Car buying advise
 

Hello everyone,
I am new to the BMW world and I'm hoping yall would be nice enough to assist me. I am selling my 2007 mazdaspeed3 and buying a 535xi wagon. I am coming from a hatchback that handles fairly well and is pretty fast(400whp) so I am trying to find that in a BMW wagon also.
First, I'm not sure on which transmission to get. I've found a few 6 speeds but kind of like the idea of the steptronic since it is fast and can be made faster. I don't know what kind of power they are capable of holding though. I plan on upgraded turbos and having 500+ whp. The car will sometimes see a 1/4 mile and road course.
What options should I be looking for?
Active roll stabilization? Active steering? I just want go fast in my grandpa wagon.
Also, I understand this thing is a tank and it's going to be heavy but is there any options other than the moonroof that I could do without and save a few lbs?
Thanks for any and all help. Sorry for so many questions. Just trying to find the right car for my needs.

Hey man! Welcome! I'm about to sell my 2008 Mazda Miata for an E61,but from the lurking I can maybe help answer

1 - 6MT's are incredibly hard to find. Something like only 300 were ever imported into the US over the 3 years. uscbwsr has the steptronic and he's dynoing 550awhp - I'll link the thread

https://5series.net/forums/e61-touri...135223/page27/

Beauty of turbo automatics is no boost lag between the shifts :)

To achieve 500+ - RB turbos, intake, downpipe, custom exhaust ( we have no off the shelf options past the downpipe ), e85. Nice thing is the E61 has the N54, which is the same engine in the 135 and 335i, so there's parts options, and an entire forum dedicated to making the engine faster.

The wagons do not come with active roll stabilization in the US. I believe they do come with active steering though. Also, the E61 does not have the "sport" mode that the E60 ( sedan ) will, but it appears to be a *relatively* straight forward mod ( mostly installing a button, the hard part is the ECU )

I think the one thing that could help save some weight is eventually converting from the air bag suspension over to coilovers ( KW v3s, ISC ). Be careful when searching as E61 wagons elsewhere in the world don't necessarily have the airbag rear suspension, leading to a somewhat different rear suspension setup.

Other weight savings? Eh... here's the thing - the "sport" package, aka the comfort package, has AWESOME 30-way adjustable seats ( akin to the sport package on the E90s ) - adjustable bolsters etc. They're *heavy* though. You could save weight by going with aftermarket buckets, but to be honest, it's a luxury sport wagon. It's like 4300lbs, and still hauls ass.

Largest question is - are you wanting it to go fast straight, go fast through a corner, look good, or all of the above :)

Thanks. I'll mainly be going fast in a strait line but I do enjoy some curves.

Welcome! As stated before me, there are tons of upgrades to turbos,motor,etc. If you can find a 6MT that is a unicorn car. I think they only made 370 or something crazy like that. If you want power and to keep that "race car" feel, take your time and get a 6MT. Initially the auto is sluggish and lazy, but with different flashes they can get better. Lots more to break as well with automatic!


Weight loss is pretty hard a car built for comfort and badassery. But trust us all, it can and WILL be very fast.

Cheers!

Also don't forget the 2006-2007 530XI - it comes with the n/a N52 engine. Chassis is the same, largest differences is the entertainment system ( I believe it can be upgraded to the '10 HDD based liek the 08-09 can ) and the 06 sport/comfort seats are the previous gen's ( e39 ).

Plus side is due to them being n/a, they're lower cost in maintenance usually.

The n54 is the whole reason for getting a 5 series wagon!

Haha! You should have seen the faces of a local indy shop when I scheduled a PPI for one.

"... are you moving up north for the snow? "
" no..."
" do you have kids?"
"no..."
" run a business?"
"no..."
"... so why does a 28 year old want a 5 series wagon?"
" to track it"
"......... fucking seriously?"

LOL, hillarious!

I own 5 series wagons x 3. Two are currently being modded. One is 2007 stock n52 which I’ve owned since new. These cars are great. Have averaged about $1200 of maintenance per year per car over 20 combined years of ownership. My new 6MT 2010 is the crown jewel. There is such a devoted following. You can leave them stock and just do an écu flash and get a substantially improved driving experience. You can do intercooler, downpipes, air intake and a better tune and get close to 400hp for $2000. Or you can go crazy and spend $15000 on parts and labor and have a 550+hp beast sleeper wagon. Maintenance is not that bad.