[Bearco]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

It's extremely easy here to do unofficial driving events, group drives, and "pickup games" - certainly any weekend. 80% of the miles of my last 3 M3/4s were driven in anger nowhere near a track.

It's fairly easy to connect into a group and hang with a lot of people of like mind & cars, even just pickup style.

Are you also in sales?

The reason I ordered an M50i… first car with more than 4 cylinders and I see the writing on the wall that V8s are a dying breed. That, and I can finally afford it.

[DG-X5]

As a 2019 G05 M-Sport guy who switched to a 2021 F95 after owning the former for over a year, here are some of my thoughts:

1) I track the F95 - 4x so far at Monticello (been able to get out once a month till now since purchase), but let's just start there. I know this isn't a common activity, but this beast is more than up for the challenge and it hasn't been too expensive either - have only gone through 1 set of M brakes in the same interval (this was on the lot and didn't have CCBs & UC+ covers the replacements anyways)

2) The G05 has plenty of power, no doubt, and one of the first things I realized after the switch was just how competent a machine it was on so many fronts - all this talk of the "real M" differences will show up in ultra high-performance situations (i.e. I'd absolutely be nervous to push 120+ with the G05 on the track), but in 90% of the situations on the road, I'd be more than happy with the I-6. That said, with 8.5k+ miles done in 3.5 months, my current 14.8 MPG average from factory vs. the 18.1 MPG in the G05 is surprisingly closer than I expected.

3) Holy mother of brake dust + brake squeal on the F95 - part of this is due to my reluctance to take it through tunnel washes and recent extreme schedule that has prevented my bi-weekly ONR rituals (thank you GrussGott for some wonderful recent instructions on how to do it even more efficiently), but in any case, it can get borderline embarrassing at times pulling up to traffic lights. That said, braking performance vs. the M-Sport brakes on the G05 is night and day, especially in wet conditions - the bite on the M brakes is much harsher - nice for performance, but in my opinion somewhat less luxurious feeling for passengers (though I'm not sure luxury was the primary intent of a 600+ HP SAV anyways).

4) As others have mentioned, this being one of the last V8 generations made me want to get it before I simply couldn't - this is my first V8 (coming from a F36 and a 981), and I'm absolutely in awe. I have a smile every time I remote-start it and walk up to it, I have a smile every time I sit down, and I'm generally excited to have any chance to go anywhere, from OTF at 4:30 AM to Wawa at 11 PM. Didn't have that feeling ever with the 981, and I thought I was in love with that thing.

5) Audio - I had the HK in the G05 and while very good, it wasn't enough for me personally and I couldn't push it as much as I wanted to - that's ostensibly solved with the B&W (but could also have been assisted with an aftermarket amp in the G05, to be fair). Very much dependent on your sources and what you're listening to, ofc, since if you're only listening to Sirius, it wouldn't ultimately matter.

6) And last but not least, the total cost of ownership is working out to be far lower than my G05, which (of course) is a temporary result of the current weird market, but the fact that I've been able to drive this for a few months and can hand it in for ~11k towards my G82 build arriving in January is absolutely mind-blowing (and effectively brings my TCO negative, aka, profit). So with that last one, why wouldn't I want an F95?

[10101X5]

I’ve driven faster cars before but when in S+ sometimes I feel it’s too fast almost feel unsafe for me and surrounding. Maybe I’m older now. I do use it when I anticipate a short entrance to freeway. On the other hand the engine note is nice. And yes some just have to have top of the line option. Nothing wrong with it though. Same goes with houses. How much space is needed? It’s all about need and want and priorities.

[Kool Kat]

Originally Posted by 10101X5

I’ve driven faster cars before but when in S+ sometimes I feel it’s too fast almost feel unsafe for me and surrounding. Maybe I’m older now. I do use it when I anticipate a short entrance to freeway. On the other hand the engine note is nice. And yes some just have to have top of the line option. Nothing wrong with it though. Same goes with houses. How much space is needed? It’s all about need and want and priorities.

