03-19-2017, 03:40 PM | #68 |
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Precisely. Everyone gets hung up on zero to 60. I'm much more interested in handling characteristics and as Porsche says, there's no amount of power than can make up for excess weight. The 540ix starts at just over 4000 pounds. That's not too bad in today's world, but the 550 is 350 pounds heavier. That's a lot of additional weight.
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03-19-2017, 04:11 PM | #69 | |
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There isn't much of a difference in handling between the current 550i and 535i. The 3 and 4 series handle better than the 5 series by a larger margin. Regardless, I find it meaningless. All these cars handle extremely well for any real-world driving, and none of them handle as well as, say, a Porsche Cayman. How often do you speed around corners so fast that this makes a difference? The answer is pretty much never in my case. Even on mountain roads (where I rarely drive), it doesn't happen. It's just not safe - there could easily be a slower car, a cyclist, an animal, or some other nasty surprise waiting for you beyond the corner. I get more chances to enjoy the power than the handling. Anyway, there are certain thresholds of power and handling beyond which things become irrelevant overkill in real-world driving on public roads. Basically, unless you track the car, who cares... |
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03-19-2017, 06:12 PM | #70 | |
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The F10, and probably the G30, are better balanced with the inline-6 engine. The V8 is very nose heavy. Excess weight in the front of the vehicle is less than optimal. It makes a big difference in handling, driving in snow, and avoiding a sudden obstacle which is not outside the realm of daily driving. That said, I ordered the M550i and it will be my second V8 out of 8 5er. I do prefer the inline-6 for being balanced but it's unfortunate that the 540i doesn't come with similar suspension options found in the M550i. |
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03-19-2017, 06:51 PM | #71 | |
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How will you benefit from the different suspension offered by the M550i? What kind of driving do you do for this to make a difference? |
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03-20-2017, 09:21 PM | #75 |
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I want DDC but also like the stiffer springs. Presumably that's what I'm getting on the M550i. I find the springs on my past 5's with DHP to be too soft for my liking and the only way to get DDC on the 540 is to get DDC and give up the 704 M Sport suspension or go with ZDH which also lacks the firmer springs.
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03-23-2017, 04:54 AM | #77 |
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It's included in the driver assistance package.
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03-23-2017, 09:27 AM | #78 |
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