[ezmaass]

Amen.

I believe I've probably been one of the forum's biggest "fan boys" recently of DHP. I picked up my 550xi with DHP about 6 months ago, and I've said numerous times here on the forum that it is THE best option money can buy for the F10.

As Grover said, the Active Roll Stabilization (ARS) - part of Adaptive Drive - has been discussed here on the forum in numerous threads. And you're right, many people mistake DHP for just dynamic dampers, and ARS, along with the drivetrain modification in each dynamic driving mode, can turn the car into a completely different animal in each mode.

I, too, drove F10's with and without DHP back to back. My dealer didn't have a DHP car on the lot, but luckily the dealer's owner let me take out his personal 550xi with DHP. WOW. After experiencing it, there was no way I could buy the car without it. It just completely transformed the car.

I'm probably the perfect example of "want to have my cake and eat it too." I've always bought BMWs with sport suspensions because I couldn't contemplate not having the best possible control over the car. But then I'd suffer through owning that suspension during most driving experiences, where it's rare to only drive on beautifully paved roads. Likewise, I take enough long trips that after 2 or 3 hours in the car, the sport suspension would just wear on you unnecessarily.

But as you said, it's not just about dynamic dampers. The ARS technology is truly amazing. Take a corner that's meant for 25mph @ 45mph, and you won't feel the slightest body roll. People say the F10 is a big, heavy car (and it is)... no less the 550xi, which is the beefiest pig of all, but I've found that ARS just has a way of making the car shrink around you. You don't feel weight under normal cruising - you feel weight under acceleration, and in the case of cornering lateral acceleration. The ARS "trick" of counteracting the forces "just enough" and in a dynamic way, makes an otherwise big and heavy car feel significantly lighter on its feet. And the fact that it's dynamic means it always applies only what's necessary, keeping the car softer and comfortable when appropriate, and stiffening up to counteract cornering forces when necessary. It's absolutely a thing of beauty to experience.

If you're looking for a permanently "track ready" car, as you said, a passive sport suspension is probably the better way to go. It's less complex (less stuff to break!), less expensive, and it'll get the job done just as well or better - after all, you can put THE most aggressive coilovers and swaybars on your F10, and really make it feel like your tires are bolted directly to the frame.

However, if you're the type of driver who wants duality from their car - soft and supple at times, firm and sporty other times, the DHP option is a must-have. Additionally, ARS will make the car handle like a lighter and smaller car... which really stiff sways can do, as well, but again only statically - and you're stuck with that feel in all driving situations.

So I'll repeat my claim - I don't think there's a better way to spend $3,500 on an F10 option. If your BMW dealer doesn't have one to test drive, find a dealer that does. It's something I think all F10 owners should experience - preferably before buying. To the question on why it's so rare to find? Well, it's a $3,500 option... and that's not inexpensive even by BMW standards. So I'd venture a guess that it has more to do with the dealers' desire to avoid risk of stocking cars that wouldn't as easily sell to off-the-street buyers versus those custom ordering. Same goes for other high-end options, like B&O. Stocked cars tend to be the most "mainstream" to keep them appealing to the widest set of buyers.