Just got my 2001 Black/Black M5. What a beatiful car. Traded a 1997 540i sport. Have only driven 1000 miles and have not realy pushed car hard yet but so far I am a little dissapointed with power. Does not seem much faster than my 540i 6 speed. Are these car as fast as everyone says. My brother in law has a 1998 C5 vette 6 speed and have driven that. He wants to race after my car is broken in. I felt more confident before I got my car now I don't Know. Are these cars as fast as they are talked up. Do the dealers do anything at 1st oil change to improve performance. Like to hear your opinions. Could something be wrong with my M5? anyone else feel this way? Does car loosen up once it has more miles?
Just got my 2001 M5 Nees advice !!
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hey xlr,
congrats and welcome. first of all, you only have 1k on it. These cars keep on opening up, I have 9k on mine, and i noticed the biggest increase in power the first 4k, but even since then a slight increase. I also think you may not feel the full power of the beast until you really open it up, as i think would go for probably most cars. But just wait until you have some more miles on the car before you really run it hard. Also remember your percieved speed in the M5 will feel slower then a C5, though i am sure you already know that from the 540.
Also try to come to the NY/NJ/CT meet i am trying to plan, you'll meet lots of people who have some really good experience eating up C5's
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. Unfortunately i am not one of them
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.
fas
[This message has been edited by fais2000 (edited 06 November 2000).]
congrats and welcome. first of all, you only have 1k on it. These cars keep on opening up, I have 9k on mine, and i noticed the biggest increase in power the first 4k, but even since then a slight increase. I also think you may not feel the full power of the beast until you really open it up, as i think would go for probably most cars. But just wait until you have some more miles on the car before you really run it hard. Also remember your percieved speed in the M5 will feel slower then a C5, though i am sure you already know that from the 540.
Also try to come to the NY/NJ/CT meet i am trying to plan, you'll meet lots of people who have some really good experience eating up C5's
fas
[This message has been edited by fais2000 (edited 06 November 2000).]
I was dissapointed with my 1st drive - I remember it.
Don't worry - everything Fais said is right on the money. I also have about 9K miles and my car continues to get stronger, with the biggest difference in the 1st 3K miles.
By the way, I would respect the break-in, but don't treat the mileage as an on-off switch. After the 1st 500 miles of babying it, start working up to higher and higher limits. BRIEF full throttle (1 gear, not all 6) and start increasing max revs. Just don't HOLD high revs and don't abuse the privilege.
I ain't the factory, but I truly believe this is a better break-in strategy - I just think it is hard for them to write up such an approach in the manual without some bozo interpreting it as a license to go out and race.
Don't worry - everything Fais said is right on the money. I also have about 9K miles and my car continues to get stronger, with the biggest difference in the 1st 3K miles.
By the way, I would respect the break-in, but don't treat the mileage as an on-off switch. After the 1st 500 miles of babying it, start working up to higher and higher limits. BRIEF full throttle (1 gear, not all 6) and start increasing max revs. Just don't HOLD high revs and don't abuse the privilege.
I ain't the factory, but I truly believe this is a better break-in strategy - I just think it is hard for them to write up such an approach in the manual without some bozo interpreting it as a license to go out and race.
I did the same switch from 540i 6spd to M5.
I am not a professional driver and to be honest, with my driving, the 0-60 of the 2 cars (M5 and 540i 6-spd) is not that significant. There was one time a 540i 6-spd (my friend's) challenged me from a stop lights, and I was only capable of gaining 0.5 car's length from him when we hit 100km/h. He was driving alone and I had 2 other passengers on me.
However, the M5 truely shines at the department of handling and especially cornering. If your friend's C5 Vette is 100% stock, you would find it tough racing him from a dead stop, but watch how he slows down for the next corner while you gain on distance should really bring a smile to your face.
Moreover, with all due respect to your state's highway law, if you ever find a chance to "compare" 90-120 mph, you would love your car more too
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But now, you should behave like any good boys do, hold your horses (no pun intended) and properly break-in your car
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I am not a professional driver and to be honest, with my driving, the 0-60 of the 2 cars (M5 and 540i 6-spd) is not that significant. There was one time a 540i 6-spd (my friend's) challenged me from a stop lights, and I was only capable of gaining 0.5 car's length from him when we hit 100km/h. He was driving alone and I had 2 other passengers on me.
However, the M5 truely shines at the department of handling and especially cornering. If your friend's C5 Vette is 100% stock, you would find it tough racing him from a dead stop, but watch how he slows down for the next corner while you gain on distance should really bring a smile to your face.
Moreover, with all due respect to your state's highway law, if you ever find a chance to "compare" 90-120 mph, you would love your car more too
But now, you should behave like any good boys do, hold your horses (no pun intended) and properly break-in your car
Uhhh.. half a car length? To 100 kph?
I had a 1999 540i for a year and a half. Switched to a 2000 M5 in May '00.
