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BMW 5-Series (G30) Forum 2017+ BMW 5 Series (G30) General Discussions New ´18 G31 540iXdrive M-Sport impressions

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      03-12-2018, 03:32 PM   #23
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Excellent post. Very informative on some of the options' nuances. Thank you.
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      03-19-2018, 04:16 PM   #24
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New winter pics

Managed to get the car cleaned up, I thought I share a few new pics

The front, you can see that one of the kidneys opens only partially, due to the thermal camera built in for the night vision:



Also, this from the side, tried to capture how interestingly Med Blue varies with the angle (and intensity) of the sun




Side shot:




I really like how impervious the car is with the combo of studded Nokian winter tires and xDrive - it really rails, regardless of the slippery surface. Drove the e46 today on the same road, back-to-back with the 540, they both have studded winter Nokian - boy, what a difference in traction!

Last edited by Zap-xpilot; 10-01-2018 at 04:55 AM.. Reason: Updated Photo locations
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      03-19-2018, 07:21 PM   #25
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Love the colour!
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      10-01-2018, 07:08 AM   #26
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Post 15000 kms update WITH MPPSK install!

So, after an intensive summer, where we took the car for our annual Spain trip and more than 15000kms on the odometer I thought I'd give you an update.

The car performs wonderfully over long trips - in fact, I would argue that this is the car's main forte.

It is silent, even at autobahn speeds, the car is rock solid even at V-max, despite being fully loaded with luggage and what not.

Speaking of V-max, I recorded 252km/h on the GPS, while the speedo bottomed out at 260km/h. The speedos on both this and my M3 are incredibly accurate



Interestingly enough, according to the power displays, it only requires approximately 140bhp to sustain 252km/h on flat autobahn. The instantaneous fuel consumption is 12l/100 at V-max

A few niggles:
It was extremely hot this summer, everywhere in Europe. It was not unusual to have ambient temperatures of 38 degrees C on daily basis (100F). The tires would regularly reach 68-70 degrees C. The aircon had no problem keeping up with this, even with five people in the car.

The cooling function of the seats did not, however. Even if you set cooling at 3 bars the cooling breeze would be barely noticeable after a while. Funnily enough, if you just start the car after a few hours pause you can definitely feel (and hear) the fans buzzing and chill coming out of the seat - but after seating in the car for a few hours ( we did several 6+ hour stints) the cooling would not blow discernibly cold. I guess it's like the fans stop after a while, perhaps not to overheat?

Has anyone else experienced this as well? The car was updated in Sept, but it has not been warm enough to put this to the test.

Other than that, the car did not miss a beat. The brakes are very good and have no problem hauling down speed from 200+km/h on a regular basis, even though temperatures were high, the smart lane assist was great when we had stau and the B&W sound system really shone on longer trips. The car is comfortable, if not outright fun

The only thing is that the sound of the engine is anodyne. There really is no major difference between the modes. The car is plenty fast (though nowhere near my M3 or the M5 I drove on the ring), the engine response changes in the different modes, but the sound doesn't. It is just quiet and subdued, albeit strong and elastic..

Which brings me to my MPPSK install after the summer. This in my next post, have to work now
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      10-10-2018, 01:25 AM   #27
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Great posts! Would love to read how much closer you think MPPSK brought you to your M3's (straight-line) performance.
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      10-10-2018, 02:30 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Max86 View Post
Great posts! Would love to read how much closer you think MPPSK brought you to your M3's (straight-line) performance.
I can accommodate on that, my F80 CP I had, is much quicker on a roll, but not off the line.
I had the 540i with MPPK.
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      10-11-2018, 12:20 PM   #29
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MPPSK review and thoughts

After driving approximately 15000 kms on a "standard" 540iX I upgraded to the official BMW MPPSK kit.

This gives me solid experience to compare before and after.
Here is how the exhaust looks from behind:



As you can see, the exhaust ends are larger and not sloping as the original ones.
Apologies for the blurry pic of a dirty car At least it's fast

Well, to get it out of the way - the MPPSK makes a great car a fabulous one!

