I was at Dinan last Friday to have them look at the front suspension. Was getting a clicking noise from the front right suspension tower. Turned out to be a bad washer at the top strut mount. On my way out, I asked my rep, Phillip Briseno when the Dinan CAI would be out (I also PM'd JetBlack too who used to work for Dinan) and here's what I found:

1. Per Phillip: unknown whether the CAI will be out soon

2. Per JetBlack: Dinan is waiting for the LCI version to come out to see if there are any differences b/t the 2006/2007 vs. 2008 models.

So overall, it looks like the CAI is quite some time away before it gets released. But per Phillip, there's a slight chance that the CAI won't be manufactured for the 4.8L V8 after all. So for now, a K&N + Dinan Throttle Body + Software looks like the answer to increased airflow for you Dinan-heads out there.

It really blows that not many companies will make good mods for the 550i. The 335 has all kinds of performance stuff. The M5 has a ton of performance stuff and we get stuck with basically nothing. I tried talking Simon at Evosport into making some performance headers and exhaust systems for the 550i, but they were concerned that the interest would not be strong enough. It looks like RDsport makes some nice upgrades. They said I would get 46hp with their software and exhaust setup, but their stuff seems difficult to buy. I also would want that HP number verified with a dyno first. I also don't want to remove my ecu and send it through the mail.

Man I should of gotten an M5! LMAO!

It's common knowledge that aftermarket intake systems do not do much on performance on BMWs. Out of the factory, the intake is already tuned to the max. I wouldn't waste my money on it and would rather spend it on a chip or even an exhaust.

I totally agree! If you stop and try to think the way Steve Dinan would think, he probably would say that there's not much extra power to squeeze out of the intake tract from the 4.8L V8 and would rather spend the time researching other more proven ways to extract more power. If Dinan decides not to release a CAI for the 550/650, perhaps it's the same reason Dinan doesn't have a dual CAI for the M5/M6: it doesn't need it. :think:

It is not easy to extract more power out of the V8 without going into the engine or adding some sort of FI. BMW did a pretty good job. Intakes and Exhausts on a non-FI car are a joke. You spend a ton of money to get minimal if any power.

The 335 is a totaly different beast. It is FI from the factory. Tuners are increasing the boost to make more power. However very little data is known on what the increased boost will do to these engines.

What is out for the M5 that will make more power? A $3k exhaust that makes "9 HP" @ 8000 rpm. The little research I did yealded very few real performance mods for the E60 M5.

If you got money to blow, you can make any car perform as you want. The 550i is no exception to this rule.

BP

In addition to the above, BMW is making it hard on DINAN to produce a product that will work on all the realated models. With this run BMW has change and reconfigured the new 5 every year, which poses a major issue for tuners like DINAN to play an effective part in the market. DINAN is having a hard time putting their finger on what the demand is and for what version 5 they should focus on. Look at it for me all they have for 04 e60 530i's are wheels and accessories and strut bars no performance engine mods. Knowing they can squeeze more power out of the engine they are yet to add anything for the 530i's. My close source tells me that late year if not spring 08 before any new DINA mods are released for any verison of the e60. time will tell...

All very good points. Exhaust and CAI are places to dump money, not true performance enhancers. That said, I do enjoy a nice exhaust note, but at $1,580 plus install, NTY. If better performance is your goal with the 550i, the shorter rear gear is probably the most noticeable. But at $2,000 plus install, still very expensive. On that subject, does anyone know if the rear in the 550i is a LSD?

Also, as stated by others, I believe the aftermarket tuners will pass on the 550i and concentrate on the 335/535. I don't think the market is there to offset the R&D.

al

Bummer on CAI. Ordered the K&N filter over the weekend from Summit Racing.

After working there(Dinan) for 4+ years here is a run down of their thought process.

To build a new intake for the 550 it will take approx. 200+ engineering hours just to design new and enhance where possible. Plus there is a big cost associated with making their own plastic mold and their airflow computer simulator. Now that the item is built and ready to go on the car New software has to be developed for new air/fuel ratio's, software takes another 50 hours. All this and the BMW releases the LCI that may require different fittings or couplers or may not fit at all!!

Cost:
Buy or Borrow a 550 = $70k or free parts+loaner car to client
Engineering part: 250 hours = $12,000
To create 1 plastic mold = $20,000
Raw materials in bulk = $15,000
Software Development = $15,000

Total hard costs = $62,000

So Dinan would have to sell 57 kits RETAIL to break even BEFORE any furture warranty claims.
Dinan's business is 5% retail and 95% dealer network. Here is a secret Dinan does not sell retail to the dealers hence less profitability per parts.

Now they have to sell 85 kits just to break even.

Guys, there are very few people that would put this on their 550 at $1099 + labor. A lot of people think that beacause Dinan charges the most he is also the most profitable.....wrong.

Now imagine the above scenario times 19
1. Z4 series x3
2. 3 series x4 (325,330,335,M3)
3. 5 series x5 (525,530,545,550,M5)
4. 6 Series x3 (645,650,M6)
5. X5 (3.0,4.4,4.6,4.8)

I will have to finish this later as I am going into a meeting.

Wow JetBlack ... very interesting. Being in retail myself, I can totally see the thought and R&D steps that have to be accomplished before the actual product is released. Hopefully the boys there will eventually release a CAI. If not, no big deal. I still love the power it puts out!