BMW M550d

ScuderiaWithStickPlease · Aug 7, 2012

Power comes from the well-proven 3.0-liter straight-six, here producing 376 hp, available between 4000 and 4400 rpm. Maximum torque is 546 lb-ft, served up between 2000 and 3000 rpm. Those are mouthwatering figures, regardless of what kind of fuel the engine is drinking.
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To make sure this high-performance diesel doesn't ever run out of breath, BMW has fitted it with three BorgWarner-supplied turbochargers. Yes, three. Heres how it all works: At low rpm, a small turbocharger provides initial boost and ensures quick launches. Around 1500 rpm, a large turbocharger takes over, allowing the engine to reach its maximum torque. From 2700 rpm onward, a small third turbo compresses the air before it reaches the large turbo. Maximum pressure for the system is 50.8 psi.
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BMW says the engine was strengthened for this extra dose of power and torque, which is made possible in part by an injection system that squirts fuel at 31,900 psi. (For comparison, the twin-turbo 535d's operates at 26,100 psi.) On both the M550d sedan and wagon, power is fed to all four wheels through a ZF-sourced eight-speed torque-converter automatic and BMW's all-wheel-drive system. All of this technology comes with a weight penalty, and in this case curb weight is about 4350 pounds.
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But the chassis handles this car's excessive weight remarkably well.
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As the power output suggests, performance is good. We estimate a 0-to-60-mph trip taking just under five seconds. No ones complaining about that kind of straight-line talent, especially since it is accompanied by a pleasantif artificially enhancedsnarl. The M550d really shines at triple-digit speeds, which is where you feel its extra muscle, and where you realize this diesel's atypical willingness to rev. Accelerating even from 120 mph and higher is a quick and effortless affair, making the tri-turbo perfect for long autobahn drives. Its mileage, however, is not spectacular for a diesel: The 37-mpg score in the optimistic European cycle contrasts with real-life consumption that hovers in the 20s. And dynamically, the M550d doesn't even remotely come close to an M5. Throttle response is still diesel-like, which is to say slightly delayed. It feels more like a glorified 535d, not an M,
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In Germany, the M550d xDrive retails at the eye-watering equivalent of around $80,300 before taxes. That's a good $24,000 on top of the European 535d xDrive. This hike is a bit hard to justify, even given the great pile of technology underhood and the accompanying M badging. Even as an Almost M car, we think this top-of-the-line diesel may be too far of a stretch for BMW.
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http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-bmw-m550d-xdrive-first-drive-review

Imagine what we'd have to deal with if there were actual science behind the mandates responsible for this and horrors yet to come.

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