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How can you tell a 545 is really a 545 other than the badge?

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Old 11-28-2010, 08:06 AM
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Saw a car that looked identical to my 07 525. Badge said 545. Exhaust looked the same as mine as did rear and front bumpers.
Could not tell if there was a wheel difference because we were both on the interstate-no obvious difference was apparent such as larger rims, etc.


Are there styling differences that come standard on a 545i?
Old 11-28-2010, 08:11 AM
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Pop the hood
Old 11-28-2010, 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted by skelevirus
Pop the hood
I thought the 545 had a different front bumper?
Old 11-28-2010, 08:54 AM
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LCI 550's w/ sport pkg will come with an Msport kit and different wheels (172's)..

Pre-LCI 545/550's w/ sport packages will have style 124 wheels...
Old 11-28-2010, 08:57 AM
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the 13.8 inch front brakes the 12.5 inch rear brakes and the V8
Old 11-28-2010, 09:04 AM
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To add I believe the grille has more chrome on the 545 vs. the regular grille.

The wheels are different for the sport 545 vs. the regular sport as well.

Yeah, to a non E60 fanatic it is hard to see the differences. It took me a while too see the differences.

The mufflers are different as well the 545 has a two mufflers one with a vacuum door, flap closed for low rpms and open for upper rpms and higher loads.
Old 11-28-2010, 11:50 AM
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I'm sure that a 545 could look like a non-V8 E60 in just about every way - unless it has the sport package, it's pretty much a different engine in the same car as a 525. If it has the sport package, you would see the 124 wheels and, if you looked really closely, larger brakes. But, in 2004 and 2005, none of the body enhancements that make later 550s more distinctive against other E60s had yet been introduced.
Old 11-28-2010, 01:26 PM
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i have a 545i and my mate has a 535D and apart from starting the engine, or looking at a rear badge i couldn't see any difference at all...... thats why on my PRE LCI, i got the LCI rear and front lights on my private reg, so you would instantly think i have at least a 2008 car unless you physically had a look inside to see that its not lol
Old 11-28-2010, 01:50 PM
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check for fatter diameter exhaust pipes. other than that and the slightly larger brakes, there's no external differences. the chrome kidneys are the same as the 530's. there were some poor souls that purchased 545s without the sport package, in which case they will have 17" wheels just like any other non-sport E60 unless they've upgraded.
Old 11-28-2010, 06:33 PM
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Look at the rear diff. 545 and 550i should have cooling fins while anything under on Pre-LCI E60 does not.


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