Greetings all,

New in this subforum, but not to the E6x by any means. I'm a long-time E60 fanatic and have owned an '06 M5 for the last 2.5 years. Looking to change things up a bit and the more I look around, the more I really think there's an E61 in my future.

I recognize some of the names here (yeah, you Evan ) from M5 Board, I've been active over there for about 9 years. As much as I wish the M5 Touring was available in the US, it's probably a good thing (for me) it wasn't.

My wife is absolutely done with the M5 and won't even drive it. Some say that's a good thing, but it can be logistically challenging at times. Living in Maine makes AWD more feasible as well, so my M5 will soon be gone and my search for the right E61 will begin in earnest.

Of course, nothing stays stock for long, especially coming from an S85, so I'll seek the wisdom of those who have gone before me to set me on the right path.

I'm really anxious to play with the N54 even as a die hard NA fan who completely protested the 2014 F1 season due to the engine change. But, I'm getting that out of my system and man, you guys get some neat toys for this motor.

At the same time, I'm conflicted. I have this extra S85 sitting in my garage just staring at me.

Anyway, greetings to all, looking forward to hanging out here.

- Jim

 

Welcome aboard, in advance! You won't look back if you do!

As you have probably read, check for common issues, like panoramic sunroof drains, tailgate wires, recalls done on the HPFP pump and injectors, and maybe do a walnut blast if it's never been done, then swap spark plugs, and get yourself a Cobb tune! ;-) The latter, the best $800 or less (if used) you'll spend on the car IMO! And you can go full stage 2+, by easily adding DP's and a FMIC after.

 

I wish you luck in finding the right car....since you're willing to go the turbo route, you'll have way more chances of finding the right one than if you were specifically looking for the NA version. I had the 07 as my target and it took me a year and a half to track one down with everything I wanted from a option standpoint as well as paint/interior colors. I have lusted over the 2010s with the M-Sport package like Lotus99's....and even seen a manual tranny versions....truly lust-worthy!

Be sure to post up what you end up purchasing!

 

Really had my eyes on 2 cars, but both were gone as of yesterday and one was even a unicorn.
2010 BMW 535 i xDrive, $16,998 - Cars.com
2008 BMW 535 xi, $17,999 - Cars.com

Looking at 5 today:
2008 BMW 535XiT WAGON, AUTO, SPORT, NAVI, XENONS, 1 OWNER, MUST SEE!!!
2008 BMW 535 xi, $14,495 - Cars.com
2008 BMW 535 xi, $15,995 - Cars.com
2008 BMW 535 xi, $15,995 - Cars.com
2008 BMW 535 xi, $18,999 - Cars.com


Those are the closest to me and two are at the same dealership.

I was really interested in the first link above, a 2010 with high miles for cheap. I pulled the service history on them and the unicorn never even had a HPFP failure, but the Monaco Blue (not Deep Sea as listed) had 3 HPFPs. Unfortunately, neither available but I will probable drive by the lot anyway.

Ideally, I will find something that's a bargain that's newer with higher miles, yet decent interior wear. Mechanical doesn't concern me in the slightest, I've maintained an E60 M5 out of warranty without the dealer for almost 3 years. The difference is parts are much less expensive for the N54 than the S85 and far more common.

My wife really didn't get this at all...until I showed her ucsbwsr's car. She's starting to get it now.

 

I have a friend looking for an E61 as well.. and they all get gobbled up so fast!

I NEVER see an E61 turbo on my daily ride into boston.. plenty of stock (looking) 535xi though. I think the coolest thing is that you can get "close" to M5 performance with the Jb4 and a few goodies. I ran into an M6 and gave him a run for his money.. he was really surprised.. as was I.

 

I just purchased my 06 e61 with 58k. Great ride, moved ip from the 3 series. Love the car.

 

I drove an '08 and a '10 yesterday, both Monaco Blue on Cream Beige almost identical spec an mileage.

I was really impressed with the auto transmission shifted manually as well as left in auto. The car certainly doesn't feel as 'boaty' as I expected coming from the M, but well...it's no M. Braking was good on the '10 and horrible on the '08, like bad fade...probably easy enough to fix. Acceleration wasn't bad on either car, but the '10 responded a little faster. Given the high mileage, I'm sure both needed a walnut blast on the intake ports.

The steering though is what gets me, it's just kind of numb. Is it possible to alter the servotronic maps with a backend flash or JB4? On the mss60 and mss65 DMEs for the M3/M5, the servotronic characteristic curves are stored in there, so it's possible to tune them.

Any idea if the steering rack itself is different to the M?

 

Get an 09 or newer (superior navigation) and manual transmission.

 

I wouldn't worry about HPFP's and how many have been replaced, as long as the latest version has been installed in the car, as BMW finally after 3 versions figured out the trick to the pump lasting with their latest version. It is a recall item also, so u can get it done still I believe if it wasn't for some reason. And it might have even gotten the 10 year extended warranty on it, I believe. I'm pretty sure I've posted the tech bulletins here, which have the details as well as the final version's part #.

 

Hi,


Just a note on the e61 steering, I consider it to be one of the best features on my 09. The feel has always been great, letting me know what's going on. The on-center is perfect and it has always been instantaneous in response to inputs without feeling darty. This includes long highway stretches and lots of back roads as well. My read is that the steering helps to balance the weight of the car in a very positive way. Cheers, and good luck with your search.