So i bought an M550i

[Teezoh]

Congrats, looks epic!

 

[Naruto]

Hey peeps.

So I've been shopping around for a few months and test drove a few models. The M850i grand coupe, M8 Competition Coupe but didn't get to test drive the M5 Comp (this was my dream buy). After a few weeks of umming and ah'ing. I decided on the M550i for the following reasons:
1. You can actually fit 5 adults in it. The M8 Comp is basically a 2-seater, and having kids made this impracticle.
2. The 5 series is something I'm very familiar with, as I've owned 2 before. Its just way more practical for my purposes.
3. The power, damn this thing just goes. First car I've owned that has this much power and it puts it to the ground proper.
4. Its a proper sleeper if you ask me. Looks like a normal BMW but put it into sport plus and you hear the V8 mummbles and grumbles and this car just comes alive at the click of a button. Voila! you're transformed into super saiyan 10.

For now it's only been a few days since I got it and the weather in Jozi hasn't really been worthy of going super saiyan yet, and there are a few nigglies that I need sorted out by the dealer before I really settle into it.

Here's a front pic for now. Will take some proper pics once its been detailed and the weather permits.

Oh, yeah its a 2023 model, had 18000km on the clock. So basically a BMW demo.

Congrats on the supersaiyan 10

 

[TurboLlew]

Yeah that S63 out of plan is risky

Having either one out of plan is risky. This car has an N63tu in it - there is no real improvement in risk. The N63 is still very much a 'performance monster' V8 putting out nearly what the F10 M5 did (probably more in practice). It is not some understressed/simple/cheap and cheerful thing by comparison to the S63.

Motorplan. Don't want an M car out of plan. Ceramic brake service alone is around R150k. Also with a performance monster V8, I just didn't want the risk.

This is often cited (on many car platforms), but the actual reason you don't want CCBs is the irritating noise. There is no real difference in the cost of brakes between the two since the CCB rotors last 3-4 times longer and the steel M brakes are NOT cheap. Nobody is tracking an F90 to wear out CCBs in the same time as traditional carbon discs would under road use. I don't think CCBs make sense for anybody unless it's a dedicated track car doing 2000km a year maybe... I really do wish I had those gold calipers though

I could be shot for this but I think the m550i also looks better than the m5 at just the right angles. @TurboLlew will definitely not agree. Lol

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On the contrary I was looking at Sash's car when he fitted the rims to it and there are certainly things to like about the non M cars. The side profile can look busier (or a bit like a 7er) in person but it also visually integrates better with the line on the bottom of the doors as opposed to the M5 fender vent. In any case the M5 is always closer to the base car than any of the others in the range (eg: the E39 even had the same bumper as the M Sport with a different lower insert) - F10 was slightly wider in front etc. - Very easy to make a base car look more aggressive with some mods. There are also bits of the M design and engineering (cough cough - exhaust note) that are definitely in the function over form category that are not immediately apparent.

Rather than M5 comparisons though, my hot take is that the M550i has made the current gen Alpinas irrelevant. It is the variant with the best mix of luxury and speed for people who don't care about the bits that the M brings to the table. I am surprised BMW didn't take the opportunity (now that they own Alpina) to make two flagships - the M550i being an Alpina mix of luxury/performance and the M5 being the dynamics/performance brute. Knowing how they love to milk brands into oblivion it is probably only a matter of time

 

[swazi85]

Hey peeps.

So I've been shopping around for a few months and test drove a few models. The M850i grand coupe, M8 Competition Coupe but didn't get to test drive the M5 Comp (this was my dream buy). After a few weeks of umming and ah'ing. I decided on the M550i for the following reasons:
1. You can actually fit 5 adults in it. The M8 Comp is basically a 2-seater, and having kids made this impracticle.
2. The 5 series is something I'm very familiar with, as I've owned 2 before. Its just way more practical for my purposes.
3. The power, damn this thing just goes. First car I've owned that has this much power and it puts it to the ground proper.
4. Its a proper sleeper if you ask me. Looks like a normal BMW but put it into sport plus and you hear the V8 mummbles and grumbles and this car just comes alive at the click of a button. Voila! you're transformed into super saiyan 10.

For now it's only been a few days since I got it and the weather in Jozi hasn't really been worthy of going super saiyan yet, and there are a few nigglies that I need sorted out by the dealer before I really settle into it.

Here's a front pic for now. Will take some proper pics once its been detailed and the weather permits.

Oh, yeah its a 2023 model, had 18000km on the clock. So basically a BMW demo.

I’d probably argue this is more rare than a f90 m5 in SA. Don’t think I have even seen one.

Congrats on the new car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kaaba1]

Hey peeps.

So I've been shopping around for a few months and test drove a few models. The M850i grand coupe, M8 Competition Coupe but didn't get to test drive the M5 Comp (this was my dream buy). After a few weeks of umming and ah'ing. I decided on the M550i for the following reasons:
1. You can actually fit 5 adults in it. The M8 Comp is basically a 2-seater, and having kids made this impracticle.
2. The 5 series is something I'm very familiar with, as I've owned 2 before. Its just way more practical for my purposes.
3. The power, damn this thing just goes. First car I've owned that has this much power and it puts it to the ground proper.
4. Its a proper sleeper if you ask me. Looks like a normal BMW but put it into sport plus and you hear the V8 mummbles and grumbles and this car just comes alive at the click of a button. Voila! you're transformed into super saiyan 10.