Fairly simple decision to get the X6 M50i 2022 for me. Wanted an upgrade from a 2020 Jaguar FPace S that had infotainment that frustrated the heck out of me, but wanted to keep the power or get more. Not to use 100%, but like having it for occasional 'needed bursts'. Lastly, always loved BMWs since I was a kid, but could never afford one...till now. No kids at home or pets but am an SUV guy. Love the size.

[mlurker]

Don't have v8, but mine 45e (almost 600 nm or 442 ft/lb and 400 hp) provides 5 sec 0-60. That makes driving on two way road easier when I want to pass a car. In 5 seconds it's done and then back to relaxed driving.

[jad03060]

The turbos on BMW vehicles are pretty quick to react and are tuned to operate from a fairly slow engine rpm...but, the EV motor is absolutely instant. The small boost from those with the 48v system should be better, but I think that's only on the 40i, not the 50i (yet).

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by DG-X5

As a 2019 G05 M-Sport guy who switched to a 2021 F95 after owning the former for over a year, here are some of my thoughts:

Wow, excellent write-up DG! What winter setup are you running?

Also, for those that haven't seen this, it's pretty awesome:

Last tidbit about rinseless, I finally sprung for a few items due to black friday deals most of which are still out there:

(1.) Marolex sprayers
Good gawd are these things bad ass - they're worth it definitely as 1 pump session of the 2L will spray your entire truck. If you have a hydroshot or similar battery powerwasher you might not need them, but they're great for portability & for quick setups.

I also bought some Kwazar Mercury 360 degree spray bottles which, like the Marolex, will spray upside down.

(2.) Microfiber Madness Mitts & Pads
Their shit's expensive and their logo is horrible, but I have the flat incredibrush and damn if that thing isn't incredi so, thought I'd go for some of their other products. Another factor is, their stuff competes with The Rag Company's Cyclone line, but then this past summer TRC updated those products to Ultra versions which includes new designs & microfiber blends, likely because MM's blend is kinda bizarre and grabs & releases dirt so effectively. TRC has a big BFCM promo going so I got a bunch of their Ultra stuff and some cyclone as well and I'm gonna do a showdown.

Overall I prefer a MF towel for rinseless - like a TRC Everest or Minx Royale, but I'm gonna try the various pads & mitts to see improvements can be had ... I got XL versions of some of the pads so I can easily do the roof without a step.

Also, given the summer wheels are new (and I coated the face with TW Flex Wax) once my winter wheels come in, I think I'm gonna strip the summers & coat them with gTechniq C5, and the windshield with G5. Typically I do the glass with Flex Wax since it's so easy to use as a drying aid during every wash, but G5 looks to be a pretty stellar glass coating. I prefer the G5 over the G1 because it's much easier to apply and it can be used on the perspex, i.e., the headlights/parking lights while G1 can'ts and it's harder to apply, but it is much more durable.

[kolosy]

Originally Posted by thereef510

Precisely why I haven't driven one yet. But I also live in a city that's fully stop and go traffic and I'm not someone who has ever taken a long scenic drive around twisty roads. Usually I only drive with a destination in mind. I can now totally appreciate why if you have access or an interest in that would justify getting the bigger engine

BMW is a driving experience brand. If you're a point a to point b guy (nttawwt), why spend up for a car that scratches an itch you don't seem to have?

Not meant as a personal attack, just an observation.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by thereef510

I also live in a city that's fully stop and go traffic and I'm not someone who has ever taken a long scenic drive around twisty roads.

That's a recent marketing development; BMW started as a luxury brand and evolved into a mid-market accessible luxury/driver's hybrid; e.g., BMW didn't have an M3 until the late 80s and has moved the bulk of their driver's car attributes into the ///M brand. I would say the X5 (and all BMWs?) market in equal parts of luxury, technology, and performance.

BMW works equally well as a luxury brand.

Said differently, for flights, even point A to point B guys like to sit up front, right?

[HouseMD]

To be honest, the M50i was partially because it was what I could find during COVID that was equipped close to the 40i I had on order and, somewhat, an impulse buy. I got lucky and negotiated a good deal so it wasn't that much more expensive than the 40i.

