[wang133ro]

Hello!

It seems that many people find the F10 very difficult to control at speeds over 100mph (160Km/h).

In my own experience (with a 535i and a 525d) the difficulty increased proportionally with the speed until the cars were very difficult to control and I had to slow down for safety.

Both cars I've test driven had the most basic steering and suspension. I for one am interested to find out if that behaviour manifests for all the F10s or just some of them. I'd also like to try to cross-check with the type of steering and suspension.

Please let me know if this issue was or not present with the F10 you have driven and what type of steering/suspension the car had.
I'm also curious to find out if any one had this solved (software update?!).

Thanks for the help!

[EdM5]

No problems whatsoever, in fact better and more predictable behaviour then my e92s and e87. I do regular high speed runs (130-150 mph).

Specs:
Adaptive drive;
19" (winter) or 20" (summer) runflats;
Integral active steering;
Schnitzer lowering spring set

[delvek]

I am not aware of a lot of people having problems with high speeds. I found my 550i very comfortable at 130mph but great all the way up to 160mph+some change

I drove a 528 around for the last 2 months and after its break in period I was comfortable in it too.

[wang133ro]

I'm relieved to hear that

Doesn't specifically mean that my car will be OK, but at least I can hope

[Robin_NL]

No problems here. 535iA M technik suspension + 19"331s(GoodYear RFT)

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by wang133ro

It seems that many people find the F10 very difficult to control at speeds over 100mph (160Km/h).

Who are these many people?

If you personally found the car difficult to control, then you probably shouldn't buy one. Maybe I can control mine better for other reasons, such as road conditions, weather, etc.? You need to be satisfied with how it feels for you, where and how you drive.

[delvek]

It could be that the OP doesnt feel comfortable at that speed in general. Look, 130 is 130, its fast, the car is very comfortable but the dynamics change. If your looking for 130mph to feel like 50mph then it wont in any car.

[wang133ro]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Who are these many people?

If you personally found the car difficult to control, then you probably shouldn't buy one. Maybe I can control mine better for other reasons, such as road conditions, weather, etc.? You need to be satisfied with how it feels for you, where and how you drive.

Well, as of late here:
http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=507040

But I don't think that was the first time I read about that on this board.

My assumption is that people are able to give a reasonably objective answer by taking into accounts all those factors (wind, road, etc.) I'm not sure why you seem to think this is far-fetched. After all most of them (if not all) talk about their own cars and therefore can have a balanced opinion based on more than one or two occurrences and as such in different road and wind conditions.

I think you have to admit that different car configurations determine different handling of the car. I'm not sure how things are in the States but in Denmark they will not have a car with either adaptive drive or the M sports suspension available for test drives. This is why I was forced to guess and try to rely on the experience of others.

And I believe that even with the same configuration this forum is full of examples of cars behaving differently (pulling to the right, jerking, etc.)

I have no idea why the cars I've driven were difficult to control and that's what I'm trying to discern here. Could it have been the normal suspension? Could it be that the test cars were heavily abused and the steering was off?
Hopefully the replies to this post will shed some light on this matter.

And as a note to all, PLEASE give me more credit than to imagine this is the first time I'm driving fast and wonder why it's different

[wang133ro]

Originally Posted by delvek

It could be that the OP doesnt feel comfortable at that speed in general. Look, 130 is 130, its fast, the car is very comfortable but the dynamics change. If your looking for 130mph to feel like 50mph then it wont in any car.

Well, I guess comfortable can indeed mean different things to different persons.

I would however expect anyone to notice the difference between having to put the second hand on the wheel past 100mph (which I would call normal) and having difficulties in keeping the car on the road at 110mph (which was the case with the F10s I've tried). 130 mph was simply out of question. And yes, I have driven quite extensively in all kind of conditions at high speed before.

[bimmerfrei]

Hey Wang, I think you're onto something there. I can't say that my F10 is hard to control at high speeds. However it needs some attention and concentation, it's not like driving an Audi Quattro which seems to just love travelling straight ahead at speed from 130 mph and up. A couple of years ago I had a E60 530i, that one was hopeless at higher speeds on the Autobahn. Then I changed to a E90 335d which was fantastic all the way up to 155. Both those cars had M suspension, btw. I don't really know why but I think that the extra weight that the diesel engine puts on the front axle could have something to do with it. Could also explain why Audi's (in my opinion) are easier to drive at high speeds on the A-bahn. Also, as you say, I think it's down to the configuration that you choose. I would imagine that the perfect combo for Autobahn driving would be a 535xd with M suspension. No Adaptive drive or DDC.

