[FCX5]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Thanks!

When it comes to wheels you really get what you pay for. I am usually a BBS guy but they don’t have any options for this car. I loved my old custom brushed BBS SVs but didn’t want the same wheels again. I’ve had lots of wheels in my days and cheap wheels just doesn’t last and will end up costing more in the long run when they get bent up.

Just the other night I was driving home and nailed a massive pothole going fast. I was sure the HRE was destroyed based on the impact but after I got home I inspected the wheel inside and out (removed from the car) and ZERO damage! I was shocked!

Alan

HA. One of my first thoughts when I saw your wheels was hitting a pothole. Lucky for you. Still worth it!

[greentrbo95gst]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

LOL funny how this style has been around for years and barely anyone posted pictures of them but within the last few months I’ve seen a few sets all posted on social media. I had those ordered last summer and delivered on December. The whole time I was wondering if anyone was going to have a set before me lol.

What specs did you go with?

Alan

I am doing them on my MBB 21 M5 Comp.
21x10 et23
21x11 et29

We should do a joint shoot after.

[greentrbo95gst]

Did you deal with Tito?

[irshad]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

The time has come to finally do a build thread of my Marina Bay Blue 2020 X5M Competition and talk a little bit about what I like and dis-like about this car as well as my rationale why I NEEDED this beast. This thread will serve as my documentation of the build as products become available.

First off I originally had a Mineral White X5 M50i on order back in March 2020 but due to the pandemic the build kept getting pushed back. As more time had passed I started putting together a list of modification that I wanted to do to the car immediately after I got it. As most of you know the grueling process of tracking your BMW’s build status daily can be exciting and stressful at the same time so I might as well shift my focus on something more fun.

The list grew fast from forged wheels, M Performance aero, exhaust and suspension to make it “my own” like all of my previous builds (E46, E90, F10, F15, F85, F80). Once I added everything up to my loaded 95K M50i build I started to think I am not far off from the full ///M so I started to look into that . Once I saw Marina Bay Blue it was game over! I tell people all the time the color made me get this car and I honestly mean it. (Back in 2020 BMW Individual wasn’t available for X vehicles so that wasn’t an option for the M50 nor did it make sense financially) Not only the color but all of the body lines of the ///M made this the best looking suv on the road today. Aggressive, classy, fast, beautiful to look at and way less common around here so it checked all of my boxes.

4 months after I placed my order for the M50i which was still stuck in “Order Received” I ended up cancelling it and went ahead on a loaded HEA MBB X5M Competition. Took delivery in July 2020 and it was the best car purchase decision I’ve ever made.

Likes
Paint color – Simply my favorite BMW blue. It has the right amount of pop while still looking classy. I’ve always loved the way BMW did blues and Marina Bay is at the top for me at the moment. I joke all the time how the color when the sun hits it just right reminds me of exotic island’s clear blue waters.

Exterior Styling – Coming from a F85 X5M I was never fully sold on the way it looked. The grumpy sad face looks up front didn’t really do it for me even with mods. The F95 is damn near perfect in my opinion. Very aggressive from every angle and the grills while big, isn’t comical like other recent BMWs

Interior – Huge step up from my previous F85 and F80. Both in Tech and luxury amenities. It is just a very nice place to be in. Jumping out of my F80 M3 into the F95 felt like went to the future. Completely different league.

Dis-likes
Ride quality – Not surprised since I was very vocal about this right from the beginning and remember I live in the state with garbage roads (NYC). This is a very firm riding suv. Way more so than compared to my F85. I suspect it’s a combination of BMW shock tuning plus all of the solid mount connection points/bracing this thing has over a normal X5. MSS helps but it’s far from being a comfortable cruiser. It is perfectly fine on the highway once you are at speed but around town while driving on bumpier roads it’s a bit jittery/busy due to the firmness. To be honest some bumps feels as firm as it did in my M3.