For now it's only been a few days since I got it and the weather in Jozi hasn't really been worthy of going super saiyan yet, and there are a few nigglies that I need sorted out by the dealer before I really settle into it.

Here's a front pic for now. Will take some proper pics once its been detailed and the weather permits.

Oh, yeah its a 2023 model, had 18000km on the clock. So basically a BMW demo.

Love it!!

 

[Chinoza]

Just an update. Car was fully detailed by the weekend inside and out. 5 step polish and 3 year ceramic.

 

[Gordvisr]

it looks epic

 

[NTD7]

Top ride, wishing you many happy miles

 

[Mytfine]

Very Nice

 

[Chinoza]

Thanks guys.

So the car went back into BM for a few things and I chatted to the technician. He mentioned a stage 2 tune from BM which he will check for and got me all excited but turned out that there isn't 1 from BM head office in Germany.

 

[Spanky]

Thanks guys.

So the car went back into BM for a few things and I chatted to the technician. He mentioned a stage 2 tune from BM which he will check for and got me all excited but turned out that there isn't 1 from BM head office in Germany.

Yeeeea, S2 from HQ sounds like a wild stretch. There were some miiiiiiiild tunes offered along with things like MPPK back in the day, but I don't believe BMW is doing anything near a S2 tune in-house.

 

[Chinoza]

Yeeeea, S2 from HQ sounds like a wild stretch. There were some miiiiiiiild tunes offered along with things like MPPK back in the day, but I don't believe BMW is doing anything near a S2 tune in-house.

Lol. Was trying my luck but the guy who has been around for a long time said he remember there being a tune and said he would check if it's still available.

 

[TurboLlew]

The Schnitzer chips were already astronomical 10 years ago. I don't know what they would be now. Probably over R100K - but it was the only way to officially keep your motorplan. I have lost track of whether this is still available or not for SA cars. Apart from something like MPPK which is very mild even if it exists for the M550, there isn't anything else that will be motorplan save.

 

[Chinoza]

The Schnitzer chips were already astronomical 10 years ago. I don't know what they would be now. Probably over R100K - but it was the only way to officially keep your motorplan. I have lost track of whether this is still available or not for SA cars. Apart from something like MPPK which is very mild even if it exists for the M550, there isn't anything else that will be motorplan save.

Yup. I have searched but there doesn't seem to be anything motorplan approved. So standard it will be.

 

[Tlhogi M]

Beautiful machine you have Sir

 

[Chinoza]

Yoh, so its been a crazy past few weeks. An update from me.

First thing, the foot was feeling a bit heavy so i decided to open her up a bit on the highway, then at around 238 alarm bells ringing and warning lights all on. Alert saying i can still drive but there are drivetrain errors, so i then limp on to my destination and back home. Car booked in for the next morning at BM. Turns out to be the number 8 spark plug and coil pack. whilst there everything else was check and the front tyres needed replacement. So she gets fixed up and off i go. Move forward a few weeks and i take her on her maiden voyage down to the coast. Almost halfway i get a "Check tyre pressure" warning. So i stop and fill pressure, check for visible punctures and can't see anything but its now 10pm so i continue on my journey keeping a close eye on the pressure of the front left wheel. Had to stop a few times to fill pressure as the pressure lose was slow. Get to my destination safely with the family on board. Next day the wheel shop checks for punctures and nothing visible, then we find a crack on the inside of the mag. So i recall hitting a pothole a few weeks back and had 1 warning of low pressure before this (I suspect that this was the 1 that cracked the mag). Had to get the wheel welded and fitted back as i had to make the journey back home. The guy actually did an excellent job with the repair so it's still like that now. Only thing is i keep getting low pressure warning because it want pressure to be at 3bar which i think is too much and what adds to the damage when you mistakenly hit a pothole. Then 2 days back driving at night with auto lights and i get a high beam failure warning (also got a call within seconds from BM call center to say take the car into the closest dealer the next day). Error cleared after restart and has since not come back but will book it in for a check up anyway and to reset the TPMS. She still goes like a beast though.

 

[FILV]

This car is absolutely stunning
Congrats and glad all the niggles were fixed

Im just curious what was the consumption like on the trip down and back up from the coast?

 

[Chinoza]

This car is absolutely stunning
Congrats and glad all the niggles were fixed

Im just curious what was the consumption like on the trip down and back up from the coast?

Thanks. It was actually not bad at all. averaged 10l/100km and there were many times i was cruising at 170km+. So it was actually more efficient than my Fortuner as i went back down a week later with the fortuner. Drove down with 1 tanks from Jhb to Kwa Dukuza

 

[FILV]

Thanks. It was actually not bad at all. averaged 10l/100km and there were many times i was cruising at 170km+. So it was actually more efficient than my Fortuner as i went back down a week later with the fortuner. Drove down with 1 tanks from Jhb to Kwa Dukuza

Thats pretty impressive

 

[Chinoza]

I've also been looking around to do the following upgrades but my heart can't handle the motorplan delete that comes with it

1. Resonator delete
2. Software upgrade (which i presume is a stage 1)

Reason i'm looking at this is, there are times where the car is like almost dead on take off in Sport+ and then you also just gotta hear that V8 in all its glory (Standard M Exhaust valves do open in Sport+ but still soft for a V8)