C's Bimmer

alpha12345

i guarantee that after you guys drive a tuned 535 ur opinion will change, and like i stated before the mpg is a huge factor. As far as the fuel pump going that is a common problem among the v6tt but dont forget we have warranty?? once again let me say again that i do love the 550 but the 535 with a small tune is faster and has better gas mileage what else is there to argue... a few guys saw my car in action with tune only its no joke. THe one thing that doesnt come as an option is the mtech kit which is easlily attainable through the aftermarket support. i would love to see what a tuned intake + exhaust 550 can do maybe my opinion will change. If anyone has one in the tri state area i would love to meet up and see the diffrence. END OF THE DAY there both sick BEEEMERSS

My535i

I agree with you alpha. Very well said. Once you have driven a tuned 535 you will see what the "hype" is about. The only small issue I have is that a tune for 550 would only offer very minimal gains because let's face it the missing link in that tune would be raising turbo boost pressure, which sadly is not there


Actually the correct saying goes like this...."Turbos....THE replacement for displacement". Lol The whole purpose of turbochargers is to increase VOLUMEtric efficiency!!! N54 with a tune is dead reliable and it's not a pipe dream the power difference is flat out RIDICULOUS. I read somewhere that BMW was bringing it's own tune to the table... that just reinforces the fact that there is headroom built into this setup. Have a look at a dyno of a mildly tuned 535...the numbers don't lie the power is there in a major way.

I am not kocking the 550 in anyway...but when I hear terms getting thrown around that make it sound like turbochargers are some type of mystical/sci-fi things that don't work it just sounds silly. Turbos are 100% reliable and have been around for decades...turbos are here to stay guys and massive power gains over factory with simple tunes will continue to evolve. (correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the future 550 getting turbos on the V8 as well??)

It's simple... 550 if you don't want to do engine mods at all. If you are willing to do at least MINOR mods and have a spare 30 minutes to install them 535 is an amazing choice.

alpha12345

my 535 id bet the chip for the 550 do more than i little. Before the e60 i had the 650i convertable after installed the dinan chip i gained about 3-4 car lenghts on thr highway measuring against a hooked up m3. I am pretty sure if you do the chip on the 550 it will be significant maybe not hp wise but def rpm band and just more power. The increase i noticed was very veryyy noticible on high end. its only 500 bux anyone done it yet theres a dealin in brooklyn that installs them!!!!! someone get it and bring it to the bear mountain meet so we can see the diff......

pennetta

The fact that BMW is abandoning the NA V8 to be replaced by a turbo V8 should be proof enough of the advantages of turbo charging. For the record; turbos have been around for 100 years not just decades. First patented in 1905 and in production in 1920.
I used to race a Nissan 300ZX turbo. I used synthetic oil and always let the car idle for 5 minutes after a run around the track to cool the turbo bearings, and I never had a turbo failure.

harlem

xdrive all the way!

acorradi87

No. When I was looking into getting my car with my dad, I had an option of either the one I got (new 08 550) or an 09 535, which would have obviously come with the upgraded NAV and all that.

Reasoning:
- There is something about a deep V8 sound that is so addicting (although BMWs inline 6s do sound good in their own right)
- I didn't want any HPFP issues (probably the main reason)
- The wheels for the M Sport package on the 535 just didn't do it for me. They were almost exactly like the ones on the 04-05 3 series ZHP performance package and to me they just don't look right on the e60.

Persian_535i

I have a 535i but I'd go with a 550i if I could do it again. Turbo goes bad = your screwed... not worth it.

sdg1871

I had that choice and went with the 550. I love it. Nothing like the sound and the low end torque of a V8. And with seeing so many folks that I know suffer HPFP failures with the N54 engines, I certainly don't regret my decision. And of course if you value performance handling, the 535xi's suspension is not a true sport suspension.

pukka

When I compared price sheets for the 535/550 with identical options, I couldn't convince myself to pay an extra 7k for 2 extra cylinders and 60hp knowing that the 535 could be tuned to match the 550 for a fraction of the cost.

I've also owned a V-8 powered car/truck for almost 20 years, so to me I'm no stranger to the V-8 feel.

It will be different with the F10 - for my next car I would only consider the 550 along with some other brands.