90 535i high speed test - good news

[F4Phantom]

Near my place there is a country road with a long straight and a steep hill at the end, perfect for washing of speed. So its kind of a local benchmark. I tested a subaru up there WRX STI 206kw, top speed of 170kph. Holden berlina 5.7L v8 220kw top speed 190kph. Just installed my new 02 sensor today (pig of a job) and the car was feeling much better so on the way home I went past this spot. 170kph!! I thought that was excellent given that the car has 155kw and weighs the same as the holden (1600kg). So even by modern standards I still think these cars hold their own.

[Michael999]

nice work.
Just dont crash :P

[wingman]

This is a great post! Speedo calibration aside it goes to show a lot of things:
1. The WRX has great 'point and shoot' power but no legs.
2. The Berlina 5.7 gets you there but basically it's an Executive with extra options, colour coded bumpers and a rough as guts big C.I. engine with no refinement.
3. BMW made cars 16 years ago that Holden/Subaru etc are still trying to emulate.

[Paul in NZ]

and given more room there is lots more.....

[F4Phantom]

he lives near my place, I say he gives the strip a run and see if there is much difference.

[pundit]

he lives near my place, I say he gives the strip a run and see if there is much difference.

Yeah and F4Phantom is actually an undercover speed camera operator!

[CharlesAFerg]

Berlina 5.7???
wtfs taht?
lol

[nirvana19]

Berlina 5.7???
wtfs taht?
lol

a car

[F4Phantom]

I used to have a stock WRX which is also 155kw. They are very good under 100kph (I got it to 215kph once). I have noticed also that the BMW is not great off the line, spinning the wheels is very hard to do, whereas in a ford or holden even the early ones with less power, they can spin their wheels easily. This means they are what they advertise "designed for Australian conditions" meaning pokey off the line and good for our 100kph speed limits. At 170 today, my 535 was still accelerating strongly. From memory the WRX STI was slowing at this point. So we can see that the BMW will perform well under any condition, low speed or high. I noticed at this speed it was still in 3rd gear as I had sports mode selected and my foot was flat to the floor. Does 4th gear ever get used in sports mode?

[genphreak]

No 4th never gets used in Sport.

We need lower ratio diffs I reckon.

Would reduce fuel consumption too. No point having a car designed to do 220 where you can only do 110!

Nick