swajames

In the US, the sport package has always been a combination ARS/Dynamic Drive together with upgraded suspension components such springs etc. Up to the 2006 model year it also included active steering, though that was dropped from the sport package from MY 2007 onwards. The US sport package also typically included different wheels and some cosmetic changes such as shadow-line trim etc.

In recent years, the US market also had M-Sport suspension available (initially only on the 550i, later on other models too). This was again combined with ARS/Dynamic Drive. Either way, with one exception, any US sport package has always included upgraded suspension components and ARS/DD. That one exception was the sport package on any Xi models, which was essentially cosmetic only and didn't include any of the interesting stuff.

ipp

Ok, thanks for clarifying it for me! For once you can be happy that you are able to get a BMW combo we aren't able to get over here. I tried both in the Swedish configurator and in the German now, if you check 'M-Sports package' you'll lose 'DD' and vice versa.

JW-BENZ

Yea I found this out after going over the sticker for the car. I thought my sports package had the upgraded suspension.. Wrong.

XI Sports package - Sports Wheel, Shadowline Trim, and 20 way multi-contour seats

Shebs

Thank you for your post and please find my comments below.

First of all, "making fun" of one of my closest friend is not unusual, we always pick on each other in differnt fields of life (cars, politics, economy, science, etc), which I assume is normal.

Secondly, I do not see in which way does my 523i compare to your friend's Corolla. I am comparing a BMW sedan to a BMW SAV, not a BMW sedan to a Toyota sedan, so you your analogy is extremely flawed.

Finally, please read the full post before making judgements. You will then understand that I am talking about a race on a single corner, and not a full track. Of course on a proper track lap he will eat me alive since he will have an extreme advantage in every straight road encountered.

Shebs

Gents,

Yesterday night I remebered that a firend of mine who owns a 2008 530i (non sport) have had an X6 bought in his family recently. I called him and he told me that his father has bought an X6 x35i with Adaptive Drive (DD + EDC) as an optionional feature and DPC (Dynamic Performace Control) as a standard feature.

He has driven the X6 a lot and his comments were as follows:

"The X6 is extremely stable in corners, especially when you remember how much it weighs and how high from the ground it is. However, it can never compare to my 530i in cornering. Whenever I tried to take the same corners at the same speed of my 530i, I ended up with every single lamp above the X6 odometer blinking. I do not see how the X6 can be better than my 530i in a corner. Try it, and i gurantee you that you will put a lot of distance on him. The X6 is a big car, a really big car my friend."

This is the closest translation of what he told me. I was relieved to have a confirmation that physics are still physiscs . I will go now change my shocks (my car has 136,000 km on the dial) and I am thinking of having higher damping rate shocks and stiffer springs if their help is proven by my research to be helpful in a constant radius of curvature cornering (of course they will be very helpful in maneuvering, but I am not still sure about their contribution to constant radius cornering).

Wish me luck

swajames

There's no luck needed if you switch out your suspension to a better aftermarket alternative. All of our comments focused on your car as is, with the base suspension - that's what is causing most of us to suspect the X6 will corner harder. If you do the comparison while your car is still stock, I think you will lose. If you do it with an upgraded suspension, the result may well be different. Either way, you're still seemingly forgetting that speed in and out of the corner has a huge effect on on overall result, and there the X6 will have an enormous advantage - it can put the power down as soon as it's apexed and it will very quickly pull away. As Rudy said, one corner won't tell you a lot. Ultimately, much of the feedback you're getting here is that you'll be wise not to underestimate a loaded X6, and probably wise not to overestimate a base 523. Keep us posted either way - preferably with video and preferably with your still stock...

Shebs

I do suspect that most of you have not driven the X6 to its cornering limits. As I posted in the previous page, I already had confirmation from a friend who owns both cars that his stock 530i is much better in cornering than his X6 x35i with DPC and AD (and lighter nose than the heavier x50i).

The speed in and out of the corner will not contribute to this particular corner. If you check the map I have attached earlier you will see that the curve is so long that by the middle of the corner, the entrance speed will have no effect. The exit speed will not be considered. We will only consider the middle of the corner and see if I can gain distance on the X6 or not.

Why do you want me to use my stock shocks? Do you like to see me lose .

And you assuming that I am underestimating the X6 and overestimating my 523i creates a circular reference situtation (catch 22 situation as it's called in the US). If I am underestimating the X6 and overestimating my 523i, then why did I post this thread to start with ?

If you read the last three paragraphs of my original post you will see what I mean.

swajames

Why did you post this thread to begin with? More likely than not it was because you assumed you'd get a bunch of replies telling you that your friend was crazy to even think about challenging the might of the non-sport 523... As it happens, most of the replies are telling like it is - you do indeed seem to have underestimated the handling abilities of the X6, and it appears that you're overestimating the cornering capabilities of yours on the basis that you don't have a sport suspension. That's essentially the only point anyone here is making.

As for the rest of the your post, why not just have the race and report back? Preferably with video, and preferably with your car kept stock - as that is how it was when you took up this "challenge". If you were to mod your car beforehand, you'd be cheating...

Moopai

Agreed!

Shebs

Why are you always quoting the sentences that you can challenge and not replying to the rest of the post that you probably can't challenge?

I will not be using your same methodology of quoting, instead i will reply to each statement made.

My friend doesn't care whether my car has sport suspension or not, and I already told him that i would change my shocks before I race due to the high mileage on my car. He doesn't know how the systems in his car operate. He just thinks that since he paid 60% more for his car than my car, that his car is faster. He actually thinks that if both cars were equipped with AD and DD, his car would still be faster.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone for his opinion and feedback. And I would be grateful to lose to a close friend; it is better than losing to a stranger .