Shebs

Hi to all of the forum members, it has been a long time since I posted on this respectable forum.

I was in Lebanon in the last weekend for celebrating the new year and I had a close friend with me there where we rented together a BMW X5 x30i. A decent car, but not as decent as my humble 523i in cornering and handling fields. I could always feel its heigher weight especially when corenering and braking.

This same friend owns a BMW X6 x50i, and he thinks that it is the best car in the world and that it can corner better than the 5 series.

He commented that I should sell my car and buy an X5 or X6 because they are better cars . I was so annoyed so I gave him the simple answer that SUVs (or SAVs as BMW calls them) can never outhandle a sedan, especially if it was a well balanced car like the E60 .

However, we ended up arguing and me being a mechanical engineer with a masters degree , I kept making fun of him in front of all our friends for the whole trip. I was basing my argument on the fact that physics are physics and that a high center of gravity SUV with 2.265 tons of weight can never out handle and out corner a low center of gravity sedan with 1.575 tons of weight.

He ended up suggesting that we try it practically on a foresaken corner on a bridge in new Cairo. It is a long curve (around 500 m) with a large radius of curvature, and my maximum speed in this curve with the tyres whistling is around 105 km (65 miles). The deal is that I would be in front, and that I should start gaining clearance from his car until through the corner until it is finished (of course when we hit the straight afterwards I will be history, he has 230 hp more than me .

I did some research today on the net and I was suprised that the the X6 x50i is quite a fast car on track. In fact, it is only 2 seconds slower than the 550i on Autozeitung (from fastestlaps.com, 1:47 to 1:45).

Frankly I am starting to feel worried. His car has much wider tyres, xDrive, Dynamic Performance Control, and Adaptive Drive, while my car has no systems except for the standard DSC .

What do you guys think? Am I going to get my ass kicked or are physics still physics? Did BMW succeed in defying pysiscs lately with its X6? Your feedback is highly aprreciated.

Howitzer

The 5 series will outpace an X6 any day of the week. It has a near perfect weight distribution AND it has a much lower center of gravity. For cornering, the X6 will not win vs a 5.

swajames

It's technology and not the ability to defy the laws of physics that gives the X6 its capabilities. From your signature, it appears you have what would be the equivalent of a non-sport E60 in the US - and unless you have the same technology aids as your friend (which in the case of the E60 would effectively be ARS/Dynamic Drive) it is quite possible (in fact probable) that the X6 will indeed be quicker... All things being equal, a sport/ARS equipped E60 will corner incredibly well, but an X6 50i is absolutely loaded with technology that partially rewrites (if not quite defies) the laws of physics...

In summary - yes, I think will get a bit of a kicking on this one...

swajames

Not necessarily. And almost certainly not in this specific case.

sdg1871

I agree. I've driven a loaner non sport 528 and it cornered like total crap -- tons of body roll and little grip. My mother's 2009 Acura TL outcorners it by a country mile. The difference in cornerning prowess between a sport/ARS equipped E60 with summer tires (my car) and a non sport E60 with all seasons is massive. I have little doubt that an X6 5.0 with all of the handling technologies in it can outcorner a non sport E60. But it will not outcorner a sport package/ARS/non Xi E60.

Rudy

I think your theory about sedans vs. SAVs is a sound one but your methodology in proving it, as others have pointed out, seems to be significantly flawed.

Shebs

No body has pointed out that my methdology is flawed. Can you explain to me how is it flawed?

swajames

Your opening premise is flawed. The X6 50i you're going up against is much, much quicker in the corners than you think it is, and your 523 is slower in the corners than you think it is. A better test would be for the X6 50i to take the lead and for you to see if you can keep up, right now I suspect you'll simply hold him up.

Either way - be safe. It sounds like you're planning on giving it the hammer on a very fast and very long sweeper, it can be much easier said than done to reign the car back in if you start to lose grip.

C's Bimmer

I say just go for it. You only live once, so don't hold anything back. Let your 5er rip around the corner at lightning speeds. It will hold.

Howitzer

I have to admit that my 5 will take sharp turns at 70+ MPH with ease. However, that is mostly because I upgraded the shocks and struts to sport versions lowering the car and stiffening the suspension a great deal. If I had non-sport .... I would have probably flipped the car by now.