550i Touring...
Author
Discussion

texasjohn

Original Poster:

3,687 posts

260 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Shameful gas guzzler...











Edited by texasjohn on Friday 28th June 20:16

Brett748

977 posts

195 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Hero. Proper car. Extra points for it being a touring too.

AH33

2,066 posts

164 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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no shame needed smile

crazy about cars

4,454 posts

198 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Neighbour used to have one of these too but in black. He always felt that he should've went for the M5 instead though.

Ug_lee

2,224 posts

240 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Such a shame this type of car is so rare on the roads. It's either diesel or M5 with not much in between

Never been a massive fan of BMW's but as an estate that is a handsome thing!

martin mrt

3,883 posts

230 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Love this, seen the thread over on the BMW section, the spec list is very impressive.

The colour combo is particularly pleasing too


Podie

46,649 posts

304 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Silly car.



biggrin

M159V8

2,540 posts

175 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Fit a 520d badge and +1000 man points to you! biggrin


ETA: It would be +1,000,000 if it were a manual whistle

Spuffington

1,354 posts

197 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Top job, mate! As you know, I was v keen on swapping for my machine....

Really pleased you're enjoying it!

Shameful plug for my own gas guzzler. Interesting that I have a similar bunch of pics of badge & engine....but this one of the exterior! smile


Brett748

977 posts

195 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
What I love about the 550 is that it looks no different to the masses of 520D's you see up and down the motorway yet has that awesome V8 lump.

That said in reality the M5 isn't that striking to look at. To the layman the only thing that gives anything away to its performance is the 4 tail pipe.

M159V8

2,540 posts

175 months

Friday 28th June 2013
quotequote all
Brett748 said:
What I love about the 550 is that it looks no different to the masses of 520D's you see up and down the motorway yet has that awesome V8 lump.

That said in reality the M5 isn't that striking to look at. To the layman the only thing that gives anything away to its performance is the 4 tail pipe.
Very true. But what I like is the fact that a debadged 550i could even fool an enthusiast, as long as the exhaust note isn't heard obviously biggrin

greggy50

6,275 posts

220 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Lovely car

I would get it detailed though that orange peel is quite bad!

Amirhussain

11,651 posts

192 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Spuffington said:
That's a sleeper, I know my cars but if there was no badge I would have thought that was a 530d/535d.

Spoof

1,854 posts

244 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Fantastic car. I really love the E61 shape now, it was obviously ahead of its time. Great colour combo too, if I do say so myself.



Are they the comfort seats too? Some of the best seats in any car I've owned. I couldn't live without the HUD either now I've got it properly adjusted.

BMRuss

1,547 posts

219 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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I've recently bought a 550i sport saloon, i like your colour interior, had to plump for black,

Just been to Canet Plage and back in it, what a machine, fully loaded up, 900 miles in a day was a breeze, those French speed cameras tended to go off quite a lot though biggrin

cerb4.5lee

44,278 posts

209 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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greggy50 said:
Lovely car

I would get it detailed though that orange peel is quite bad!
I hate bmw's for their orange peel & ive owned 5 of them now but it is a joke that they are supposed to be a premium car yet they can't get the paint finish right!

Absolutely love the 550i it's a gorgeous engine & a super rare car but I would search out a manual aswell as I wasn't fond of the auto in my old X5 4.8iS but wouldn't say no to one regardless, enjoy. driving

BMWNICK

80 posts

160 months

Friday 28th June 2013
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Great car. Only downside is that the CO2/£ ratio should be higher, apparently only 267 CO2.

cerb4.5lee

44,278 posts

209 months

Saturday 29th June 2013
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BMWNICK said:
Great car. Only downside is that the CO2/£ ratio should be higher, apparently only 267 CO2.
That's good going my old 4.8 X5 was 324 CO2 & my current M3 with its shameful lack of torque is 295 CO2, a real result then by the look of things.

texasjohn

Original Poster:

3,687 posts

260 months

Saturday 29th June 2013
quotequote all
Thanks for the comments.

The CO2 is around 250g on the LCI automatic transmission cars, it's band L anyway.

I have the Sport Automatic Transmission gearbox and it's not bad at all, achieves very quick gearchanges in sport mode. About as quick sport mode gearchanges in the SSG (old SMG I) fitted to the late E46 and early Z4s. Manual would allow for full control of course...

BMW paint isn't the best in terms of finish and the car I just sold had BMW Individual paint - it was the same quality although you'd think they would put in a bit more effort given the amount they charge for that paint option.

Brown leather might not have been my choice but it makes a change from black. They are comfort seats and have the active backrest which grips you in corners. Have HUD and night vision, the former a great option but the latter won't get used much.

It's nice to own a big V8 and I've seen one or two people in cars behind at traffic lights that have clocked the 550i badge although lip reading skills aren't perfect so maybe they are saying the f word rather than saying five fifty smile

Other than the badge it's quite discreet really.


Edited by texasjohn on Saturday 29th June 03:03

cerb4.5lee

44,278 posts

209 months

Saturday 29th June 2013
quotequote all
It sounds really well specced & I bet its great to experience the comfort seats as they look so inviting & I would be chuffed as you are to own a car that is universally appreciated, they are really sort after & I love them. smile