Review
BMW M550i xDrive
The M550i is the ideal combination of a four-door sports car and a dynamic business sedan. This car has, among other things, a V8 with 462 hp, all-wheel drive aimed at the rear wheels and a special M Performance chassis setup. In addition, this sports car is also packed with driver assistance systems and innovative technology, just like the more regular models within the 5 Series range.
M Performance
The M550i is a so-called M Performance model and is an exclusive product of BMW M GmbH. In terms of positioning, this model is situated between the standard top model of the 5 Series on the one hand and the extremely sporty M5 on the other. It is a car that is made for customers who are looking for extremely sporty driving characteristics, such as in an M5, but without sacrificing practicality in everyday life.
V8
Under the hood of the M550i xDrive we find a specially adapted M Performance TwinPower Turbo eight-cylinder engine with a capacity of 4.4 liters. This M Performance model is certainly not a light sports version, but it certainly meets expectations in terms of motorization. This block delivers a power of 462 hp and a maximum torque of 650 Nm. In terms of performance, this sports car sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.0 seconds. That’s faster than the previous generation M5. It sprinted to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds. The top speed is 250 km/h.
xDrive
We are absolute supporters of all-wheel drive on sports cars and are therefore pleased that this M550i has the intelligent all-wheel drive xDrive. The system distributes the power to the four wheels depending on the driving conditions. The focus will be more on the rear wheels for extra sporty driving pleasure. This allows you to enjoy the sporty handling of this car with optimal traction in all conditions.
The transmission is done using the 8-speed Steptronic sports gearbox. The switching modes have been given a special M Performance configuration, which is tailored to the sporty character of the V8. You can choose to shift gears fully automatically or you can also shift gears yourself via the shift paddles on the steering wheel.
Sporty appearance
The exterior is also characterized by a sporty look with exclusive M Performance equipment. For example, the M550i has an M aerodynamics package including an M rear spoiler. Furthermore, the exterior mirror housings, the radiator grille kidney grille, the special M Performance dividers in the air intake and the two side air scoops have an exclusive finish in Cerium Gray metallic. In combination with the color of our test car in Bluestone metallic, this resulted in a sporty and elegant look. The showpiece for us is the M sports exhaust with exclusive black chrome trim pieces on the left and right. This sports exhaust produces a sporty soundtrack that, in our opinion, could be even a little bolder.
Gesture control
The M550i, like the other models within the 5 Series range, offers numerous options and technological innovations. Our test car was equipped with BMW gesture control. This also allows you to control a number of functions using gestures sensed by a 3D sensor in the center console. For example, you can adjust the volume by making a circle with your index finger or zoom in on the navigation map by moving your thumb and index finger towards the navigation map. What we also found very useful is that you can also operate the 3D view of the Surround View System with your fingers when parking. This way you can literally hold the car and turn the view depending on what exactly you want to see.
Conclusion
In our opinion, the BMW M550i xDrive has succeeded with flying colors in being very sporty on the one hand and maintaining its usability in daily traffic on the other. The all-wheel drive aimed at the rear wheels is certainly an extra asset and ensures that you maintain maximum grip in most diverse weather and driving conditions and can fully enjoy the driving pleasure that this car has to offer.
Additional images of exterior and interior:
Bonus recordings of the exhaust sound:
Johan De Haes
Test driver