I was coming from a 535 and felt that the 40i was a little flat vs what I was driving. I didn't even get to drive the 50i before purchase so I didn't have a comparison but, after watching many YouTube videos, was sure it was going to have plenty of pickup.

I don't really drive that fast nor do I "floor" it a lot. What I do like is the feeling of instant and strong response. When I push on the gas, it goes with authority. I was driving on the Interstate recently and, without really intending to do anything aggressive, I accelerated to change lanes. Plenty of space so not being an a$$hole weaving in/out of traffic. The responsiveness and smooth acceleration into the other lane brought a grin to my face.

I love this every time I merge or just get a little playful.

Would I opt for the 50i over 40i if I were doing it today? Honestly not sure. I hate seeing my average MPG at 16. Not so much that it costs more at the pump - expected that but more from some guilt of burning more gas than necessary.

In the end, the 50i has plenty of power when you need or want it which just feels good. The 40i is more than adequate and makes more sense but this is where I choose to put fun over practical.

I keep my cars a long time (I bought the warranty!) so this may be the last gas car I own and is almost certainly the last 8 cylinder. It will be fun while it lasts!

[iceRN09]

OP I bought M50i coz the 40i 1. Can't get DHP 2. Can't get B&W. 3. Too sluggish with acceleration and without DHP handles to heavy for me. Given that I have an M340i. The Wt to power ratio is better with M50i and it shows.

[YuicyYumboYack]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Last tidbit about rinseless, I finally sprung for a few items due to black friday deals most of which are still out there:

(1.) Marolex sprayers
Good gawd are these things bad ass - they're worth it definitely as 1 pump session of the 2L will spray your entire truck. If you have a hydroshot or similar battery powerwasher you might not need them, but they're great for portability & for quick setups.

Regarding the Marolex, are you using that for rinseless washing? Sounds like it would be useful for days I don't want to pull everything out.

[kolosy]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

That's a recent marketing development; BMW started as a luxury brand and evolved into a mid-market accessible luxury/driver's hybrid; e.g., BMW didn't have an M3 until the late 80s and has moved the bulk of their driver's car attributes into the ///M brand. I would say the X5 (and all BMWs?) market in equal parts of luxury, technology, and performance.

BMW works equally well as a luxury brand.

Said differently, for flights, even point A to point B guys like to sit up front, right?

i mean... 40 years is recent relative to their overall lifespan, but it's not all that recent .

i do agree they've been shifting back to neutral from it, but it's still a more driver-focused brand than say MB or LR.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by kolosy

i mean... 40 years is recent relative to their overall lifespan, but it's not all that recent

Weeelllll ... isn't it?

So, let's say we take a dude who's 16 in 1990 right about the time the M3 comes out, so he gets some M3 posters cuz "so rad dude!"

That means he was born in 1974 which happens to be right around the time Bob Lutz dreamt up "the ultimate driving machine" slogan that ultimately leads to that M3 poster.

Then he goes to college, gets married, pops out a few bambinos, and by the time he's ready to buy an M3 ... Lookee THAT! He's 40!

But his dad is 65 & has a Benz. So maybe 40 *is* recent? Relatively.

[parkstr8]

I had a S6 TT V8 tuned to over 600hp and a GTR with over that, as well. So many things I loved about the sheer power on tap. And I don't drive fast on public roads, and am not an asshat driver. I just personally liked it.

With that being said - I don't drive that many miles per year. So when I looked a the M50 and the 40i, I did my research and found a happy medium. With the Racechip and XLR - i'm getting over 400hp easily (BMW underrates the hp from the factory) and I was kind of afraid of the issues longer term with the BMW TTV8's.

So I get more HP on a more reliable engine. Yes - I do know there is a small chance the tune could be found out. But - there are some other small annoyances with the car that for the 75k I spent I can deal with. Had these been there in a 100k M50 - I would be severely unhappy.