Then there is the question of aerodynamics. In today's chase for better fuel economy, many cars are constructed to with very little downforce, especially on the front axle. Hence why some of them might feel a little vague on the road when you're travelling at high speeds. Don't know how much downforce the M package adds, but I beleive it's a factor.

[EdM5]

Originally Posted by bimmerfrei

I would imagine that the perfect combo for Autobahn driving would be a 535xd with M suspension. No Adaptive drive or DDC.

Wanna start a discussion here?

I would say the perfect spec for Autobahn driving would be AD/sport mode plus IAS. Just my 2 cents.

[bimmerfrei]

Well, you might be right about IAS but AD, I'm not so sure. But hey, that's me! Your move.

[delvek]

Got to be with Edwin on this ... sport+ with IAS ... pfft cya

[kman_bmw]

Rock solid in my 550ix with M sport package at 155 mph. My friend was amazed I could drive with two fingers. Certainly as solid as my 2010 E60 535i M sport, maybe even a little more comfortable since the tac is not running as high and the car is much quieter.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by kman_bmw

......at 155 mph. My friend was amazed I could drive with two fingers.

Glad I wasn't on the same stretch of road .

[Bimmer535xi]

I have standard suspension. Non sport.
I am happy I didn’t listen to this forum where at least 75% of the people are unhappy with their BMW’s.
Glad but feel left out, my car is rock stable and barely over a length of time drifts to the right or left except on an on an unusually crowned road.
For me high speed on a US highway might be 90mph for a short run, so I cannot duplicate the problems wanu133ro is having at 130mph.
I assume wanu133ro must have owned in the past Mercedes and Porsche's that I understand are not susceptible to high strong winds at high speeds or unusually crowned roads.

[kman_bmw]

At that speed it doesn't really matter how many hands are on the wheel, if something goes wrong, it's all over. The fact that you can drive with two fingers says a lot about the car. Bottom line is that the F10 M sport is amazing, can't understand why anyone would be unhappy with it. The 550i is awesomely fast and the overall ride between soft and hard is more than I could certainly ask for. I've driven quite a few cars on the autobahn here in Germany and I feel more comfortable in the F10 than any other I've tried, including the A6 and Merc CL550.

[wsemme]

I hope it´s stabile since i ride about 50000km/year on Autobahn often over 130mp/h.

[DuneMan]

Originally Posted by wang133ro

Hello!

It seems that many people find the F10 very difficult to control at speeds over 100mph (160Km/h).

In my own experience (with a 535i and a 525d) the difficulty increased proportionally with the speed until the cars were very difficult to control and I had to slow down for safety.

Both cars I've test driven had the most basic steering and suspension. I for one am interested to find out if that behaviour manifests for all the F10s or just some of them. I'd also like to try to cross-check with the type of steering and suspension.

Please let me know if this issue was or not present with the F10 you have driven and what type of steering/suspension the car had.
I'm also curious to find out if any one had this solved (software update?!).

Thanks for the help!

Yes... I have the "vague steering" problem that I'm trying to fix with my dealer... I don't feel solid contact with the road - kind of feels like a video game, or driving on air... it's a strange feeling.

Maybe the runflats play a role in this - not sure. But I plan on swapping my RFT's with regular tires sometime soon.

[wardawg26]

I disagree on what you are saying; I have driven my car a 20011 5351 with sports package at speeds of 140 plus many times on autobahn 6 and autobahn 62 with no problems in the feel of the car; the car felt planted to the road and I had now issue with the ride; a matter of fact; every time I take my car out and hit the autobahn I drive at speeds of 110mph plus with no problems and no issues with the feel of the car; this car has a better feel at high speed than my last three series.

[raleedy]

Originally Posted by wardawg26

I disagree on what you are saying; I have driven my car a 20011 5351 with sports package at speeds of 140 plus many times on autobahn 6 and autobahn 62 with no problems in the feel of the car; the car felt planted to the road and I had now issue with the ride; a matter of fact; every time I take my car out and hit the autobahn I drive at speeds of 110mph plus with no problems and no issues with the feel of the car; this car has a better feel at high speed than my last three series.

Good report. Most of us haven't had the chance to drive the 20011 model yet.

[JOHNBMWM5]

My 550i M Sport in "Sport Mode" suspension and steering only, running Michelin 19" run flats handles and is stable at high speeds. No Problems.
I only run higher speeds in this setting.