Interior creaks – While I love the way the interior looks and feels, there seems to be more creaks from recent gen BMWs. All BMW’s suffers from this but this one seems to have more than I could remember. I also think the stiff chassis and ride contributes to this.

Center console haptic buttons – I know I am nit picking here but I would take regular buttons over those haptic press crap all around the shifter. It’s impossible to know what you are pressing without actually looking down. Having the M1 and M2 buttons help but only so much you can program them to do.

Modifications
While I honestly feel this generation X5M didn’t need anything to improve on the way it looks my ongoing quest to make things unique and never leave things alone took over.

First world order was to reach out to Ben@RGsport for some MSS and Sterckenn goodies. Exceptional customer service and always ready to respond to email/texts. I joke he is a dangerous person to have on my phone because he makes it too easy to spend money lol.

Second vendor I reached out to was Ryan@IND who needs no introduction. Again exceptional service all around with the utmost attention to detail with everything they make/sell. I went with the Akrapovic slip on exhaust simply because you can not get a better made system for any car. Its truly a work of art that I would hang up on my wall if i could lol. I went into this fully expecting this to be more a visual mod (those tips!) and for it to sound very similar to the stock system but I was thoroughly surprised just how much better it sounded after the install. Louder that stock and has a more exotic tone to my ears. I couldn't get the full system because my car is already too loud for my neighbors and getting the mid pipes would make it insane.

Lastly I reached out to HRE Performance Wheels for the grand finale piece to the puzzle. Nothing changes the way a car looks more than a set of high quality forged wheels. It took me months to finally decide on the Forged Classic Series 301M because I wanted a style that wasn’t super popular but also fit the brawny looking nature of the X5M. Some wheels look great on their own but looks too ‘delicate’ for a big suv. I had to find something that was unique, suited the car and fit the budget. The HRE 301M was always a style I loved in the past but it was very difficult to find good actual real world pics of the wheel on any car. If I found some the face profile was too flat or the finish was not what I was looking for or the wheel was too small. I don’t think I’ve seen any other car with 22” 301M in my spec anywhere so it was a big expensive risk but it paid off imo. I actually had these wheels built and in my possession since December but had to hold off until recently due to you know….. winter lol. Very happy with them and would not hesitate to collaborate with HRE again in the future.

Modifications List
HRE 301M in Brushed Gloss Clear 22x10.5F ET20 and 22x11.5R ET23
Pirelli PZERO PZ4 295/30/22 and 315/30/22
Sterckenn Carbon Fiber Front Lip
MSS Urban Adjustable Springs - (max drop up front / 10mm gap in the rear)
Akrapovic Titanium Exhaust
IND MBB Painted Front Reflectors
3M Wrapped Gloss Black Rear Reflectors
BMW OEM G8X Carbon Shift Paddles

Finally – Wanted to give a special thanks to my friend Al (AW305) for helping me dial in the paint and take some awesome pictures of the beast. I would not hesitate to reach out to him (Long Island, NY) for any detailing or photography needs. He is the only other person that touches my paint besides myself

Follow him on Instagram here - https://instagram.com/creative_print...=1rwkn81x2fnrc

Without further ado….. on with the pics!

Alan

random iphone pics

tyr 285/40/22 and 325/35/22 better sizes that the ones you have

[Alan l.]

Originally Posted by greentrbo95gst

Did you deal with Tito?

Yes I dealt with him. Did you go brushed clear too? I’m sure you already know this but make sure you have the most concave face profile which is what I have both front and rear. Wheel looks very different otherwise from pics I’ve found online.

Can’t wait to see them on your M5!

Alan

[Alan l.]

Originally Posted by irshad

tyr 285/40/22 and 325/35/22 better sizes that the ones you have

Thanks for the info but my sizes keeps the oem rolling diameter and front /rear delta so there is no chance of messing with the AWD system

The sizes you suggested would offer a lot more sidewall which is great for wheel protection and ride quality but also make the wheel look small. Also the overall diameter will increase by 2" up front compared to stock which is a lot and might run into rubbing issues when turning at full lock.