Driven by a good driver, the M5 should have at least a car length at 100 kph (DSC off, Sport mode). After that speed the 540i would be a memory.
I dragged a Mustang (5.7 litre v-8, heavily modified, sounded like a Daytona 500 car) with my 540i (4.4 litre v-8), and I was pulling slightly in second gear. In third I was pulling away (2-3 car lengths) up to 160 kph.
0.2 seconds up to 100 kph is significant. After that, it takes longer to go faster. The 540i coasted to 200 kph, and the M5 seems to teleport there
Vapour.
Joined
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68 Posts
I too had a 540i and now an M5 and there
is NO comparison, the M5 out handles and
out muscles the 540i and feels and sounds
the part...My wife even notices the suttle
differences and I am not even floring it
yet...350 miles...NO Sport and DSC on...
Imagine that...M5s RULE!!!
is NO comparison, the M5 out handles and
out muscles the 540i and feels and sounds
the part...My wife even notices the suttle
differences and I am not even floring it
yet...350 miles...NO Sport and DSC on...
Imagine that...M5s RULE!!!
Joined
·
252 Posts
XLR,
After having a run-in with a Viper RT/10 (white with blue stripes; two pipes coming out the rear)last night, i have to second the comments made by greg, bobafett, etc...This was the first time i fully opened up the throttle on the car--previously, i had made many jaunts of 0-60, 0-80, and 0-100 as i entered from on-ramps. The thought of cops, tickets, jail, and a relatively fresh engine (<3000 mi) kept me from letting the beast truly breathe. Only after last night do i realize why so many have called this car the beast.
As of last night, my odometer was coming up on 4K miles and a set of Viper lights in the rearview led me to see what this car could really do. In lower speeds, it's harder to really appreciate the power this car is capable of, but as you go into the triple digits the men really are separated from the boys. So back to the Viper story...
At 5am on 85N (Northern CA), I'm meandering along at 65mph behind my friend in his Jeep. Two miles before we reach the exit for another major freeway (Hwy 17), a Viper RT/10 enters from the on-ramp and makes his way onto the freeway. He's also just just bumbling along before he passes one of the few cars on the freeway as he heads for the upcoming freeway exit. It was at this point that i threw all caution to the wind and pulled up quickly behind the viper to see what he would do. initially, it seemed like he was just going to exit, but i think there was something about the self-adjusting lights in his rear-view that he couldn't resist =)
We had already entered the off-ramp, but there was still a lane to re-enter the freeway for those merging from the other direction. Anyway, he pulls into the left land in preparation to re-enter. At this point, he downshifted hard (probably a 5-2) seeing as how his rear end got quite squirrely before he took off. WOO-HOO....So it's on--I'm a half-second late in reacting and he's at least 4 car lengths ahead. So when i finally get on the gas myself, i'm approximately 7 cars behind. Here's where the fun begins....
In all my excitement, i'm already going from 2nd to 3rd and totally concentrating on the undulating freeway on-ramp/potential merging cars from the right/merging myself onto the freeway/cops(ha, right)/and that car with the dual pipes taking off in front of me. It's mind-blowing how the beast doesn't stop pulling. In the whole frenzy of the chase, i ended up bumping the rev limiter in 3rd even with the Dinan software. All in all, I was still accelerating in 5th before the Viper began to brake and slow for a car in front of us. At that point, i looked down ever so briefly as i was DECELERATING to see the speedo still showing approx. 140. i know, i know, it's not accurate...but i didn't have time to punch up the OBC...in any case, i was about halfway to 2/3 into 5th at that point to give a point of reference. In relation to the Viper, he was pulling on me ever so slightly. Given the 50 extra horses and lighter weight, i am quite satisfied that an M5 was able to keep up so well.
XLR, you will not be disappointed as you start breaking in the car. It definitely get stronger. Honestly, i got a bit of sweaty palms as i reached triple digits so quickly. previously, my trusty 325i had taken me to the dark side of 120mph, but in a very slow and controlled manner--nothing like the BEAST =).
all in all, it was a revelation as to how fast this car really is. WOO-HOO!
regards,
Eddie.
After having a run-in with a Viper RT/10 (white with blue stripes; two pipes coming out the rear)last night, i have to second the comments made by greg, bobafett, etc...This was the first time i fully opened up the throttle on the car--previously, i had made many jaunts of 0-60, 0-80, and 0-100 as i entered from on-ramps. The thought of cops, tickets, jail, and a relatively fresh engine (<3000 mi) kept me from letting the beast truly breathe. Only after last night do i realize why so many have called this car the beast.
As of last night, my odometer was coming up on 4K miles and a set of Viper lights in the rearview led me to see what this car could really do. In lower speeds, it's harder to really appreciate the power this car is capable of, but as you go into the triple digits the men really are separated from the boys. So back to the Viper story...
