Road and Track 550i
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From: Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted by rodybmw' post='292582' date='Jun 5 2006, 12:54 AM
That's very interesting......that must be Truffle Brown because not only does it look like Truffle Brown but the top surfaces of the armrests are black, which is the color scheme of a Truffle Brown interior.
I tried to order Truffle Brown but BMW NA did not let me. I'm not too upset though because I LOVE my Auburn now.
I tried to order Truffle Brown but BMW NA did not let me. I'm not too upset though because I LOVE my Auburn now.
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Joined: May 2005
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From: Chicago, IL
Originally Posted by Canada545' post='292855' date='Jun 5 2006, 02:48 PM
I do love my truffle brown.
Odd that they would have that car, though, because the test was in San Diego.
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From: New York, NY
My Ride: '05 545i - scheduled for ED pickup in Munich on 7/22!
AS and ARS are great...90% of the time.
As most of you have read from my autox thread, AS can get tricky when powering out of a turn while unwinding the steering wheel after the apex.
The artificial feeling to ARS is that the engineers kept some roll in the system at the absolute limit, to let you know you've reached it. So if you're cornering at the limit (and this has only happened to me once or twice) the car stays flat, and flat, and flat, but then suddenly "oh sh!t" it rolls. It surprises you when it happens and you kinda realize that the flatness is fake, the roll at the limit is real.
Another misleading thing about ARS is that because the car stays flat side to side, you'd also naturally expect the car to stay flat from foward to back - no pitch or dive when you accelerate or brake hard. But it doesn't. When you brake hard, the car dives a lot more than you'd expect.
Besides these things, AS and ARS are good. I wouldn't get AS again but I'd get ARS. If only they'd make something like ARS for pitch and dive as well...
As most of you have read from my autox thread, AS can get tricky when powering out of a turn while unwinding the steering wheel after the apex.
The artificial feeling to ARS is that the engineers kept some roll in the system at the absolute limit, to let you know you've reached it. So if you're cornering at the limit (and this has only happened to me once or twice) the car stays flat, and flat, and flat, but then suddenly "oh sh!t" it rolls. It surprises you when it happens and you kinda realize that the flatness is fake, the roll at the limit is real.
Another misleading thing about ARS is that because the car stays flat side to side, you'd also naturally expect the car to stay flat from foward to back - no pitch or dive when you accelerate or brake hard. But it doesn't. When you brake hard, the car dives a lot more than you'd expect.
Besides these things, AS and ARS are good. I wouldn't get AS again but I'd get ARS. If only they'd make something like ARS for pitch and dive as well...
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Bay Area, CA
My Ride: 545i Sport Auto (see sig)
That 5.0 0-60 time is rad. Given the performance upgrades on my 545i I'm probably approaching that. My friend with the brand-new convertible M3 is hurting with his 5.8 time. 
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From: Los Angeles, CA USA
Originally Posted by tachyon' post='292859' date='Jun 5 2006, 12:55 PM
That's it! They must have had a Canadian 550i to test because we can't get that interior color here in the States. I wonder if that 550 had charcoal filters then?
Odd that they would have that car, though, because the test was in San Diego.
Odd that they would have that car, though, because the test was in San Diego.
It can't be a Canadian 550i because you can see in the picture that the speedometer has two sets of numbers (both miles and kilometers) while Canada545's speedo has only one set of numbers (Km). Compare the two pictures below: It may just be a BMW NA car, I'm sure they can order whatever color and interior they want for themselves.
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From: So Cal
Originally Posted by darkside' post='291998' date='Jun 3 2006, 10:09 AM
Yes it was 105.5 mph. These are similar times to my erstwhile 03M3SMG. Not bad.
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From: mequon, wi, usa
My Ride: 1973 porsche 911, 32,000 miles,with all S options and leather sport seats. 2004 porsche GT3,white track car, 2003 porsche boxter "my wife's" 2004 3/4 ton suburban tow vehicle, 24' pace trailer, 2006 BMW530XI, black, auburn, also "my wife's" about to buy a BMW 550I,silver gray,
I drove my 550I 600 miles this weekend to visit the rellies and I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable road trips I've been on in a long time. This thing is just plain fun, nice firm ride, great sound system, goes like hell, handles great, and gets great milege with your foot in it. Can you ask for more?
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From: Chicago, IL
From letters to the Editor section of the September issue of Road & Track:
"In the comparison test of the BMW 550i vs. Lexus GS 450h, Shaun Bailey states: "Applause must be given to the Lexus, for it will probably catch an automatic-equipped 550i in the same contest." But the Road Test section Summary lists an automatic-equipped 2005 BMW 545i's time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.7, both faster than the Lexus' time. I believe than an automatic-equipped 550i (35 more horsepower than the 545) would have been quicker." Karl-Heinrich Barsch Orlando, Florida
Atta boy, you tell em', Karl.
"In the comparison test of the BMW 550i vs. Lexus GS 450h, Shaun Bailey states: "Applause must be given to the Lexus, for it will probably catch an automatic-equipped 550i in the same contest." But the Road Test section Summary lists an automatic-equipped 2005 BMW 545i's time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.7, both faster than the Lexus' time. I believe than an automatic-equipped 550i (35 more horsepower than the 545) would have been quicker." Karl-Heinrich Barsch Orlando, Florida
Atta boy, you tell em', Karl.
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