Thanks guys!

Is it safe to shift from 1st to 3rd without bogging the motor? Im going to work on my shifting after work today.

Also, like i said before the brakes loog like they are new, but i did notice that the rear passenger rotor has lines in it. I think im going to take a trip to the dealer sometime this week.

Other than that the car is flawless, it looks brand new. I will get some pics up when i have a chance to clean it.

 

It's taken me a while to adjust to the 545i 6-speed having come from more than 10 years of old-skool M-cars with sport clutches and light flywheels. But, you can shift it smoothly without the CDV mod. Thanks to all who have posted info on the CDV mod. That probably will help and it's a cheap part!

I found that if you try shifting at very low rpm when the engine is developing peak torque but not high HP, you can shift very smoothly. Try shifting just over 2k rpm. Don't power shift it. These V8's develop torque so quickly you can get away with this. This was my hardest lesson coming from high-rev/low torque engines like the S14 in my M3 and the S38 in my M5.

When racing through the gears and shifting at redline, the flywheel on this car is so massive that the revs just do not fall quickly enough. If I'm just a little bit patient and take 2 seconds to complete my shift vs. a quarter-second power shift, it's enough time for the revs to fall to right level to engage and GO. I'd be curious if the CDV mod really makes much difference in this instance. I'd love to hear from those who have it?

Heel-and-toe in downshifts are also equally frustrating due to the pedal alignment, throttle pedal sensors, and hyper-sensitive brake pedal! But I've been real patient again to learn how to do this. I'm getting it down to a science now but it is unlike any other car I've ever driven. It takes very light foot pressure on both the brake and gas, and just a minor blip on the throttle to execute it perfectly. In some ways, it's "easier" in that it's less effort than any other car. Just have to let go of your previous training. Oh, and I have to relearn this with different shoes...hehe.

So...anyone know a company making a light flywheel for the N62 engine?

If you're curious about my driving, I got a nice shout-out from Satch Carlson, editor of the BMW CCA magazine, Roundel. For those who are members, check out Satch's story in the back of the July issue (yes, I'm bragging but hey, it was a cool mention!).