I would be curious to see a pic of those sized on a 22" wheel mounted on a X5M

[slalomfever]

well done! I wouldn't expect anything less

[Ftpohyeah]

Love the wheels, need to see those in person. The x5 is a pretty big car, feels like it masks the wheels like make them seem smaller than they really are. Im also going with HRE, leaning heavily on the 540s in frozen polish clear.

[Mo2002]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Thanks!

When it comes to wheels you really get what you pay for. I am usually a BBS guy but they don’t have any options for this car. I loved my old custom brushed BBS SVs but didn’t want the same wheels again. I’ve had lots of wheels in my days and cheap wheels just doesn’t last and will end up costing more in the long run when they get bent up.

Just the other night I was driving home and nailed a massive pothole going fast. I was sure the HRE was destroyed based on the impact but after I got home I inspected the wheel inside and out (removed from the car) and ZERO damage! I was shocked!

Alan

Couldn't agree more. I roll my eyes every time I see a S class with $2 wheels and when they hit a small pothole, the wheels are history!

[F85MTuNED]

🔥🔥🔥💪🏽

[Alan l.]

Originally Posted by slalomfever

well done! I wouldn't expect anything less

Thanks buddy - We need to catch up the next time i'm in for service.

Originally Posted by Ftpohyeah

Love the wheels, need to see those in person. The x5 is a pretty big car, feels like it masks the wheels like make them seem smaller than they really are. Im also going with HRE, leaning heavily on the 540s in frozen polish clear.

You are right about the size. The F95 feels and looks bigger than the previous gen so 22"s looks "normal" on it. Conversely 23"s looks too big because people upsize the tire profile to give it more sidewall and makes the car look lifted. Part of the reason why i didn't go with multipiece wheels because those tends to look smaller than monoblocks depending on design.

Originally Posted by Mo2002

Couldn't agree more. I roll my eyes every time I see a S class with $2 wheels and when they hit a small pothole, the wheels are history!

I agree 100% I've been down that road with reps or cheap wheels back in the day and they do not fair well against NYC potholes. Not saying forged wheels won't get damaged but a set of good quality wheels can take much more of a beating plus they hold their value.

Originally Posted by F85MTuNED

����������

Thanks!

Alan

[OP]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

The time has come to finally do a build thread of my Marina Bay Blue 2020 X5M Competition and talk a little bit about what I like and dis-like about this car as well as my rationale why I NEEDED this beast. This thread will serve as my documentation of the build as products become available.

First off I originally had a Mineral White X5 M50i on order back in March 2020 but due to the pandemic the build kept getting pushed back. As more time had passed I started putting together a list of modification that I wanted to do to the car immediately after I got it. As most of you know the grueling process of tracking your BMW’s build status daily can be exciting and stressful at the same time so I might as well shift my focus on something more fun.

The list grew fast from forged wheels, M Performance aero, exhaust and suspension to make it “my own” like all of my previous builds (E46, E90, F10, F15, F85, F80). Once I added everything up to my loaded 95K M50i build I started to think I am not far off from the full ///M so I started to look into that . Once I saw Marina Bay Blue it was game over! I tell people all the time the color made me get this car and I honestly mean it. (Back in 2020 BMW Individual wasn’t available for X vehicles so that wasn’t an option for the M50 nor did it make sense financially) Not only the color but all of the body lines of the ///M made this the best looking suv on the road today. Aggressive, classy, fast, beautiful to look at and way less common around here so it checked all of my boxes.

4 months after I placed my order for the M50i which was still stuck in “Order Received” I ended up cancelling it and went ahead on a loaded HEA MBB X5M Competition. Took delivery in July 2020 and it was the best car purchase decision I’ve ever made.

