X5 Slays the Dragon
 

I took the X5 on a fall trip to Gatlinburg and the Tail of the Dragon. The Dragon on the TN/NC line is 318 turns in 11 miles. For more info, see: Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap and Cherohala Skyway, Graham Co, NC The X5 was not out of place next to my friends' M3s, M5s, M6s, and a brand new CTS-V coupe. I actually kept up with them! I guess 54 total runs on that road helps.
We do several runs each day followed by scenic drives. We went through Tellico Plains, TN and Franklin and Hot Springs, NC on the various days.

The trip computer stats are:
Miles: 1110 (and I'm only 220 miles from Gatlinburg so 700 miles was while there)
Hours behind the wheel: 27:30
Average Speed: 42 mph (too much traffic and slow cars)
Average MPG: 15.4 (I was at 19.5 for the way up, it dropped to 14 after just one day of hard running). Creeping in traffic at times didn't help either.
Overall, myself and everyone was quite impressed with the X5 50i. an incredible combination of utility, luxury, AND sport.

Several photo services caught the X5 in action on the TOD. Here is one I've found online so far: PhotoReflect - MoonshinePhoto.Com and PhotoReflect - MoonshinePhoto.Com

My pics and videos are forthcoming. Here is one from a scenic drive.

Sounds like a great weekend! Beautiful weather and scenery this time of year, perfect driving time. Drove it last year and spent the nights tailgating at a hotel in redneck vegas (Pigeon Forge, TN). Great times.

Subscribed for more X5/TOTD media. :)

That is cool. The X looks great in the pics.

Very jealous! Nice pics.

Nice, although I am sure your 54 runs are what made the difference. I have been on the Dragon in my e53 4.4 sport package and my buddues e46 M3 and there was no comparison. I am sure the e70's are great, but the e9X M3 would be even better yet. The X was a lot of fun, but those cars you mentioned are in another league if all else is equal.

True, equal to equal, the M3 will certainly pull away from the X5. But, its all a matter of how hard one can and does push the car, and make use of the handling and power for the entire length of all 318 turns. I would gain some time in some places and fall back in others. The X5 has surprising balance to enter a turn hard, take a set, and power all the way through. On the TOD most of the time, you aren't finished with one turn before preparing for the next. With that much repetition, its easy (at least for me) to figure out the limits. Its like SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS curves.

Hi Richard,

I hope you remember me and my M6 cab from a couple of years ago at the sixer event! Hope you're doing well and tell all the guys I said hello! looks you are all still running the TOD!

Jen

Cool shots! I've been on the Dragon too, but not the Skyway unfortunately. I got some nice shots too as seen in my signature.

Richard - awesome pix, i ordered the 19" rims on my 2011 m package and i am glad to see they fill the wheel wells. Very nice, like the shot of the rear and the adaptive drive leveling out the X!:thumbup:

What are you driving today?