no I agree completely BMW make the best diesel engines bar non. their geo setups and chassis engineers are some of the best. the m3 and the m5 are possibly some of the best drivers cars. but for me I struggle to be a 'me too' person. its the lack sheer perfection that gives the jags their character; I do find some of the german stuff a bit soulless.
if I wanted something I could drive daily and track on a regular basis i'd get the bmw if I only did the occasional track day i'd get the xfr. the audi rs4 is worth a look, but they look just like every other audi. you could go cheaper and look at the Vauxhall range and play with the vxr another cracking car. buti struggle with the badge, even though I know its a great aussie car.