Originally Posted by tachyon' post='269458' date='Apr 15 2006, 09:49 AM

These E60 machines really are so fantastic.

I just made a similar run yesterday: Chicago-Davenport, Iowa (200 miles each way), and I had the same feelings you did: total comfort and the joy of high-speed cruising. I covered the 180 miles of uninterrupted expressway- with virtually no traffic on a Good Friday - in exactly 2 hours.

At one point on the way there I found myself cruising along at about 75 mph with no traffic in sight, and since my Escort radar detector had not registered a blip all morning, I decided to crank it up a notch or two. I calmly pressed the accelerator all the way down, but not to the point of kicking down gears. Those wonderful 4.8 liters growled in compliance and the E60 jumped ahead like a race horse hitting its stride. In the blink of an eye the HUD display showed 95 mph, then 110 ... 120 ... 130.

I've never driven this fast in any car, but the 550 goes there seemingly without effort. Clearly, this is what this car is meant to do. I was stunned by how quiet, stable, and confident it is at this speed - and yet it was still pulling steadily ahead to higher speeds, seemingly with no end in site.

My brain finally registered how fast the scenery was scrolling by, and I since was quickly catching up to some cars ahead I backed off after running past 135 mph and settled back down to "normal" cruising speed. It took a while longer for my heart rate to settle back down.

I was so early for my meeting that I got off the expressway early and drove around on some of the hilly, winding two-lane highways overlooking the mighty Mississippi River. What is so great about this car is that it is so good at everything - blasting down the interstate or carving up the twisties.

On the return trip I average 70 mph and that yielded 25.5 mpg.

What a car.

Originally Posted by Tyke' post='270278' date='Apr 17 2006, 01:55 PM

I forgot to add...as it was raining I ran out of road at 150mph...does the DMS remap remove the limiter?!!