06 530i has 225hp. Appears that they changed the intake manifold and software. So a honed intake manifold and remap should put me up 30hp

 

Buy SB change acceleration feeling, Change to 550 or 545 if still not feeling good

 

A big car like this needs Torque - especially the Auto tranny's...

Having recently thought about swapping a diesel for a petrol, I tried the 530i, 525i and 523i (all Auto's). All actually felt lethargic to me unless you kept them at 5000+ RPM in which case the 530i was better...then I tested a 525d LCI Auto, and I couldn't believe how much more energy it seemed to have at normal engine revs (- 1800 - 4000 RPM) and you don't have to nail the throttle all of the time...

Needless to say I stuck it out with the oiler....however the best value for money "petrol" for me was the 523i - smooth, refined and quick enough for most conditions...especially in the UK where they start at ?30k++ for one with any sort of spec!! They are quite rare here, as the majority are diesels due to cost of fuel and car tax etc rulings

 

If I had it to do over I'd probably have gone with the 530 or 535 models. When I test drove I was underwhelmed by the 525 with automatic transmission.

The only situation where I really notice any real lag is when there are four adult passengers in the car while the AC is turned on and I'm attempting a quick acceleration.
The manual trans helps an awful lot IMO and makes a difference vs automatic.

Funny - my 525i didn't seem too underpowered when I got a $500 speeding ticket !

 

Well, all you need to do is read my signature. I mean does the 525I give you the numbers that motor heads like to brag about, like 300+ HP, or 0-60 in less than 5? No, it does not.

But was a certain, nameless 525XI able to keep up with a late model Carrera on the highway until it hit the limiter? Hell yes!!! The poor Carrera driver must have thought this sleeper 525 must have had some sort of jet engine under the hood for the length of time it was able to stay ahead of him. Maybe the 545 would have given another 15 or 20 more MPH before hitting the limiter, but you can remove the limiter on the 525 to get to where the bigger engines go. I personally think, the 525 has plenty of power and is fun to drive without shelling out the extra $5~20K for a few more MPH, but to each his own.

When it's all said and done, very few people have the nerves or the skills to push their cars over the 140 range. if you want bragging rights without actually pushing the limit, I think it's a waste of money. If you want a car that reaches 155+ because you actually want to drive that fast, then by all means buy the 545 or 550.

For the record, there will never be a Honda or Toyota that will be able to accomplish what the Carrera did. The handling on those cars must be really scary once you get them in the 120+ MPH range.

The Carrera in question was only able to get ahead by 1~2 car lengths, with the 525 planted firmly on his butt and you could clearly see the look of surprise on the Carrera's driver' face when thumbs up were exchanged. Not bad at all.

 

I would have to disagree with your statement. Driving on public streets, not race track, you wouldn't even notice 100# difference. Yes, I agree with the fact that 550 has a lot more power and torque compared to 530 but please don't say it makes a huge difference when you put 100 extra lbs in a 530. Our cars are already heavy as they are from factory. Most of us will use it as a daily commuter and on occasion will drag race the guy next to you from a stop light but that's about it.

 

This is a 2.5 year old post. Why in the world are people recycling these old things? Is it that slow here?
Just curious.

 

There are plenty of "NEWBIES" who may still want to read up on this and maybe contribute. There is no such thing as an old post because new info is introduced every year/month/week/day.