Likes
Paint color – Simply my favorite BMW blue. It has the right amount of pop while still looking classy. I’ve always loved the way BMW did blues and Marina Bay is at the top for me at the moment. I joke all the time how the color when the sun hits it just right reminds me of exotic island’s clear blue waters.

Exterior Styling – Coming from a F85 X5M I was never fully sold on the way it looked. The grumpy sad face looks up front didn’t really do it for me even with mods. The F95 is damn near perfect in my opinion. Very aggressive from every angle and the grills while big, isn’t comical like other recent BMWs

Interior – Huge step up from my previous F85 and F80. Both in Tech and luxury amenities. It is just a very nice place to be in. Jumping out of my F80 M3 into the F95 felt like went to the future. Completely different league.

Dis-likes
Ride quality – Not surprised since I was very vocal about this right from the beginning and remember I live in the state with garbage roads (NYC). This is a very firm riding suv. Way more so than compared to my F85. I suspect it’s a combination of BMW shock tuning plus all of the solid mount connection points/bracing this thing has over a normal X5. MSS helps but it’s far from being a comfortable cruiser. It is perfectly fine on the highway once you are at speed but around town while driving on bumpier roads it’s a bit jittery/busy due to the firmness. To be honest some bumps feels as firm as it did in my M3.

Interior creaks – While I love the way the interior looks and feels, there seems to be more creaks from recent gen BMWs. All BMW’s suffers from this but this one seems to have more than I could remember. I also think the stiff chassis and ride contributes to this.

Center console haptic buttons – I know I am nit picking here but I would take regular buttons over those haptic press crap all around the shifter. It’s impossible to know what you are pressing without actually looking down. Having the M1 and M2 buttons help but only so much you can program them to do.

Modifications
While I honestly feel this generation X5M didn’t need anything to improve on the way it looks my ongoing quest to make things unique and never leave things alone took over.

First world order was to reach out to Ben@RGsport for some MSS and Sterckenn goodies. Exceptional customer service and always ready to respond to email/texts. I joke he is a dangerous person to have on my phone because he makes it too easy to spend money lol.

Second vendor I reached out to was Ryan@IND who needs no introduction. Again exceptional service all around with the utmost attention to detail with everything they make/sell. I went with the Akrapovic slip on exhaust simply because you can not get a better made system for any car. Its truly a work of art that I would hang up on my wall if i could lol. I went into this fully expecting this to be more a visual mod (those tips!) and for it to sound very similar to the stock system but I was thoroughly surprised just how much better it sounded after the install. Louder that stock and has a more exotic tone to my ears. I couldn't get the full system because my car is already too loud for my neighbors and getting the mid pipes would make it insane.

Lastly I reached out to HRE Performance Wheels for the grand finale piece to the puzzle. Nothing changes the way a car looks more than a set of high quality forged wheels. It took me months to finally decide on the Forged Classic Series 301M because I wanted a style that wasn’t super popular but also fit the brawny looking nature of the X5M. Some wheels look great on their own but looks too ‘delicate’ for a big suv. I had to find something that was unique, suited the car and fit the budget. The HRE 301M was always a style I loved in the past but it was very difficult to find good actual real world pics of the wheel on any car. If I found some the face profile was too flat or the finish was not what I was looking for or the wheel was too small. I don’t think I’ve seen any other car with 22” 301M in my spec anywhere so it was a big expensive risk but it paid off imo. I actually had these wheels built and in my possession since December but had to hold off until recently due to you know….. winter lol. Very happy with them and would not hesitate to collaborate with HRE again in the future.

