Drove a 2018 BMW M550I

[Crowd Hunter]

I previously owned a 2008 E60 M5 and just picked up a 2013 F10 M5. The car is rated at 560 hp/500 lb-ft but many say that they are underrated. Many stock cars dynoed at around 530/480, which means the actual crank numbers are closer to 600/550. I've got a JB4 tuner on mine, and it has all the power I could ever need.

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[EFI]

Anyone else have a similar experience with a car feeling like it’s punching so high above it’s “HP” figures suggest

As you mentioned, a 465hp turbo car will for the most part maintain its power at high altitude, while a naturally aspirated one loses alot. Turbo cars in general are like that, especially ones with stock or small turbos that spool up fast.

My brother in law has an M550i and while it's nice inside and quick, it's not as fast as my stock A10.

 

[Balr14]

I have heard the turbo engines called the "Hot V" now i know why.
Maintenance is the main factor in being turned off from cars like this. How much difference in your experience is the maintenance going to be from what we currently drive?
Now if we are talking the E60 M5 that thing will cost you everything you own to keep it running. But the newer ones? thoughts?

I have heard that the E60/M5 is the "best car you should never own". There are some BMW models that should be avoided, so I have stuck to the ones I knew to be solid. When in doubt, pass. The 2011 550i comes to mind, but that's another story. (I'll tell you if you like). Anyway, the 335i is not hard to work on. For example, a high capacity intercooler took about 20 minutes to remove the old and install the new. Tunes are cheap and easily performed with no expensive tuner module needed. The cars are engineered to make things accessible. The later model turbo 4.4 V8 (after 2011) has been very solid.

I always buy high performance German cars that are out of warranty to keep things affordable. I was budgeting $2000 per year for maintenance and repairs and I'm pretty sure I averaged less than that over the years. If I still had my 335i, I would have replaced the injectors and turbos in the next 20k -30k miles. It had 60K miles when I sold it to my son-in-law. I have had similar experience with other BMW models. I always, make sure I buy a well-maintained model. I pay more for a good one, but it has worked out well for me.

As for maintenance on my Mustang GT, I bought it because it has a warranty and I don't drive it enough to incur much in the way of costs... 2 oil changes in 2 years and less than 4000 miles.

 

[Crowd Hunter]

You sound a lot like me. I have owned an E92 335i (n54), an E88 135i (n55), an E60 M5, and now the F10 M5. I always budget around $2000 a year for maintenance and do it all myself. I bought the E60 M5 with 35k miles and daily drove it for 2 years and sold it with 65k miles on it. The 335i had a JB4 piggyback tuner, as does the F10 M5. The 135i was full bolt-ons with MHD stage 2+ tune. I bought six coil packs for the 135i, only used one, and they fit the new M5, so I have spares.

 

[Balr14]

You sound a lot like me. I have owned an E92 335i (n54), an E88 135i (n55), an E60 M5, and now the F10 M5. I always budget around $2000 a year for maintenance and do it all myself. I bought the E60 M5 with 35k miles and daily drove it for 2 years and sold it with 65k miles on it. The 335i had a JB4 piggyback tuner, as does the F10 M5. The 135i was full bolt-ons with MHD stage 2+ tune. I bought six coil packs for the 135i, only used one, and they fit the new M5, so I have spares.

They are great cars! Everything just feels right. I'm still tempted to buy an M6 convertible as my last car.

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