Road & Track gets a zero to 60 time of 6.7 seconds with a manual transmission & Sports Package equipped 530i in their latest issue. They had many, many good things to say about the car....only slightly bashing the I-Drive because of the distraction it can cause.

And in a small sidenote explaining why they didn't print a test of the 545i instead of the 530, they mentioned that they had gotten a TIRE SMOLDERING 5.3 seconds to 60MPH with a manual transmission 545i!

A good read...sorry don't have a scanner.

 

That's interesting. As you know, BMW reports a 0-62 time of 5.7 seconds for the 545i manual. Some people on these boards (www.545i.com, for instance) have said they thought the company was underestimating the acceleration, perhaps intentionally. I have owned two Lexus 4.3L V-8s, which possess 0-60 times in the low to mid 6+ second range, and this car seemed considerably quicker during my test drive. I ordered one immediately after the test drive. After several months of anxious anticipation, it should be ready for pickup sometime next week.

Mine will have the Steptronic transmission, which is a touch slower, so I will have to settle for very fast. 5.4 seconds for 0-60 mph is about right.

I'm kind of excited...

 

I DON'T KNOW HOW FAST MINE WILL GO 0-60 YET. I AM WAITING UNTILL I GET 1200 + MILES ON IT. YOU ARE SUPOSED TO BRACK IT IN BEFOR AND AFAST ACCELERATION ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS VIDEO.

 

www.roadandtrack.com

 

BMW historically tends to be conservative when publishing acceleration times.

 

I read the Road & Track sidebar review of the the 545i and it indicated the test used a Steptronic car:

"... the 545i pulled off a 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds and reached the quarter mile in 13.8 sec. at 103.3 mph. ... Engine power is delivered smoothly with only the slightest of engine vibration coming into the cabin. The automatic transmission does its job well. ..."

 

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e60/4755083-1.html



here is the scaned copy of the road and track

 

Jeff;
That is true. HOWEVER, this would not be the first time that Road & Track has received a version of a particular model from an auto manufacturer OTHER than the one that they decide to actually put into print. More often than not, a manufacturer will provide not only different model designations of a certain line, but also different transmission-versions of the same model (ie. - both Steptronic & 6-Speed Manual).

Also, I find it VERY hard to believe that a Steptronic version of the 545 pulled off a 5.3 0-60 time. That would mean that they could have easily pulled off a 5.1 with a 6-Speed manual or SMG equipped car and that just doesn't seem realistic.

R.R.

 

The bimmer magazine posted the following accelerations for 6 speed manual:

E60 Non Sportpackage : 0-60 6.8sec
E60 SportPackage : 0-60 6.6 sec

The final drive for both trasmissions are different The normalE60 has 2.93 while the Sport package has a3.15 <_< Perhaps that is why the SPP pulled 0.2 sec faster?

Anyway, autoweek in Speedvision showed the steptronic Non SPP to a best of 7.2 sec Not bad for 225hp and a big car. Is as fast as the car with 240 and 260 hp and and almost the same as a Step 330I !!!

You got to love these german. Its just amazing.