On my S6 - the tune exposed a tiny issue with a bevel box - one that I could not warranty due to Audi TD1ing any car with a tune, and to replace it was about 8k. on a car with only 9k on the clock. Lesson learned...I traded it.

I'm now at the point where I do want a last ditch effort at a V8 before electrification - originally a Defender 110. But with their issues, no way. And with the BMW - its still a "final before it ends" option along with the new GC Summit Reserve.

But in all honesty - I'm trying to remap my brain away from the V8 and more into a vehicle like the upcoming Rivian SUV. With a near 400 mile range...that would check all the boxes.

[evodz]

Originally Posted by thereef510

Okay so lets be real here, no one is taking their X5 to the track. so we are all basically commuting and cruising with these things, right? Anyway, I've never driven anything but the 6 cylinder, partly because I didn't want to know what I'm missing. But when the roads here are fairly open, I switch it to sport+ and its like almost a totally different vehicle. I realize that it's mostly due to the transmission programming, but it's so much more zippier.

but its so much faster, and it rockets me up well past the speed limit, to the point where I feel almost guilty leaving the mode on when the traffic tightens up. I cant imagine what i'd do with all that extra power in the V8 variants, nevermind the M competition models. So my question is, do you people who have these live out in the open country or something? where on earth are you able to consistently use all this power?

Is this a question of buying things we dont need? We might as well apply it to the base X5, what are we doing with all this luxury?

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by YuicyYumboYack

Regarding the Marolex, are you using that for rinseless washing? Sounds like it would be useful for days I don't want to pull everything out.

That's the beauty of rinseless - never is the best time for hassle

But yeah, I pretty much only do "rinseless", though slightly modified version of it:

* If there's a lot of dirt and/or road film from spray then I heat up a few gallons of distilled / de-ionized water from Whole Foods in a Zoji and use a hydroshot to spray down the car. If there's road film, next comes some type of degreaser like Superior Road Warrior or even citrol. 100% portable! No hoses needed and it can be done in garage w/o a drain in winter states as long as the garage stays above 32F (at least until the water evaporates).

But that's normally not the case - we live in Cali!

So then it's a pre-spray via marolex of McKees & distilled/de-ionized water - you can use the hydroshot for that too, but I prefer the sprayer. I fill up a collapsible bucket with 1/2ish gallon of Mckees solution, toss in some high quality MFs and only use 1 MF per panel working top to bottom, right to left. MFs don't go back in the bucket.

(I just got a shit ton of pads, mitts, and other MFs so imma try those)

After that first pass, I take a good foam applicator, slightly damp, spray 2 shots of TW Flex Wax per panel, and buff dry (I already have a base coat of TWFW) with separate dry med pile MF using the TWFW as a drying aid.

I never get micro-marring that way assuming you're using a GOOD microfiber that you maintain properly (never wash with cotton, always <140F, only with MF detergent, etc). I've found if you violate any one of those rules the MF is toast.

The reason that process works (I'm told) is because MF has a positive charge and dirt has a negative one - thus if you use a deeper pile good quality MF, along with lubricity from Mckees, you're gently pulling the dirt up into the MF vs dragging it across the surface.

My previous Tanz M4, after 3+ years, had just ever so slight micro-marring that would've been super easy to polish out.

Anyway, yes, it's a modified rinseless method as I quit doing 2-bucket / foam cannon stuff years ago as I got worse results with it ... but I also think it's a very personal thing: I might've just been really shitty at 2 bucket!

[YuicyYumboYack]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

That's the beauty of rinseless - never is the best time for hassle

But yeah, I pretty much only do "rinseless", though slightly modified version of it:

* If there's a lot of dirt and/or road film from spray then I heat up a few gallons of distilled / de-ionized water from Whole Foods in a Zoji and use a hydroshot to spray down the car. If there's road film, next comes some type of degreaser like Superior Road Warrior or even citrol. 100% portable! No hoses needed and it can be done in garage w/o a drain in winter states as long as the garage stays above 32F (at least until the water evaporates).

But that's normally not the case - we live in Cali!

