bmw528i

Ran 13.7 sec 104.3 mph auto
tiptronic - 14.6 sec 100.5 mph

Bimmer32

Can you elaborate the difference between auto and tiptronic times? What device are you using to test these times?

Thanks,

EBMCS03

Tip I'm assuming he means he put it in manual mode and possibily shifted himself?

Prob the best way to achieve time on a steptronic is to put it in DS mode and just floor it.

znod

More and more clear info please.

hollywoodtrash

Can you record a 0-60 time please

LowOrbit

Strange, I think the 545 also had a 13.7 quarter mile time, based on car magazine testing - maybe weather conditions?

bmw528i

i ran the quarter Mile at raceway park


yes the better run was in drive and floor it the tip tronic kept automaticaly shifting to a lower gear by itself for some reason until it got to higher speeds but after i crossed the 1/4 mile in tip trnic i was at 130 mph where in drive i was at 110 ....

best run

60ft 2.1 sec
330ft 5.2 sec
1/8th - 9.0 sec
1/4-- 13.7 sec ... 104.3 mph

wavehogger

Having run the 1/4 hundreds of times in many cars over the last 15yrs, something isn't right here with the Tiptronic speed of 130 in the 1/4. Unless the car is running a 10 second 1/4, it was a dream.

This is going to be confusing but let me try to explain this as best I can.

Running in auto mode probably will get the best time or pretty close to it. Since I don't even have my 550 yet I can't give my opinion of where BMW sets the shift points, and if I think it's the best shift point to achieve the best 1/4 mile time. Sometimes it is beneficial to shift a little before or after the factory shift point, depending on the engine characteristics and the gear ratios. Usually, it can help to hold 1st and 2nd gear a little over the factory shift point (closer to the redline) or slightly over it. This way when the car shifts it is now revving at a slightly higher RPM entering the next gear, thus having a little more HP on hand. At slower accelerating speeds this can help since the momentum of the car is so great it doesn't hurt the acceleration time, but as the car gets going at higher speeds overrevving will be detrimental to the best time and now the opposite effect comes into hand and it may be better to shift slightly before the normal shift point in the higher speed gears. I'm sure Znod knows what I'm talking about since he has done so much acceleration timing of his car. Maybe he can chime in here.

So a time of 13.7 at 104.3 mph sounds pretty close to what I imagine the 550 should do. I think that it can probably do a little better around 13.3 - 13.5. I know Road & Track ran the 545 and got a 13.7 @ 104 MPH, so I'm sure the 550 can beat it. What you didn't tell us BMW528i was how you launched the car. Did you torque the engine? If so how high of an RPM and did you have wheel spin? What kind of reaction times were you getting as well? I'm sure many of us would love you to give a detailed account of your track experience. I believe you're the first member to actually run the 550 at the track.

And once I finally get my car and it's broken in i'll be taking her to the track to get some numbers myself.

znod

For all interested, check out the data in post #1 here. Post #1 contains the basic mag-tests results for the 545i, and results from g-meters and dragstrips for some of our cars. Later in the thread I give the results of a 550i test by a German mag. As I recall, your time is almost the same a the 545i drag-strip result posted by an individual on DragTimes (not one of the magazine times posted there). His ("Daddy" as I recall) may have been 13.8. If you want, I'll add your data to post #1. Let me know. 130 MPH? But, your results are good. What was the temperature, altitude and, etc., of your pass? Your results may actually be better, or worse, than your "raw" scores imply.

cobradav

I am unclear to your references to "but after i crossed the 1/4 mile in tip trnic i was at 130 mph where in drive i was at 110 .... " what that means? Is this the speeds past 1/4 mile before you hit brakes??

You posted reasonable times/speed for two modes in your original post :
13.7 sec 104.3 mph auto
14.6 sec 100.5 mph triptronic (by the way these are STEPTRONIC trannies)

My best times are always in STEPTRONIC mode (M1, M2, M3.....) where the software shifts just before redline, regardless of throttle position. Auto (D or DS or D "Sport) has more variables, including throttle position. Also as mentioned earlier, there is a way to torque load your STEP tranny so that you minimize wheel spin and maximize your launch. You can often times improve your 1/4 ET & speed by getting some wheel spin at the expense of best 0-60ft or 0-60 MPH times so there are trade offs depending on what you want to accomplish.

Come on over to the performance threads (two good ones started by Znod) and join us in adding to the body of knowledge. Some have slowed down testing as I have being in Florida and already into 90 degree, 90 percent humidity at times.

Glad you're testing. I assume you are broke in but still low miles. I did not start my testing until after 15,000 miles on my car.