Yupkwondo

Well, I just got home, and I'm very pleased with myself and BMW....

I'll get right to the point..

This is the first time I've dragged my M5...I've done it with other cars, My Audi S4, and My Dads 750il (that was funny!) so this is the first time I've launched a powerful car that wasn't AWD...

Anyway as I'm sure you are all thinking...ohh just some excuses for a poor performance...but you'd be wrong!! :-)

First run...me being absent minded getting caught in the moment I left the traction control on, the sport mode off, and the A.C. on...after the hugest bog ever off the line I ran a 14.16 at 104.9 mph...I was like ok, now I'm really a sleeper, plus it gave me a chance without a helmet again....

Second run... After literally writing notes on my hand...and putting a sticky note on the dash to remind me to push the right buttons...I ran a 13.45 at 105.9 mph...so I was like not to bad...I can do better. But at this point I realized I had some wheel hop and let some air out of the tires to 35 psi for the next run.

THIRD RUN...Ok buttons are pushed, I'm ready to go, and I look beside me to see my competion to my surprise it was a new F150 Lightning, now since I'm not dumb: I'm like please don't let him beat me...and I guess my prayers were heard, because it wasn't to close.. I ran a 13.22 at 105.8 mph...he ran a 13.87 at like 99.4...not bad...third run in the beast and I've bettered magazine times..so we know this car isn't a joke. But I honestly think I could do better if I could just launch the damn car without wheel hop...it was still bad even after letting some presure out of the tires...time to let more out..

Fourth Run....not as good...tires at 30 psi...went through the run...wheel hop still there, seemed worse then the third run, and to top it off I missed thrid gear...ran a 13.91 at 100.7...but still managed to beat a Camaro SS who ran a 14.0, which seemed awfully slow for that car, but I guess it's all driver.

So anyway...that was my night, I was contemplating doing a run with a car full of people, but I didn't have 4 helmets to give them..what a sight that would've been.

Anyway below I'll summerize all of my slips, and in a few days I'll post some pics a friend of mine took...but everyone there had a new respect for M-power after tonight...especially the guy in the F150 lightning who said "You Surprised the S**T out of me...that car is awesome, and it has 4 doors" and I said exactly!

Now for the tubi and some other mods and figure out how to get the rear end to stop bouncing off the line, and then I'll be back to the strip for some more testing...

1st Run....
Reaction - .720
60 ft. - 2.62
330 ft. - 6.43
1/8 Mile - 9.44 at 83.35 mph
1/4 Mile - 14.16 at 104.88 mph

2nd Run....
Reaction - .663
60 ft. - 2.14
330 ft. - 5.80
1/8 Mile - 8.79 at 84.08 mph
1/4 Mile - 13.45 at 105.87 mph

3RD RUN!!!!
Reaction - .597
60 ft. - 2.050
330 ft. - 5.658
1/8 Mile - 8.62 at 84.69 mph
1/4 Mile - 13.22 at 105.80 mph

4th Run....
Reaction - .653
60 ft. - 2.125
330 ft. - 5.766
1/8 Mile - 9.04 at 76.74 mph
1/4 Mile - 13.91 at 100.86 mph

~ Jason
2001 Lemans/Lemans

P.S. The Tire inflation system came in very handy lowering pressure and rasing it back up again for the ride home...I'm much pleased!

P.P.S. One more comment from the night was from a cocky kid in a mustang cobra that was running 14.0's all night..."for 80 grand I could have a 6 second car" to that my responce was "sure, you could, but you wouldn't be driving home in the same car you were running 13.2's with, and on that drive home you are carressed in leather, playing with your navigation system, going deaf with the "stock" stereo system and it most importantly you wouldn't be in a BMW" I'm sorry I was a little ticked at the guy for putting down a car that was being envied by most everyone else there...I know I was too cocky, but I think he took it the right way, because he knew I said it as a joke...(I think)?!?! :-)

greg

Good Work, Yup!

KirklandM5

Great Work!

For those of you with Dinan Suspension...Don't be surprised if the car does not launch as well down the 1/4 mile.

Because the M5 understeers from the factory, Dinan Stiffens the rear suspension more than the front to get the understeer out.

By doing this, weight transfer to the rear wheels under hard acceleration is not as dramatic, so you lose some traction. Should only be a problem if you are trying to maximize a launch.

You might want to pump up the front tires to max pressure to minimize rolling resistance.

The best 1/4 mile time I've seen for the beast is 13.07 in a recent Motor Trend at about 107mph...

Keep in mind that C. Van Tune, the editor of Motor Trend and a true lover of the M5 was a journalist at Popular Hot Rodding in the 80s and knows a LOT about taking a car down the 1/4 mile.

Mattar

GOOD WORK GREAT TIMES !

------------------
Mattar
E39M5
Mattar M5 Album
"If BMW was a religion, the M5 would be my Messiah."

alpywhite

Nice! That's how it's done...makes me wanna go try again.

C43///M5

Nice runs! Can you tell us how you made that third launch? RPM? Clutch drop? More details please.

Yupkwondo

Most of the launches were just side stepping the clutch at anywhere between 1500 and 2000 rpm, I would get set at about 1700 rpm, but by the third light I'm sure that varied a little either way.....Plus I didn't do any huge burn outs before the runs, just a quick spin for about 2 seconds I don't know if that would've made a difference?!

~ Jason
2001 Lemans/Lemans
13.22 @ 105.8

racerX

How about a couple of manaquins or blow-up dolls?

BTW, I've heard/read (or something) that 1200 RPM was optimum launch revs. Just the right amount of (slight) wheel spin.

alpywhite

your tire pressure on various runs?

greg

BTW - here is a goal to shoot for. Back when the car was new in the U.S. and all the mags ran reviews (March 2000, I think) one of them reported 13.2 seconds at 107.4 mph. I think it was Motor Trend. (They also reported the 4.7 0-60, which I haven't heard of ANYONE being able to reproduce.)

P.S. - Many moons ago I did a web page for my car - and it includes a bunch of specs and quotes from those reviews. Many of you newer members probably haven't seen it. Take a look at http://www.bmwregistry.com/gregh/gregm5/