Finally pulled the trigger...'08 Carbon Black 550i Sport. I already have 2500 miles and it has only been a little over 3 weeks. First impression is WOW! I thought my 530 was quick but this car is a beast! I love driving it and I look for every excuse to drive somewhere! The exhaust has a nice V8 rumble to it! The Comfort Seats with Ventilation are great and extremely comfortable! I'm still trying to adjust to the paddle shifters...I find myself using the short sport auto shifter more often. Real time traffic is a must in LA and is very helpful. I was a huge run-flat tire fan and I still prefer them, but the ride is now much smoother and handles better. The new Adaptive lights are great when turning corners at slow speeds. Comfort access is a another must have along with Active Steering. I had the hardest time finding a 550 sport with Active Steering. My previous 530 had it and I would have never considered another 5 series without it. Carbon Black was not my first color choice but I'm glad I got it. I had the 3M clear bra installed a couple of weeks ago along with medium window tint all around. Pics to follow as soon as I Rejex my baby! I think the only negative so far is the terrible Premium hi-fi sound...My previous 530 had a standard sound system and blew away the Logic 7. I'm not really into racing other cars on public roads but I've already had a new Mustang GT, a MB C230 and a Dodge 300M with dual exhaust (SRT badge) try to mess with me. I think the only threat of those 3 would have been the Mustang. He pulled up next to me on the freeway and had his arm out the window, waving me on...I simply could not resist the temptation and pulled away from him at about 90 mph.

 

Whatever happened to "Drive the double nickle"?

I seem to remember too that your speedos only showed up to 85mph years ago too.

I take it the legislators gave up on that idea...

Regards, and enjoy your 550i

 

Congrats on yer new V8 beastie

I can appreciate the joys of moving from a smaller engine E60 to a big V8 E60. I had my 540i for a few months before deciding I had to have the 550i...

ENJOY!!

 

sam530, congrats on your "upgrade!" Sounds like you found a car with all the right options. (I'm surprised you found one off the lot with ventilated seats -- maybe in California they include it more often but most dealers don't even know you can order them!)

Yup, way back then, it was not only a requirement that all US-spec cars only showed a maximum of 85mph on the speedometer but 55mph also had to be highlighted (like in a different color or something -- you couldn't just have '50' and '60' shown with a tick mark between them to indicate 55, you had to actually have the number '55' shown.)

Not that I'm the oldest guy here but I'm betting there's a bunch of members here that don't remember those days...

 

V8s Rock !! Congratulations !

Cheers

 

My excuse is that I have been a petrol head from an early age.

I also came into contact with American cars because as a young man I did a lot of work on the USAF bases.

Is the limit still 55mph then?

Here in the UK, it is 70mph.

Regards,

 

seems to vary with most being 65 to 70/75. My journey to work in San Francisco takes me up the 280 and average speeds are comparable to any UK motorway (with most driving at 80 to 85+), and some going a little faster...

 

We have 80MPH speed limit along a stretch of the IH-10 here in Texas. Most highways have a posted limit of 70MPH

 

That stretch south of 92 on 280 was patterned after the autobahn. Unfortunately, the lack of the speed limit didn't come over.

 

Congrats and enjoy your new ride. Drive safe