speed e36 m3. Maybe not by a TON but it will beat it stock for stock with identical drivers. On top of this its interior is a MILLION times better and more luxorious then the cheap looking interior the e36 has with its trim peices constantly breaking… My end point being its a joke for this kid to talk about the 540 being a DOWN grade lol… Thats like saying I went from a 2004 e46 328i to a 2011 750i, what a down grade. I dont give a fuck HOW many problems those junk 7 series have, its still an insane upgrade.