Bubbarossa

Just another thought, Road and Track tested the 335i 0-60 in 5 seconds flat.
Edmunds tested it in 4.8!!!

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/...69/pageNumber=1

vegastrashed

Be careful what you say. I'm telling everyone that reads this thread that the biturbo N54 engine is no joke. I will bet that the stock 535i will give a stock 550i a run for it's money in the midrange that you're talking about. The 535i and 550i will be more evenly matched than what BMW or others is saying otherwise. A few of the 545/550 owners have seen this first handed against the 335i.

Ricracing

I'm with vegastrashed in this matter.

The new facelift 550i will be faster than the old 545i (and the new 535i).


But note that the 3 litre turbo diesel/gas engines can easily be tuned into monster powerplants.

my530i

remap ECU a bit just like suggest above and 535i might be faster than 550i since lb/hp of 535i will be lower compared to 550i. However, I'm sure about gas mileage after chiptunning.

CVTBenhogan

Your right its a tough decision. Its even tougher if you consider a 550 with the sports tranny and M-sports suspension. This makes the 550 very attractive despite the higher price. I'm assuming the 535 sport doesn't get the sports tranny or come with the M-sport suspension. These together could be great. All these cars are fast and handling could be the deciding factor. While I'm not a fan of the M-sport cladding, the 19s with non-runflats, the lower ride height of the V8 sport models, and the staggarded wheel setup combines for a superior look over any 535 sport. The lower ride height of a 545/50 is very noticeable. Does the new 535 sport have staggarded wheels?

All said, the inline six biturbo has a big edge over the V8 in terms of chipping. Right now, some here report a 550 can be taken by a 335 in stock form. I'd suspect the 535 only to be slightly slower. Forget BMW's published results. The Vinshu upgrade probably makes it faster. From a driveability standpoint, the torque curve is better in the 535 and its questionable if you'd miss the 60 ft lbs of torque from the V8. The huge upside is chipping the turbo motor to 400 hps and being in M5 territory.

Final Thoughts

If your not chipping and money isn't a big deal, the 550 is a good choice, particulary if you like the M-sport look. Overall, this car should handle better with M-sport suspension and tires. It should be faster than the 535 for sure if it has the sports tranny.

Of course you could get a tire upgrade and staggarded wheels for the 535 sport. You'd need to get the car lowered a tad and Vinshu chip. Of course a few things on the 550 are standard and need to be considered in any comparison.

Thus, maybe the choices costwise are relatively equal. However, the thought of a 400+ hp chip upgrade seems to be an exciting possibility.

CVT Benhogan


PS I'd probably go for the 550 sport as I like the 4.8L engine and a super chip has yet to materialize. Of course there is some risk in this and I'm too lazy to do all necessary research.

Walked U

Trust me the n54 engine does not loose steam up top. I have no idea what plans they have with the 535. But if they are going to put the exact same drive train / n54 engine into the 535, it will give the 550 a run for its money.

heres a video of me going from 40-120 in 10 secs flat. Its not the fastest in the world but it will do for now.

So I guess that has to mean something right?

Sorry for the craptabulous video




Heres a comparo pic so you can see the actual numbers

BMWSTL

The 535i Sport Package does not have the M-Sport suspension, but the new Sport Automatic will be available, June production. The 535i has staggered wheels; in fact, it's identical to the sport package setup on the 2006/7 550i (wheels are the same, as is the tire size, suspension, etc.). How much more does the M-Sport suspension add? I've never driven one, but will compare the two cars and see for myself when they're both available to drive.

I'm not so sure that a lower ride height and the low front air dam is an advantage in everyday driving. I've pulled my current E39 Sport Package air dam off kilter on parking lot "curbs", and have scraped it numerous times entering and exiting driveways that have "dips" in them. The aero kit does look very nice on the 550i, but doesn't add to performance to speak of. The 19's are very nice, but again, how do the 19's non-runflats feel and perform compared to 18" staggered runflats? Again, I'll have to drive them both and see if the extra cost is worth my spending the extra bucks.

Given most driving I do, which isn't hitting curvy roads as much as I'd like, the 550I ZSP's extra cost seems high when comparing the two cars. BMW hasn't made it easy!

Lou

CVTBenhogan

So you get the sports tranny in the 535 for June. Ah. Comes with the staggered wheels too. Ah.

Yeap, the 550i seems high in price. Guess the only true advantage is the M sport suspension. Assume you factor in a few more standard features in the 550 and the Msport package is desirable, could this be enough of an advantage? Probably not.

CVT Benhogan

blinkme_210

After chipping the 535, purchasing the M kit, paint and install, you still got money leftover. As far as I am concerned right now at least, the $8000 premium for the extra weight of the V8, and M suspension is not worth it if you're performance oriented. With that said, I don't think anyone is racing every car they stop with at a light.

brandsb

I spoke to Dinan about their N54 development program. They're salivating over this engine with preliminary projections of 350hp with Stage I upgrades and closer to 400hp with Stage II. Still very preliminary estimates but directionally helpful. And to think I just dropped nearly $4k into my '04 545 to get up to 350hp (maybe)....