Percy_991

In the UK a stock 550i MSport with no additional options is £55,890 or $92,262! Around $60,000 would get you a stock 523i MSport!

C's Bimmer

Take it easy there, Petey. A test drive was necessary. I guess I should have been more elaborate. I was looking for a temporary solution to hold me over for the new M5. I'm loyal to the brand, love the spacious room the 5 series offers and couldn't convince the wife a used 997TT was a choice, considering I have a family with 2 little kids -- that will have to come later in life. I tried the E63 route and disliked it. I'm loyal to BMW, not MB. The only other brand I would consider is Porsche, but again, a 911 is not ideal for a family of 4 with 2 baby seats in the back. A Panamera Turbo with a $2,700/month lease payment was not an ideal solution either. LOL!

Additionally, the first mod I would have done would have been the Dinan Tune, which would have boosted power to 495HP/573TQ. My hope was that this would satisfy the loss in HP and increase in TQ, compared to my current car. However, as I said earlier and in other threads, it's not just about power, but also feel. In the end, the M just has too much of a raw feeling that I'm not willing to give up, even if a tuned F10 550 will take me in a straight line. To me, there's just too much of a gap in feel. I was hoping the gap between the F10 and E60 would be a little closer than the E60 550 and E60 M5. I also did not care very much for the 8 speed SAT -- I still love my SMG and love the DCT tranny in the M3. I look forward to the DCT tranny in the F10 version, once available.

PS - It's definitely, not definately.

e6t

i drove one today... nice car, VERY different from the e60. it was crazy to me how quiet it was, even under WOT.

i thought i would love it, but i didnt. it was very nice, dont get me wrong, but there is something missing. as C said, it isnt raw in any way. its pretty quick, but there is just about no sound from the engine.

in much the same way as C said, I dont think I can ever go back. once driving something that will tear your head off, its hard to go back!

by the way, what the HELL did bmw do to the steering?

John@Motorcepts

Hyundais are nowhere near this price. It's crazy because for almost $90K, I may as well WAIT for the F10 M5. Spend a little more, and get an M5. Why spend that much on a 550i?

I think when the M5 is a done deal and sold, 997TT will be next. The sound of the 997TT doesnt even match the sound of the E60 M5. The sound of the E60 M5 is SOOO ALLURING. I'll miss it so much but when I see the E60 M5 in the rearview of the 997TT, that's a different story.

Percy_991

Bring on the upcoming 998...although Turbo and Turbo S variants won't be available from launch, (as expected,) at the end of this year / early 2012. But when these stable range-toppers and the "lesser" 911's are launched I am sure the Porkers will be chasing down M, AMG and RS cars!

Agree that the 997 Turbo S doesn't sound as impressive as the E60 M5, even with the sports exhaust set-up; but the note of a V10 is always a treat to hear and hard to beat especially by a straight 6!

RIP V10 beast!

C's Bimmer

I'm very jealous. You're just getting married, so you'll see that car is not ideal when you have 2 kids in the back with baby seats. Hell, maybe I'll buy your 997TT off you when you eventually have 2 babies and my 2 kids are all grown-up. I'll sell you my M5 in return -- we'll swap. LOL! Sounds like a great plan actually. LOL!

Petes550i

Well, it's all about being "reasonable" when you shop for car. Sure, you could go crazy and order every option under the sun and have the sticker come out to $90K. Personally, I think that's a little ridiculous, but if you have the money to burn, who has the right to say no to you?

For about $72K, I was able to get a 550i with pretty much all the "must-have" options like Sports Package, Dynamic Handling, and Premiuim Package 2. For all the luxury, refinement, technology, and not to mention a kick-ass 400hp TTV8 engine, I think it's worth the asking price. (Price-wise, it's not much different than what's offered from other German luxury brands like Mercedes or Audi).

As far as the F10 M5, you can bet it won't come under $100K. (Even the current M6 is way over $100K).

KU530

Well this has been a good discussion. I am thinking of crossing the burning sands back to BMW. I love my E55. It is mean and raw. It just handles like crap. So like to park it for a while and keep the miles down on it. I have been thinking of the new 550i or the e60 M5 or even the s6 Audi. Would love the panamera but like Calton said 2700 a month lease is not an option.