[SIZE="4"]Modifications List
HRE 301M in Brushed Gloss Clear 22x10.5F ET20 and 22x11.5R ET23
Pirelli PZERO PZ4 295/30/22 and 315/30/22
Sterckenn Carbon Fiber Front Lip
MSS Urban Adjustable Springs - (max drop up front / 10mm gap in the rear)
Akrapovic Titanium Exhaust
IND MBB Painted Front Reflectors
3M Wrapped Gloss Black Rear Reflectors
BMW OEM G8X Carbon Shift Paddles[/SIZE]

Finally – Wanted to give a special thanks to my friend Al (AW305) for helping me dial in the paint and take some awesome pictures of the beast. I would not hesitate to reach out to him (Long Island, NY) for any detailing or photography needs. He is the only other person that touches my paint besides myself

Follow him on Instagram here - https://instagram.com/creative_print...=1rwkn81x2fnrc

Without further ado….. on with the pics!

Alan

random iphone pics

Very nice setup, spotted the car couple weeks ago on Belt and took a picture.
Photos are great but it's still looks 100 times better in person.
Congrats.
[IMG][/IMG]

[Alan l.]

Originally Posted by OP

Very nice setup, spotted the car couple weeks ago on Belt and took a picture.
Photos are great but it's still looks 100 times better in person.
Congrats.
[IMG][/IMG]

Cool - My car looks filthy which I can't help it since i drive it everyday in this pollen mess lol

I don't recognize where the pic was taken....

[Xccelerate]

Looks so slick brother!

[ed4]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Cool - My car looks filthy which I can't help it since i drive it everyday in this pollen mess lol

I don't recognize where the pic was taken....

Uh oh! While you sleep, is your wife going ripping up & down the mean streets with your F95?

[boneca]

@Alan the photo shoot is a killer

[fgc7533]

Car is beautiful! Good choice on the lighter colored wheels, never been a fan of black wheels.

[155ND]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Thank you!

Getting these wheels in black would be a crime in my opinion. Doesn’t show it off at all. Blue with brushed is my favorite combo. Plus I have my winter wheels in black so sorta have the best of both lol.

Alan

hi alan,

could i ask ... i've just ordered new HRE p101sc wheels in brushed gloss clear:

https://www.hrewheels.com/wheels/series-p1sc/p101sc

... in the UK our winters aren't too bad, in terms of snow / ice / hail etc, so i wasn't planning on switching the new wheels out during the year - is there a reason (maybe a U.S. reason?) to switch summer / winter wheels that are the same size, or maybe it;s just switching tyres?

[Alan l.]

Congrats. Those wheels will look amazing too.

For me I swap between two sets of wheels because I want the best safety for me and my family with summer and winter tires to match the seasons. I also don’t like to downsize too much because I don’t want my car to look like ass half the year.

Alan

[155ND]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Congrats. Those wheels will look amazing too.

For me I swap between two sets of wheels because I want the best safety for me and my family with summer and winter tires to match the seasons. I also don’t like to downsize too much because I don’t want my car to look like ass half the year.

Alan

Thanks, i suspected so - our winters aren't too bad so swapping winter / summer tyres isn't required really (other than people in rural / hilly locations i suppose).

i was just thinking i'll hang on to the old wheels rather than selling them, just in case there are any issues (or more likely i end up kerbing a wheel, gulp!)

[Alan l.]

Adding these here too...

[Alan l.]

Useful information for those speccing their custom wheels.

My current setup is:
HRE 301M in Brushed Gloss Clear 22x10.5F ET20 and 22x11.5R ET23
Pirelli PZERO PZ4 295/30/22 and 315/30/22

Dropped on MSS suspension with alignment dialed back to as close to factory as possible.

Under normal driving situations i have ZERO rubbing but after my road trip to Cape Cod with a full roof box, full trunk and 5 people in the car i did see very very minor rubbing marks on the rear tires. Not enough to do any damage and a quick wash of the tires removed whatever markings were there but that tells me that i wouldn't spec the offset much more aggressive than what I have if you plan on dropping it and driving with a full trunk for long distances.

I think if i had a smidge more negative camber it wouldn't rub at all but that's not worth the trade off of inner tire wear and wet weather traction.