So then it's a pre-spray via marolex of McKees & distilled/de-ionized water - you can use the hydroshot for that too, but I prefer the sprayer. I fill up a collapsible bucket with 1/2ish gallon of Mckees solution, toss in some high quality MFs and only use 1 MF per panel working top to bottom, right to left. MFs don't go back in the bucket.

(I just got a shit ton of pads, mitts, and other MFs so imma try those)

After that first pass, I take a good foam applicator, slightly damp, spray 2 shots of TW Flex Wax per panel, and buff dry (I already have a base coat of TWFW) with separate dry med pile MF using the TWFW as a drying aid.

I never get micro-marring that way assuming you're using a GOOD microfiber that you maintain properly (never wash with cotton, always <140F, only with MF detergent, etc). I've found if you violate any one of those rules the MF is toast.

The reason that process works (I'm told) is because MF has a positive charge and dirt has a negative one - thus if you use a deeper pile good quality MF, along with lubricity from Mckees, you're gently pulling the dirt up into the MF vs dragging it across the surface.

My previous Tanz M4, after 3+ years, had just ever so slight micro-marring that would've been super easy to polish out.

Anyway, yes, it's a modified rinseless method as I quit doing 2-bucket / foam cannon stuff years ago as I got worse results with it ... but I also think it's a very personal thing: I might've just been really shitty at 2 bucket!

Thanks for the detailed reply! The idea sounds appealing and I've thought of trying rinseless, but scared of introducing a bunch of scratches. And I also stopped doing the 2 bucket method awhile ago. Like you, I just throw a bunch of MF towels in a bucket and use only once.

I'm happy with the results of using the pressure washer and foam cannon, but I can't lie, it's honestly a pain in the ass sometimes to drag it out and set it up.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by YuicyYumboYack

Thanks for the detailed reply! The idea sounds appealing and I've thought of trying rinseless, but scared of introducing a bunch of scratches. And I also stopped doing the 2 bucket method awhile ago. Like you, I just throw a bunch of MF towels in a bucket and use only once.

I'm happy with the results of using the pressure washer and foam cannon, but I can't lie, it's honestly a pain in the ass sometimes to drag it out and set it up.

Get a hydroshot! You can put a $25 adams foam gun on the lance if you want, stick the hose in any bucket of water and you're totally portable, otherwise just use your MFs. or fill a collapsible bucket with mckees solution, stick in the hydroshot hose, spray down the car, then toss in your MFs and off you go.

imo you can get the 320psi hydroshot which is ~$80 right now - you can even screw a 2L bottle to the bottom and be a self-contained foam cannon machine, no hose, no bucket, just walk & spray, and hang it up when your done.

[thereef510]

Originally Posted by evodz

Is this a question of buying things we dont need? We might as well apply it to the base X5, what are we doing with all this luxury?

nope, I'm all for luxury. I was actually wanting to upgrade to a v8 for my next vehicle but I was trying to see how/justify people were using theirs who live in a city with a lot of traffic. I was essentially wondering if a big engine is 'wasted' in commuter traffic circumstances.

[PNWM50I]

Originally Posted by thereef510

nope, I'm all for luxury. I was actually wanting to upgrade to a v8 for my next vehicle but I was trying to see how/justify people were using theirs who live in a city with a lot of traffic. I was essentially wondering if a big engine is 'wasted' in commuter traffic circumstances.

While I love my M50i, it is not a great commuter (28 miles round trip) with a combo of highway and reg roads. It’s like a bulldog in stop and go traffic; wants to go but can’t which annoys my wife when she drives it. Every pump of the brakes feels heavier than our x40i if that makes sense. Averaging 16 mpg and roughly a gas refill every 7 days. But this car just cruises on the highway with ease and adds some excitement to the beginning and end of my work day. I knew what I was getting when I bought it so I have no regrets.

[Mckelvie37]

I enjoy hearing my kids yell "Punch It". In appropriate circumstances of course but it is fun to play with and know it's there.

That being said, I'm not sure mine will ever see a track but if there's a DE nearby and it's open....I wouldn't run from the opportunity.