But it also imbues the 540 with a slightly different, more naughty and raucous character than its original, wafting and silent, refined persona.

Let's get the one negative out of the way - there is a slight drone from the exhaust, regardless of setting, on highway speeds. A drone that wasn't present before. The 5 is a silent car, after certain speeds (say 120km/h on terrible Swedish asphalt) the road noise overtakes the drone, but if you're sensitive that is something to consider. I am sensitive and am not bothered.

Other than that it is all great! The car sounds definitely louder and sportier - almost Audi S6 like. There is more noise, sharper shifts, even some crackles and pops (though nowhere near as pronounced as the M3s or the 340i MPPSK). So I think BMW nailed the perfect compromise of a grown-up 540 with slightly more sporty characteristics.

Now, on WOT people turn around and look! Previously there was no such reaction.

Other than the sound, the MPPSK is supposed to raise hp by 6% or 20hps (from 340 to 360) and torque by 11% (from 450nm to 500nm). I think it is fair to say that this is extremely underrated. I haven't dynoed the car, but the difference feels waay more pronounced than what the numbers suggest.

My butt dyno says way closer to 400hp!

The car pulls notably harder, there is new enthusiasm to rev to the red line, the shifts are crisper and tighter (there is a new torque converter installed), overall the car is transformed! My wife loves it!

Overall, I think that the MPPSK is tremendous value and warmly recommend it. My only gripe is that there should've been an option to get it like that from the factory.

Here is a clip from inside the car, with a window lowered inside the garage - this is how it sounds from the inside on startup. It is nowhere near as loud as my M3CP, but way nicer and more characterful than original

https://youtu.be/g2WK66VYVJw
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      10-11-2018, 12:35 PM   #30
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540 MPPSK vs M3 CP

Quote:
Originally Posted by Max86 View Post
Great posts! Would love to read how much closer you think MPPSK brought you to your M3's (straight-line) performance.
Thanks,

Well, my M3CP is manual and weighs 1610kgs with a full load of gas and two child seats
On the same scale, the 540 weighs 2010kgs, also fully juiced and with two child seats.
So all in all, it has a 400kgs "penalty" against the M3, which is important to keep in mind. So, even if it has the benefit of Xdrive, on a warmish day with warmed up tires, after the perhaps initial launch, the M3 will easily walk away from the 5er. The 540, fast as it is, is nowhere near as rabid as the M3.

But again, it does feel like a heavy 400hp car - it is fast and sounds glorious, but is no M-car.

That is on standard Michelin tyres on both cars (Pilot Super Sports on the M3, Primacy 3 on the 540). If I have the Cup2s on the M3 and they are warm (say >35 degrees C) I can literally drop the clutch from 3500 and not get wheel spin - the car just launches clean.

Having said that, If I am caught unaware in traffic with the M3 and in the "wrong" gear, I doubt If I'll be able to catch a well driven 540iX with MPPSK.

Last edited by Zap-xpilot; 10-11-2018 at 02:00 PM..
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      11-22-2018, 12:08 PM   #31
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great post I wish the wagon was available in the US..., oh well.

I was debating on night vision, glad to hear it's helpful to you. I will be driving around north east, but mostly from NYC, so hopefully not going to hit any deer/bear any time soon, if ever.

p.s. I did try to add it to my order after checking a few review, though it was too late, my car was literally in production, guess it saved me $2k...
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      11-22-2018, 12:57 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clee1982 View Post
great post I wish the wagon was available in the US..., oh well.

I was debating on night vision, glad to hear it's helpful to you. I will be driving around north east, but mostly from NYC, so hopefully not going to hit any deer/bear any time soon, if ever.

p.s. I did try to add it to my order after checking a few review, though it was too late, my car was literally in production, guess it saved me $2k...
Thanks for the kind words!

Now that (almost) eternal darkness has descended here in Sweden you appreciate night vision more and more!

Seems that as soon as the low beam is activated then the camera is! It performs constant object recognition and then uses the adaptive headlights to flash at animals or people or cyclists on the road!

