sixspdbrd

I was driving down the main street by my house yesterday evening and I see a 5 series up ahead driving like an idot. Weaving in and out like he was some kind of BadAss. So I caught up and we got stopped at a red (how unfortunate). He was revving so I know it was a six-speed. He had exhaust on the car but I don't know what else. Anyways the light turns green and we gun. This guy didn't know how to drive for s**t. He was in his late 30's or so. Smoked his tires up so I killed him off the line. He caught up at about 75 but by that time we caught up with traffic. He went on ahead, driving like a fool. Nice Car, Why don't you learn how to drive it!

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Did he seem older or younger?

yee

agreed, what a waste of a truly fine car

although we're similar in acceleration maybe up to 80 mph, a 540i sport is truly in a different league than ours... I still remember going up a 270degree turn ramp @ 75 mph... man...

Guest

Wow, shouldn't he have beaten you if he knew how to drive that thing properly ? I know they're fast off the line (5.8), does the TLS hold up well beyond 60, or will it shut down ?

yee

you'll really have to be a professional driver to do 5.8 on a 540i and probably in a wind tunnel (the car is fast! but it's heavy too)

if we drive our car skillfully (avoiding spins), we would be able to keep up for maybe up to 75-80 mph... from then on we won't stand a chance.

VipeR-ACR

Yeah that may be a little bit of a waste of a 540i but I've seen much worse. Unfourtunately BMW's are also a status car like Mercedes and alot of people buy them just for show. These people drive them slowly and have no idea what they are doing at all. A lot of old people (60+) buy them as well, not to say that all old people drive slowly, but most. That is probably what pisses me off about mercedes the most.

Guest

You have to understand VipeR, some of these owners of MB, Bimmer and Lexus, etc. aren't buying their vehicle primarily to race or even go fast at all, even though they could. Companies like these give people a sense of comfort that they are buying a quality vehicle that they won't waste their time worrying about because of the money they spent (excluding Jaguar ) I know it must be frustrating when you see a S500 or 5 & 7 series just tugging along, thinking what you could really do with it, it seems like a waste of engine !! But, hey, when I get older, if I can still afford one of those vehicles, I'll just be thankful !

edgalang

You also have to consider the fact that the older you get, the more carefull you are. Some say it's because you got alot more to loose, but how does that explain the study on cats I saw on TV once, where the older cats were afraid to walk on glass over a huge pit, where as the younger kittens were all over them. Other than their lives, what else could cats loose? heh heh.

AC

What a shame. If almost sounds as bad as owning a Ferrari and never driving it over 55mph.

yee

if I have a Ferrari, I'll sure drive underspeed, so everyone can look at me!

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

AC,

I'll respect your opinion on the 540i, and just about no one else's. You can attest to what 282hp/330lb-ft feels like in the seat of your pants!

Isn't it true that something like 300lb-ft. of torque (roughly 270 to the rear wheels) is available at only 2800 rpm???!!

If driven right, automatic or manual, that's pure power.

Pete

RUF87

I've had strong performance from mine all the way up to 110 and still decent up to 130. I've not pushed it faster than that yet.

One of my runs came against and 199x M3 with some minor mods. I took him 3 different times (barely) Once from a stop. Once from 30 and once from 50. The last two we wound them up to 110 or so. I was still holding him off at 110.

So it's really decent up to redline in 3rd. After that, it doesn't pull near as hard. Maybe it's better that way. :p

RUF

kleeftonsi

BMW 540i can run 0-60 in 5.5 sec and the quartermile in about 14.2 @100mph. They're about as fast as an E36 M3 in a straight line. Very powerful cars.

yee

man...5.5?! where'd you get that? I don't think even BMW would claim that ....

don't get me wrong, I have no intention of throwing down on a truly fine car...it would've been my pick easily if I had $$

EricL

I've seen more "spread" in car mags for the 540i. They just had the latest issue with the car having an automatic doing something like 5.8 seconds to 60. (Hmmm... lets see Auto + 280 HP + 4000lbs). CLS/TLS with headers/AEM about 300HP at crank -- add some really light SSR Comp wheels for some real fun, and you have a real race.

Funny, I had a quite serious and pissed 540i (with passenger) mashing gears one day on PCH to 70 MPH at every stop light.

Maybe, it was the headers, AEM, 50 lbs lighter wheels, and Toyo T1s Proxies, but I nailed the guy (with stick) every time to 80 MPH, and he finally gave up.

Comment 2:

As Chuck Yeager said -- a good pilot in a lousy jet will wax the tail of a lousy pilot in a great jet.

Comment 3:

Anyone who says them beat an M5 is nuts (unless the driver is brain damaged or driving backwards)...

AC

Thanx dude!

I have an automatic, though not as fast as the 6spd off the line but just as effective on the highway. I will admit that the car feels heavy off the launch but you're right, I get most of my tourque between 2500-3000 RPM. I'm not quite sure how much torque is to the wheel but the 540i-6 dyno like 240HP to the rear so based on that I think you get like 280 torque or so to the rear.
I did get the Dinan tranny and Stage1 software. My shifts do feel much crisper and it lets me redline now. The Stage1 Dinan claims 16HP and 25lbs max gain, but that's too little to notice a punch so can't say how much faster it made my car. Can't wait for the CAI, if I can get the damn dealer to order one...I've been waiting like 3 weeks for this $hit. I know when I got CAI on my TL, I felt it immediately so I'm hoping it'll be the same on my 540i.
5.5 to 60 sounds very generous although I've seen 5.4 in MT like few years back, but my opinion, maybe 5.7-5.8 for a 540i-6 if driven precisely.

coffeefingers

Dude,

If I had the cashola...I'd get a 540 with a 6 speed...or better yet...an M5! Now that's a CAR.

