Initial Impressions - 2012 550i M-Sport 6MT

I took redelivery today of my car which I had left at the Welt on February 16th. So, with only the short drive home from the dealership (street with some twisties, no highway) these are my initial impressions.

1. Very, very nice engine. Smooth and responsive. Exhaust is too quiet for my taste, but IMHO appropriate for the car. If I want a throaty exhaust I'll drive my 964.
2. Another nice BMW manual transmission. Glad I bought the manual and not the SAT.
3. Steering (opted to not get IAS) is absolutely fine. I don't get the complaints and I'm used to driving a variety of Porsches, BMWs and track cars.
4. Seats are (as expected) a bit of a disappointment without the adjustable side bolsters like my prior e60 '08 550i M-Sport. I'm sure I will get used to them. I do like the ventilated seats.
5. Brakes have a much better feel than my prior E60.
6. Handling does not disappoint. I did opt for ARS. I feel that I can drive the twisties just as fast and as confident in this car, as in my prior e60.
Looking forward to putting some miles on it and getting past the break-in period.
Cheers!

Congrats fellow H-Towner!

Thx. I would like to see your mods in person. I live near the Galleria.

I now have about 400 miles on the car. I've driven a variety of roads and have the following comments (in no particular order):

1. Engine - This car is way too easy to drive way too fast. The twin turbo V-8 is incredibly smooth and unbelievably fast. I wonder how much hp it really has because it feels much, much faster than my (former) '08 e60 550i.

2. Seats - I'm getting used to the seats, but I still wish the seats had better lateral support. This is my biggest complaint.

3. Brakes are excellent ... and thank goodness they are. I expect I will need brake pads often because the car goes so fast so easily and it is fairly heavy.

4. Ride - The ride is excellent, whether the road is smooth or rough. This is a huge improvement over the ride of my (former) '08 e60 550i.

5. Transmission - IMHO BMW builds some of the best manual transmissions in the business. I am still very happy I opted for the manual over the auto (SAT). I just like shifting my own gears. The SAT is a very nice transmision, but it just isn't for me.

6. Split Fold Down Rear Seats - I love the split fold down rear seats. I can fit my road bike in the trunk with the seats down with only removing the front tire.

7. Ventilated Seats - The ventilated seats are nice. This my first car with them. I like them, especially after having worked out. I'm looking forward to enjoying them as it gets warmer here in Houston.

8. Navigation - I haven't used it yet. I am so used to my iPhone, I haven't tried to learn the system yet.

9. Premium Sound - sounds great. I'm really enjoying the added stations with HD radio. I had Sirius in my prior BMW. I haven't bothered to activate my Sirius account yet.

10. Bluetooth - The bluetooth/phone setup works much better than the one in my former BMW. My wife and friends tell me the sound quality is much better.

11. Runflats - I have the Dunlop RFTs. I think the car rides fine with them. I can tell that the car would ride smoother with non-RFTs, but I don't think the difference is worth changing tires at this time. Since this is a lease car, I do anticipate removing the original tires while they still have plenty of treadwear left and replacing them with Michelin Super Sports. I anticipate changing the springs at that time as well, as I expect the ride will become too soft without the added stiffness of the RFT sidewalls. Alternatively, I may (in lieu of replacing springs) to to a 20" wheel with a lower profile tire which would provide a firmer ride than the Super Sports would on the stock 19" wheels.

Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase/lease and am growing more fond of the car as I become more acquainted with it.

Originally Posted by mdstx330ci

I now have about 400 miles on the car. I've driven a variety of roads and have the following comments (in no particular order):

1. Engine - This car is way too easy to drive way too fast. The twin turbo V-8 is incredibly smooth and unbelievably fast. I wonder how much hp it really has because it feels much, much faster than my (former) '08 e60 550i.

2. Seats - I'm getting used to the seats, but I still wish the seats had better lateral support. This is my biggest complaint.

3. Brakes are excellent ... and thank goodness they are. I expect I will need brake pads often because the car goes so fast so easily and it is fairly heavy.

4. Ride - The ride is excellent, whether the road is smooth or rough. This is a huge improvement over the ride of my (former) '08 e60 550i.

5. Transmission - IMHO BMW builds some of the best manual transmissions in the business. I am still very happy I opted for the manual over the auto (SAT). I just like shifting my own gears. The SAT is a very nice transmision, but it just isn't for me.

6. Split Fold Down Rear Seats - I love the split fold down rear seats. I can fit my road bike in the trunk with the seats down with only removing the front tire.

7. Ventilated Seats - The ventilated seats are nice. This my first car with them. I like them, especially after having worked out. I'm looking forward to enjoying them as it gets warmer here in Houston.

8. Navigation - I haven't used it yet. I am so used to my iPhone, I haven't tried to learn the system yet.

9. Premium Sound - sounds great. I'm really enjoying the added stations with HD radio. I had Sirius in my prior BMW. I haven't bothered to activate my Sirius account yet.

10. Bluetooth - The bluetooth/phone setup works much better than the one in my former BMW. My wife and friends tell me the sound quality is much better.

11. Runflats - I have the Dunlop RFTs. I think the car rides fine with them. I can tell that the car would ride smoother with non-RFTs, but I don't think the difference is worth changing tires at this time. Since this is a lease car, I do anticipate removing the original tires while they still have plenty of treadwear left and replacing them with Michelin Super Sports. I anticipate changing the springs at that time as well, as I expect the ride will become too soft without the added stiffness of the RFT sidewalls. Alternatively, I may (in lieu of replacing springs) to to a 20" wheel with a lower profile tire which would provide a firmer ride than the Super Sports would on the stock 19" wheels.

Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase/lease and am growing more fond of the car as I become more acquainted with it.

What kind of springs do you think you'll go with? And I'm assuming it'll lower the car too, right? I wanted to do the same but am skeptical in regards to the warranty...any insight on this?

Given Dinan's reputation, I was leaning towards going with their springs. They also provide a warranty that mirrors BMW's. I don't have any warranty concerns with swapping springs because of their simple function. It is hard to imagine any mechanical or electronic part which could be negatively impacted by changing springs which only lower the car by about 1/2 inch.

Originally Posted by mdstx330ci

Thx. I would like to see your mods in person. I live near the Galleria.

I work in River Oaks, close to the Galleria too.

We could meet for lunch or something!

Pm sent