2007 X5 Will SUCK. (Don't get your hopes up)

[Wagner]

Originally Posted by DINANM3

Not sure what you mean by they shift 3 different ways. what ever way it shifts its not as good as having a clutch when performance is concerned.

And AMGS are heavier because they stick these big ass engines with these big ass super chargers that whey a ton just so they can moce there auto trannied sled as fast as an Mcar. But it kills balance and handling of the car. That is why i feel M cars method is superior. Anyone can supercharge a car. Now how many people can build a light weight NA V10 with about 101hp per liter that revs to 8250.

DINAN..tsk tsk....drive an Audi with their "pseudo-automatic". You'd be hard pressed for the manual equivalant to keep up

[DINANM3]

the SMG shifts harder and faster than audis dsg. Although they are very close. The only thing DSG does better is shift smoother at normal driving conditions. BMW is coming out with DSG trannies soon for all there non M cars. It will probably start in the ne 7 series and work its way down as usual. But the M car will always be smg.

[DINANM3]

Originally Posted by WagnerX5

Not true, the 1995 M3 sedan could have a slushbox so BMW has built a fully automatic M before. I don't know why it couldn't be an SUV since under the BMW name a BMW SUV had not been attempted in mass till the X series.

IMO they will make some sort of M setup for the X in the coming years, they would have to. There are by far too many vehicles, both in their luxury class and not, that have far more power. And since BMW prides itself on being the "Ultimate Driving Machine" it's power numbers need to reflect that.

Time will tell.

i think thats when it was still BMW motorsports. Before it became BMW M brand. They changed alot when they changed the name. they made very few M6s with autos to back in 88 or 89. But they were never sent to the states. ive seen pictures. I had a 88 M6 stick. i loved it.

[doctodd]

Originally Posted by DINANM3

Not sure what you mean by they shift 3 different ways. what ever way it shifts its not as good as having a clutch when performance is concerned.

Well you kinda answered my question.....i guess you arent sure cuz you havent driven an AMG. The 3 ways are.....paddles behind the steering wheel, clicking the shifter up to upshift or down to downshift, and the shifter individually selecting a numbered gear.

Sounds to me by your tone that you know everything. So i guess there isnt anything else for me to say since you already know. But dont knock AMG cars just out of ignorance.

T

[simmikie]

Originally Posted by Bavarian

Agreed, but I very much doubt it will beat Benz's upcoming ML63 AMG.

See, because of BMW's "M Roots", there cannot be an M SUV, and it cannot ever have an automatic.

So I think the best they'll do is again offer an SUV that's just slightly more powerful than the V8 one, and make it handle like a go-kart. Awesome combination, but hardly enough to compete with an AMG.

As long as they don't put an M badge on the X5, it will never be able to compete with an AMG SUV.

See Benz is open-minded! They have AMG cars of any kind. SUVs, coupes, sedans. And they even have those crazy S55 and S65 AMG sedans. There is still nothing like it in the whole world. They are not constrained by some root mentals (no auto, no SUV). BTW, if BMW started offering auto trannies in their M cars, the sales will go up for sure. There are many people out there who would like to go fast by pressing the gas, and not have to worry about shifting and matching RPMs. Sure, they're not purists, but they have the money to buy these toys (M cars and AMGs).

Well there could be a round about way for an E70 X5 to compete with AMG in the raw numbers game.....Alpina X5. Though from what I have read, no definite time has been set for Alpina to export their version of the X5 to the states (for obvious reasons it could not happen until 2007), but indications are it is a likely candidate to hit US shores as a compliment vehicle to the confirmed to arrive Alpina B7.

Now "aint that a b..ch" BMW turning to a supercharged engine to compete with a Merc's NA engine! I believe the current Alpina B7 engine is based on the 4.4 litre V-8, and outputs 500hp and 516 ft-lbs of torque. So if the E70 will be equipped with the 4.8is and Alpina bases it's magic on that, then it will not be a given that the ML63 will be showing it's tailpipes to all X5's.

Merely a little food for debate.

