1990 320i Touring Lungy when throttle is applied?

[fraserw]

Hi, as above my car feels unresponsive and is lungy and lurches when you put your foot down in the low gears, and also seems very lacking in low end torque. E.g. cannot get up the slightest gradient in 5th at 30mph with just my weight (60 kg) in the car.
this seems to me to be something up with the car, another odd characteristic is that it feels slow below 4200rpm and then will surge and accelerate much faster between 4200 and 6000rpm? Like it has a modified cam in, but it doesn't? Its standard.
The exhaust is blowing but I don't know whether this would affect it in this way?

[capri_rob]

Throttle cable sticking ?

Welcome to the zone

[Speedtouch]

Sounds like it could be an inlet manifold gasket leak, or split in the intake trunking.