It is SERIOUSLY cool! The flashing headlights automatically draw your eyes to the object and it literally picks runners or cyclists at least 200 meters before your eyes manage to. I am tremendously impressed!
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      02-18-2019, 02:19 PM   #33
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Excellent review!


Answers to everything i wanted to know about the options and the MPPSK.

I´m waiting for my new G31 540ix Ultimate Edition and have a couple of weeks to do changes before the car goes in to production.

After reading your review i decided to go for the passive M-sport suspension instead of the EDC option. Thank you

Did you have to do any changes to the diffuser in order to fit the exhaust ends?
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      02-18-2019, 02:27 PM   #34
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What a shame that we can't get the G31 in North America.
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      02-18-2019, 03:26 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by P_A_C View Post
Excellent review!


Answers to everything i wanted to know about the options and the MPPSK.

I´m waiting for my new G31 540ix Ultimate Edition and have a couple of weeks to do changes before the car goes in to production.

After reading your review i decided to go for the passive M-sport suspension instead of the EDC option. Thank you

Did you have to do any changes to the diffuser in order to fit the exhaust ends?
Glad I could help!
Give us pics when you get your car, ok?
Where in Sweden are you located?
I heard that the MPPSK is no longer offered, is that the case?
The “diffuser” (the black plastic thingy) is different and included in the package...

Last edited by Zap-xpilot; 02-18-2019 at 03:28 PM.. Reason: Clearing confusion
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      02-19-2019, 11:27 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zap-xpilot View Post
Glad I could help!
Give us pics when you get your car, ok?
Where in Sweden are you located?
I heard that the MPPSK is no longer offered, is that the case?
The “diffuser” (the black plastic thingy) is different and included in the package...

I´ll give you pics Champagne Quartz with Nappa ivory White interior.
I´m located in Gothenburg.

You´re right about the MPPSK. I did some research today, and it made me sad to hear that it is no longer possible to fit the silencer due to the new Petrol Particulate Filter. I can still get the Power Kit, but i want the sound too!
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      02-19-2019, 12:41 PM   #37
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Champagne quartz, fantastic color!
It was what I ultimately wanted but stayed away from because of potential resorts issues down the road...
Luckily you won’t need to repair body work since that color is almost impossible to match.

Sorry about the MPPSK! Do get the power kit if you can. Does that still include the torque converter?
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      02-19-2019, 01:33 PM   #38
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It sure is an amazing colour, and with a ceramic coating it will be outstanding!


Yes, i think i´ll go for the Power Kit anyway.
Not sure if the torque converter is included, but i guess it is.
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      02-19-2019, 01:43 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by P_A_C View Post
It sure is an amazing colour, and with a ceramic coating it will be outstanding
I’ve got mine fully wrapped in bodyfence...
That’s the only thing that works in our winters, with all the stone chips, salt and everything else....
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      02-19-2019, 01:55 PM   #40
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I´m working with car detailing so i can deal with most of the problems related to our Winters.
Stone chips and damage to the paint is something else though, and bodyfence would be a good protection against that.
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      11-28-2021, 07:47 AM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zap-xpilot View Post
Yes, so, back to the 540iXdrive

My considerations for choosing that particular model were:
  • The family needed a car for longer journeys, especially during winter (which, in Sweden, you could argue lasts 6 months)
  • I wanted a BMW with a straight six (after all, driving one for 18 years showed me the intrinsic beauty of that engine)
  • We knew it had to be gasoline as coming regulations would kill off Diesel in Sweden
  • We needed a wagon (for cycling, skiing, etc)
  • We needed a four wheel drive for winter conditions

So, after ticking off all the boxes there really was not much choice left

The car is almost fully specced (in Sweden they call the "Ultimate" package) with the exception of two items:
  • ///M coloured seat belts (I have that on the M3)
  • EDC and associated Adaptive Dampers. The car rides on the passive M-sport suspension.

