So, everyone is talking about 535 but how about big brother 550?
What exactly changed in engine, drivetrain and suspention department?
Like for many folks here my lease is almost up and also have a desision to make: 550 or not which is currently number 1 on my list.

 

The LCI 550 with the sport package inlcludes a new "retuned" sport suspension, new 19-inch 172 wheels, new exhaust note and new exhaust tips.

 

Honestly.....

Everything. The interior is much better and refined. What they've done to the seats (Dakota Leather)is remarkable. My buddy drives an S 550 MBZ and he rode with me yesterday. He was majorly impressed with seat comfort level and headrest maneuverability and extension saying it was dramatically enhanced.

i-Drive is faster and iPod functionality is also faster. Bluetooth is working amazingly well with Verizon Blue tooth(suprising to say the least---Big Ups to BMW here). I have the new Blackberry 8830 World Phone(great phone BTW)

As far as performance goes.....I have said this before and I will reiterate again. This engine has been modified a bit by BMW. I'm sure once the Dinan boys figure it out they'll admit it. It's faster than the 07 and the tranny is leaps and bounds improved. I keep reading these posts here about the 535 being "as fast" or "almost as fast" as the 550? I half to believe (as stated multiple times before)they are comparing to 07 550i's without sport package. The cars don't even compare from a handling-and performance standpoint and I drove them back to back twice.

I have the Steptronic and it's wonderful in Manual Mode. It has a very good amount of low end torque and the shifting is radically improved and faster. It will be very interesting to see these cars Dynoed. I will also enjoy seeing how the Sport Automatic improves the performance over the Step and Manual.

The ride and handling is amazing. The 19's without Run Flats give a superb ride and obviously the M-Aero Dynamics and Suspension dramatically improve the performance in many ways.

This is clearly the best 550i yet from BMW and paves the way for the next super 550 car which is rumored to be a V-8 Twin turbo. We'll see. Also---is there a possible "surprise" link to the new M3 V-8 in this version? Only BMW knows.

So Cal

 

Are you saying that the sport-package 550i's are now coming WITHOUT runflats?

-Robert A

 

Accurate. The '08 550i ZSP has 19" NON-runflats. The ones I've seen have ContiSportContact2's.

Lou

 

Correct.

Mine has it exactly.

Wonderful car.

So Cal

 

HMMMM !

I bought the last week production 07 550 msport, and my wife has a new 08 550 msport. The difference between the two is "O" in performance and handling. Some subjective styling issues on the interior and the front headlights IMO are it . In fact the 07 has the aluminum cube trim interior which looks awesome IMO which you can not get in ther 08 . The 08 is awesome !

But so is the 07 ! the difference is like picking mice crap out of the pepper !

Cheers

 

I have the 07 550i. the 07 has the exact same seats as the 08. I know the 08 has leather on the center armrest, and the door pockets are larger in the 08 oh and the knobs are slightly different, but it truely sounds like you work for BWM marketing the way you comment on the 08. Its not the F-10, basically its the same car as the 07.

 

New colours for 08.
Space grey, platinum grey, carbon black.

Interior got natural tan leather.

 

I just figured it out. You are in Canada. In the US we were not offered the Msport suspension until 2008.