RE: BMW 550i (E60): Spotted

[ATM]

dme123 said:

Deep Thought said:

Maybe asked already, but i assume that was a pre April 2007 car? They had the old mechanical shift. The LCI electronic gearbox was much better

Pretty sure they were all ZF6HP24 boxes?

Correct it's the same box but with a different lever. Only other change is the LCI has paddles on the wheel.

[Deep Thought]

dme123 said:

Deep Thought said:

Maybe asked already, but i assume that was a pre April 2007 car? They had the old mechanical shift. The LCI electronic gearbox was much better

Pretty sure they were all ZF6HP24 boxes? BMW haven't used a purely hydraulic box in a 5 series since the 4 speeder in the early E34. Even that might have been a ZF4HP24E with electronic control.

Ah yes, the underlying box was the same - it was software changes and the change to the joystick style stick which seemed to be electronic rather than mechanical.

[ATM]

njw1 said:

popeyewhite said:

ATM said:

You only need to worry about something seriously exotic when in the 550i.

Bit like a mapped 330 D?

I've had a re-mapped 330d, it was quicker off the line than my 540i thanks to the big shove of low down torque (and manual gearbox) but once up and running the 540i would pull away, I suspect a manual 550i would have had it off the line too.

Oh, and give me a V8 petrol over a diesel of any description any day of the week!

The 0-60 figures are really quite similar between the man and auto 550i. I'm not gonna speculate why because this is PH and such chit chat seems to be frowned upon for some reason. I do know the final drive is lower in the auto.

[Patrick Bateman]

ATM said:

Patrick Bateman said:

Lowtimer said:

popeyewhite said:

For those traffic light GP moments?

I'm sure the motor is adequate, it's just not any more than that though.

This is just wanton snobbery

Are traffic light GP moments still a thing amongst adults? You'd just look like a prize tt.

They are amongst adults with a 5 litre v8 up front. You only need to worry about something seriously exotic when in the 550i. Although you cant just slam the throttle off the line if it is anything but hot and dry, or the 15 year old Traction Control cuts in. I'm running some skinny 225 winters and they struggle. So its all about squeezing the throttle. This definitely makes you feel like you're driving rather than pressing buttons. PPBB bought a 550i recently. He is a PH god to some including me.

Wasn't expecting that answer.

I've had such a car and I cannot imagine nailing it from a standstill at a set of traffic lights without managing to draw massive attention to yourself looking like the aforementioned tt.

[ATM]

Patrick Bateman said:

ATM said:

Patrick Bateman said:

Lowtimer said:

popeyewhite said:

For those traffic light GP moments?

I'm sure the motor is adequate, it's just not any more than that though.

This is just wanton snobbery

Are traffic light GP moments still a thing amongst adults? You'd just look like a prize tt.

They are amongst adults with a 5 litre v8 up front. You only need to worry about something seriously exotic when in the 550i. Although you cant just slam the throttle off the line if it is anything but hot and dry, or the 15 year old Traction Control cuts in. I'm running some skinny 225 winters and they struggle. So its all about squeezing the throttle. This definitely makes you feel like you're driving rather than pressing buttons. PPBB bought a 550i recently. He is a PH god to some including me.

Wasn't expecting that answer.

I've had such a car and I cannot imagine nailing it from a standstill at a set of traffic lights without managing to draw massive attention to yourself looking like the aforementioned tt.

It's a discreet car. Doesn't attract any attention. Just gathers pace quickly and quietly.

[Patrick Bateman]

Perhaps what I'm thinking of as traffic light GP is more 'extreme' then?

Regardless, I still don't don't see why anyone would give much of a toss about that but each to their own.

[BSSBMW]

Makes me laugh all this squabbling about this or that being quicker...

Who cares, its mid-large size saloon with a petrol V8 and a manual box in a sea of automatic diesels so whats not to like?

75% of E60s sold in the UK were diesel and out of those 25% petrol 5 series sold from 2004-2010 in the uk the majority of those will have been 6 cylinder cars so rarity also plays a part.

A customer of mine has a 550I manual touring which we thing is one of 6 sold in the UK.

As someone who has driven many of every type of E60 sold in the UK market for a long time i preferred the manual 550i over the M5 but my view on the M5s SMG box now being 'of its time' and that V10 at full chat has balanced that view out somewhat.

But the Alpina B5S trumps all!

[ZX10R NIN]

BSSBMW said:

Makes me laugh all this squabbling about this or that being quicker...

But the Alpina B5S trumps all!

+1 to that.

[cerb4.5lee]

BSSBMW said:

But the Alpina B5S trumps all!

Isn't that only available with the enjoyment sapping auto though?

[BSSBMW]

cerb4.5lee said:

Isn't that only available with the enjoyment sapping auto though?

Yes but 500+ lbft makes up for that and to be fair Alpina changed the software and fitted gear shift buttons to the steering wheel like they do to all their switchtronic models which which combine to make an improvement over the standard BMW offering.