BMW M550i Tuned by Dinan: Luxury Land Speed Missile

Behind the wheel

Around town the Dinan-tuned M550i a relaxing cruiser, just like the standard car. It wafts forward, riding a wave of V8 torque. The Dinan pipes rumble and burble, like the ocean’s wake crashing on the beach. Despite the slightly stiffer, lower springs it’s still a firm, yet very comfortable ride. By all accounts, this is a nice place to be.

After 30 minutes of pulse lowering wafting, I veer off towards Malibu. The canyon roads beckon. I flip the M550i drive mode selector into Sport+, and the shifter in manual control. It’s time to hustle.

Stomping on the accelerator brings out a different side of the M550i. That lazy around town demeanor has transitioned into a determined focus. In just seconds, the speedometer crests incarceration speeds. I wasn’t kidding when I said it’s a monster. Despite wearing standard brakes, the large tires offer tremendous grip and keep things in check. Likewise, the Dinan suspension tweaks keep this family sedan composed through the winding roads of the Mulholland Highway.

Despite weighing in on the thick end of 4,400 lbs, the Dinan M550i feels rather light on its toes. While I bemoaned the standard car for its lifeless, light and overly-assisted electric power steering, the Dinan car, with the wide wheel and tire package feels notably better. This affords more confidence to the driver. This also causes idiots like me to forget that I am driving a two-and-a-quarter ton luxury sedan, and start driving the M550i like a glorified go-kart.

Feeling the Dinan difference

These Dinan tweaks also add something that is missing from the regular M550i. This special feature isn’t one you will find on a spec sheet, nor will you hear BMW ever mention this in their press materials. That said, it is something that Dinan touts about their upgrades, a design philosophy of sorts. They call it “the Dinan difference.” The Dinan M550i is fun. It is laugh out loud fast, offers subtle, yet handsome good looks, and adds a big splash of color and personality to the M550i that BMW missed the mark on.

Photography by Jake Stumph

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Jacob Stumph

Jake Stumph is a lifelong car enthusiast and racer, and former content editor for Internet Brands Automotive which he joined in 2015. His work has been featured by several other prominent automotive outlets, including Jalopnik and Autobytel.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Ohio State University in 2013, then pivoted from covering politics and policy to writing about his automotive adventures, something that, he says, is a lot more fun. Since that time, he has established connections with most of the world's major automakers, as well as other key brands in the automotive industry.

He enjoys track days, drifting, and autocross, at least, when his cars are running right, which is uncommon.