That second part might be a bit controversial. My overriding impression of riding a press car, fully loaded with Adaptive drive was one of overriding comfort. It was much more of a 7-series drive than a 5 to me. I've found that previous 5s straddled the divide between the nimble and agile 3 and the large and luxurious 7 much more in the middle. The EDC and adaptive drive I felt pushed the car much more towards luxury.

Also, as many of you have already discovered, choosing EDC (or adaptive drive) in anything than the M550i raises the length of the springs by 10mm. While not much, I felt, for the first time in a BMW noticeable brake dive and acceleration lurch, which, frankly, after the E46 and the M3 made me a bit nauseous.
I also felt that putting the suspension in sport (every time, since for some reason it cannot remember the last setting) made the car unnecessarily stiff, typical where you are trying to compensate with dampers what you lack in springs.

So, after trying the passive M-sport suspension I felt it was the perfect compromise. The car was taught and responsive, the comfort was slightly less than w EDC, but still perfectly acceptable (and way better than the F10 w EDC) but most importantly lean and brake dive were mostly banished! The car rode like an M-sport equipped BMW again!

Here are some pics of the interior (again, apologies for my lack of photography skills)









If I had to sum the 540iX in one word it would be.... refinement I guess?

The car just wafts.. Almost a Rolls like feeling. It is crazy silent, even with studded tires. Wind noise is almost zilch in normal driving speeds. The engine just murmurs.
I covered 400km without getting out with zero fatigue on icy Swedish roads in -10°C. Amazing...

My list of best features on the car:
  • Remote heating via App - seriously, plain luxury! The ability to sprint to the car in the morning in -15 and sit in a warm and comfy vehicule is just miraculous!
  • Heated and ventilated seats! Again - related to the above, but such comfort. I've previously avoided leather and stuck to Alcantara and cloth to avoid that clammy feeling with leather, but this now is just stupendously good!
  • Adaptive LED lights - Silly good! They even make a U-formed tunnel to keep the car in front of you in the dark, while everything else is on high beam. Amazing visibility, they make the night almost day!
  • That Engine! - I haven't really pressed it, since the car has less than 2000km on the odometer and is in "running-in mode", but still - smooth, refined, turbine-like, no vibrations, just endless shove And oohh so silent. Almost to the point where I regret purchasing the MPPSK on it (it has not been delivered and mounted yet)
  • Night camera - has already saved us from rein-deer on the road and also does curiously good things with illuminating people walking on the road in the midst of darkness (i.e. 3pm in winter in Sweden)
  • Massaging seats - while the name is a misnomer - there are not anywhere near a shiatsu massage chair - they are really good to alleviate stiffness and boredom on long journeys


Other features/equipment I'm on the fence with are:
  • The Bowers & Wilkins sound system. It is good, better than the standard H&K system, but not by a mile. I am an audiophile, my home system costs much more than the entire car, so admittedly spoilt for choice, but still... I thought it would be better than it is. In hindsight, I would not have purchased it
  • The Electric Sunroof - sure, it makes the car airier, but one wonders about the weight and the cost... In all, nice, but not must have for me
  • The HUD - my wife swears by it, I am on the fence. I find that the time it takes to focus on it and back on the road detracts from the attention one should always pay on the road. All in all, would probably purchase again
  • Adaptive cruise control - work in progress.. Has potential in stop-and-go traffic, but again, has a mind of its own.. disengages in unpredictable ways
  • comfort entry - sure, nice, but seems to have security drawbacks. Would not purchase again
  • The rear privacy tinted glass screens.. I don't like them, makes the car look gangsta-wannabe.. Reduces visibility backwards

And in the next post I'll write about the things I don't like on the car.

Curious to hear from the community, is this post helpful to anyone?
Hi Zap-xpilot, nice car. i am currently looking for a black gloss grill with night vision, but i can't find any. How do you blacked out your kidney with night vision?
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      11-28-2021, 08:32 AM   #42
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Quote:
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Hi Zap-xpilot, nice car. i am currently looking for a black gloss grill with night vision, but i can't find any. How do you blacked out your kidney with night vision?
You are replying to a three and one half year old thread as if it were yesterday.
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