Mike

[Quicksilver]

Sorry to hear your confounded by one knob. I mean no respect but as I mentioned my wife is no early adapter of any technologies and she has no trouble with iDrive. She just open the BMW Manual started reading and confessed that she had no problem with it. She said she dosen't understand what people are all worked up about. She read all those negative comments before her experience with iDrive and found that they could not be substantiated. Perhaps she hasn't been currupted by being overly qualified Technically. I don't know how your Motorola brick phone, your Palm Pilot IIIx, and your Compaq Portable PC proves me wrong. So I'll pass on that. All I know is that iDrive is no big deal.

Originally Posted by asawadude

Technically challenged? I'm sorry, but my Motorola brick phone, my Palm Pilot IIIx, and my Compaq Portable PC proves you wrong. I am a highly skilled programmer which I'll upload examples of as soon as I pull them off these 5.25 floppies. :p

I consider myself to be an early adapter of many technologies, but I-Drive is not one of them. One of my friends has a day job with BMW. We often talk about BMW; whenever we talk about I-Drive, the conversation is never good. Failure rate of the Gen 2 I-Drives is still high. I think this can be substantiated by owner comments in some of the other BMW boards. SMG is another conversation we have, which is usually filled with horror stories as well.

I'll buy any new BMW where I-Drive is offered as an option so I don't have to buy it.

I also find it interesting that they've dropped the I-Drive name entirely from the new M5 feature set, but if I'm not mistaken, the M5 is equipped with I-Drive standard.

Regards, Mike

[drex]

ok blah blah blah idrive

i think its here to stay, regardless of our impressions/opinions of it...

(not being offensive, just pointing out the obvious).

can someone refer me to where the notion (official or semi-official) of a column shifter came in?

i can't think of ANY bmw model with a column shifter... (at least from '88 on)

[DINANM3]

Originally Posted by doctodd

Well you kinda answered my question.....i guess you arent sure cuz you havent driven an AMG. The 3 ways are.....paddles behind the steering wheel, clicking the shifter up to upshift or down to downshift, and the shifter individually selecting a numbered gear.

Sounds to me by your tone that you know everything. So i guess there isnt anything else for me to say since you already know. But dont knock AMG cars just out of ignorance.

T

Listen. Ive driven almost every car out there. And AMGs are one of them. and if I actually liked them i would buy one. But i dont. My friend has a S55 amg and my other friend has a CL55 amg. The only way in which they are superior to an M car is off the line acceleration. thats it. And even there its close. And as far as me not knowing what th heck you were talking about when you said it shifts 3 ways. I didnt think you were talking about which way you can manually shift. i thought you meant which way the transmission shifts. and to me that is only one way. Through a torque converter. Who cars about paddles or clicking the shifter. non of that changes the fast that its automatic. and non of that makes the transmission actually engage the next gear faster. To me Autos do not belong in High perormance cars.
Also i would like to know what it is about my previous post that is ignorant.
Because in my opinion you are an idiot.

[doctodd]

lol....you proved my point....no response needed. But i am very impressed by the fact that your friends have AMG's. That must make you an expert.

T

[xx3]

Originally Posted by drex

ok blah blah blah idrive

i think its here to stay, regardless of our impressions/opinions of it...

(not being offensive, just pointing out the obvious).

can someone refer me to where the notion (official or semi-official) of a column shifter came in?

i can't think of ANY bmw model with a column shifter... (at least from '88 on)

E65 has a column shift.

---

Both you guys, chill. Both of you can express your opinion. Thats fine, just don't attack each other... thats when it becomes uncalled for...

Here is my take... Doctodd, you can in-fact shift it 3 ways. However, it is nothing like experiencing a car through SMG or a true manual gearbox. DinanM3 points out a great point in the fact that, all this "shifting" is still going through a slushbox. Hardly a desirable choice there.

M = for the real driver
AMG = for those who simply want power

No matter how much you guys go back and forth, it doesn't matter. Neither of you are wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion... So just grow up and stop insulting each other...