But since I haven't hit the lottery yet, I got a TL-S. But I'm VERY happy with it.

540 is a better car than the TL-S. It better be, considering it's about DOUBLE the price of a TL-S.

ming 2.7T_RENAMED

540 manual would be ahead even if they were lazy shifting and an average driver. They would have pulled the whole way. If they miss a shift 0-60 it would put it about even, then they would have to miss the next shift too maybe keep it even. Times at tracks show them any where from 14.2-14.6 stock.
540 auto - TL-S would be closer but the edge goes to the 540 still in straightline. 540 does out handle the TL but your trying then to compare a car that costs 20k more. TL-S is a great value, straightline is only one small piece of a much larger package. You can buy a civic and make it go 11 flat if you want to dump money into.

DniCeE TL

Man i wish i can hit the lotto and just get a M5

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

You get what you pay for.

That goes for the TL-S, the 540i, the GS430, and even the Mazda MP3!!

Personally, I think the new Sentra SE-R w/ a 6-spd will be a lot of car for the money -- less $$ than an RSX, and it'll probably perform comparably.

BADASS540-6

hehehe

AC

Man looks like I got me a 540i brother in this forum too!
Welcome!!

BADASS540-6

Thanks buddy!! I just saw this massage in our forum

http://www.bimmer.org/5series/messag...ges/13803.html

looks like some idiot lesux owner post it or it is one of you here??

GlobeCLK

The fastest number for 540i I've seen is 5.8 for 6-speed. Never seen 5.5 but I'm sure alittle mods would do.

Where did 5.5 come from?

What are the stock numbers for the E36 M3 coupe?

yee

the US E36 M3 are decently fast (again it's the overall that really bring the car to another level)

the Euro M3 are hella fast! BMW thought that the North America won't be up for it... now that they know they're wrong. They have one version of the E46 M3

AC

Actually the best number I've seen was 5.4 but must have been a slight down hill.

As far as this topic being post at bimmer.org, yeah, it was probably one of those Lexus guys trying to pick a fight...
1SickLex, GS430, fess up!

AC

Man, I just went to the bimmer forum and I see it was IS300 that started the whole thread over there.

What are you trying to accomplish by doing what you did. Aren't you the same guy that talks smack about the 328/330? Now would it be nice for me to go there do what you did.

I think everyone here agrees that the TLS will not beat the 540i, and no one is arguing that yet your exact reply was "they saying they can kill 540 hehe".

I tell you what, if it makes you feel any better both my cars are faster than yours, you pick.

BADASS540-6

don't you hate those lexlosers trying to pick fights with others I know lexus is a boaring car (i own one myself so i know) but dude they need to get a life

AC

I know what you mean, but most of the Lexus GS430 guys are pretty cool and not ignorant like IS300.
BTW, which Lexus do you have? I know what your answer is probably gonna be, but I'm gettin Dinan CAI for my 540iA, what is your take and what is the majority opinion over at bimmer.org?

BADASS540-6

form what i heard Dinan CAI may cause the cats to go bad and BMW NA will not honer the warrenty if it happen unless to call Steve Dinan.. don't know if its ture I'm too embaress to tell which lexus i own cause it SUCKS.

Mr Hyde

gohawks63

Mr Hyde

Sorry for getting dragged down in the gutter. Now that it's out of my system, I feel better now.

1SICKLEX

TSK TSK TSK

Thought I was bad......

Webologist

Peter,

Did you check the last Motor Trend? They tested the 540 auto vs. the GS430, A6 4.2 and E 420... The numbers they came up with aren't quite in the same league as the 6 speed manual version. In fact they're very TL-S like. A few 10ths slower to 60 and a few hundredths faster through the quarter but a MPH and change slower. In other words you already know what the seat of the pants feel is like ;-)

I know your results may vary...

yee

man...where the hell do you see a 6 spd TLS?...and learn how to type man...did your english teacher flunk you?

Webologist

<b>
all of the cars even if they maybe slower then 6spd TLS ,but the much more atractive cars then TLS.

just 0.02

btw : thanks for banning me ,i can find my way around</b>

Trying to understand the relevance, there is no 6 speed TL-S yet, only a 5 speed auto... We were talking about performance not your personal subjective styling preferences, which of course you are free to express.

AC

Hey, I respect the fact that you like your car very much. Regarding the MT test, sure if you believe that 6.5 or 6.6 (whatever it was) is a good consistent number than you're absolutely right. Considering that my car runs let's say 6.6 to 60, then it is my opinion from beating 4 TypeS's that the TypeS would run to 60 in about 7.0 seconds. Not dissin the TypeS, but guys your cars aren't as fast as some of you may believe. Yes, it'll whoop up on a lot of cars out there, but I think everyone here agrees that the TypeS is in a total different league than a 540i and a GS400/430.

Webologist

Love the 540, it's an awesome car. If you're in one next to me at a light prepare to defend it's honor though. It's all good fun...

GS430

It was all cooh when reading through AC's posts, but Badass540 is just the kind of snobby and cockly BMW owner who needs to be taught a lesson.

Lexus is a boring car? Sure, enjoy reading my rear badges.
People as ignorant like you should get a life be4 cheap talking others. My 430 will take on your boring-old man 540i anytime any day. Performance or handling, doesn't matter. bring it on, (hm. AC's 540 is an exception, I meant BADASS'540 specifically)

AC

That's what I'm takin 'bout!!! Yeah, baby!!

Webologist, I think that as long that you and I have been on this forum we "veterans" have a good understanding with one another along with all the other vets. Keep TypeS'in and let the fun roll, I'm witcha bro!