At 5am on 85N (Northern CA), I'm meandering along at 65mph behind my friend in his Jeep. Two miles before we reach the exit for another major freeway (Hwy 17), a Viper RT/10 enters from the on-ramp and makes his way onto the freeway. He's also just just bumbling along before he passes one of the few cars on the freeway as he heads for the upcoming freeway exit. It was at this point that i threw all caution to the wind and pulled up quickly behind the viper to see what he would do. initially, it seemed like he was just going to exit, but i think there was something about the self-adjusting lights in his rear-view that he couldn't resist =)
We had already entered the off-ramp, but there was still a lane to re-enter the freeway for those merging from the other direction. Anyway, he pulls into the left land in preparation to re-enter. At this point, he downshifted hard (probably a 5-2) seeing as how his rear end got quite squirrely before he took off. WOO-HOO....So it's on--I'm a half-second late in reacting and he's at least 4 car lengths ahead. So when i finally get on the gas myself, i'm approximately 7 cars behind. Here's where the fun begins....
In all my excitement, i'm already going from 2nd to 3rd and totally concentrating on the undulating freeway on-ramp/potential merging cars from the right/merging myself onto the freeway/cops(ha, right)/and that car with the dual pipes taking off in front of me. It's mind-blowing how the beast doesn't stop pulling. In the whole frenzy of the chase, i ended up bumping the rev limiter in 3rd even with the Dinan software. All in all, I was still accelerating in 5th before the Viper began to brake and slow for a car in front of us. At that point, i looked down ever so briefly as i was DECELERATING to see the speedo still showing approx. 140. i know, i know, it's not accurate...but i didn't have time to punch up the OBC...in any case, i was about halfway to 2/3 into 5th at that point to give a point of reference. In relation to the Viper, he was pulling on me ever so slightly. Given the 50 extra horses and lighter weight, i am quite satisfied that an M5 was able to keep up so well.
XLR, you will not be disappointed as you start breaking in the car. It definitely get stronger. Honestly, i got a bit of sweaty palms as i reached triple digits so quickly. previously, my trusty 325i had taken me to the dark side of 120mph, but in a very slow and controlled manner--nothing like the BEAST =).
all in all, it was a revelation as to how fast this car really is. WOO-HOO!
regards,
Eddie.
Joined
·
10,698 Posts
My first thought of the M5s engine when comparing to the car I traded in (E36 M3) was that it was "lethargic" -- it didnt seem to want to rev. Now with nearly 5k on it, I realize the engine just needed to break in a little. This thing is happy to put around at low rpms or rev like a mad man. Ive found that I constantly engage the sport mode now. Keep in mind the car you are coming from is no sloutch and it was broken in.
ME
ME
Joined
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2,136 Posts
All,
I have just over 4000 miles on my BEAST now...therefore, I am now more comfortable taking the car to higher upper limits than before. The real fun begins when you can safely begin testing what the car is capable of!
I have a C5 story of my own.. A couple of weeks ago, I was in the middle lane of a 3 lane freeway in Houston, doing about 80 and minding my own business. A C5 vette came up behind me and there were no cars on either side of me...so he could have just gone by me without any trouble. He instead stayed right behind me and stayed there getting ever closer to my bumper until he really pissed me off and I put the hammer down.
I downshifted from 6th to 4th and put down the hammer. For those of you who have had your beast for a while, you know what a rush it is to have this car pull all the way up in the rev range. I was doing about 135-140 when I got chicken ( I did not feel like going to jail that day for excessive speeding! go figure!) and the vette was still behind me but never caught up until I let go. Then he whizzed by me... I never left him far behind, however, he could not get up enough speed to overtake me while I was accelerating. This car is remarkable!
It felt really solid at 140+.
Moral of this story... take it easy until your beast is officially broken in... then have some fun at someone else's expense
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Andy M.
I have just over 4000 miles on my BEAST now...therefore, I am now more comfortable taking the car to higher upper limits than before. The real fun begins when you can safely begin testing what the car is capable of!
I have a C5 story of my own.. A couple of weeks ago, I was in the middle lane of a 3 lane freeway in Houston, doing about 80 and minding my own business. A C5 vette came up behind me and there were no cars on either side of me...so he could have just gone by me without any trouble. He instead stayed right behind me and stayed there getting ever closer to my bumper until he really pissed me off and I put the hammer down.
I downshifted from 6th to 4th and put down the hammer. For those of you who have had your beast for a while, you know what a rush it is to have this car pull all the way up in the rev range. I was doing about 135-140 when I got chicken ( I did not feel like going to jail that day for excessive speeding! go figure!) and the vette was still behind me but never caught up until I let go. Then he whizzed by me... I never left him far behind, however, he could not get up enough speed to overtake me while I was accelerating. This car is remarkable!
It felt really solid at 140+.
Moral of this story... take it easy until your beast is officially broken in... then have some fun at someone else's expense
Andy M.
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