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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo GT (F07) Forums General 5-Series GT (Gran Turismo) (F07) Forum Just got a 550i GT Gran Turismo, any recommendations for performance improvements?
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      02-21-2021, 10:55 AM   #1
mikelaca
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Just got a 550i GT Gran Turismo, any recommendations for performance improvements?

I just got a 2015 550i xdrive GT with 60K miles and it's pretty well loaded but no Msport package and I'd like to get the best performance possible out of it so I'd love to get some recommendations from those of you in the know:


1. I heard the Msport means it has an anti-sway bar across the engine? Since I don't have Msport, but I do have Adaptive Driving, any recommendations on the best anti-sway bar I can add and should I add anything along with it that would help the stability?

2. What are the best brakes you can buy to reduce stopping distance? Happy to go to any 3rd party, I just want to get great initial bite and powerful stopping under high load. Not concerned about repeated stopping without fading (like at a track with carbon ceramic), I just want the best "normal use" brakes.

3. Who do you recommend for an engine tune? I can't seem to find anyone reputable offering one but maybe I've missed it. The goal is to get a bit less lag, a smoother torque curve, and a few more horses won't hurt either. I don't need anything massive like a stage 2/3, just a nice well-done stage 1 would be ideal.

4. Anything else you'd recommend for driving performance. I'm trying to make it into an M-lite 5 series, so I think these 3 things if I can find them, would go a long way.

5. Any preventative maintenance tips or tricks you'd recommend, from my research I've avoided the engine recall issues on the earlier V8s but curious if there are any other must-dos to avoid headaches down the road.
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      02-21-2021, 05:28 PM   #2
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I have ARM intake, ARM catless downpipes, and JB4 stage 2 tune and the car is night and day quicker. Turbo response is incredibly better.

Plugs, coils, and basic fluids for preventative.

Just upgrade the pads. The OEM brakes are decent. They seem to have no trouble stopping my 550i with the mods it has and it is considerably faster than stock.
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      02-21-2021, 05:38 PM   #3
mikelaca
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Thanks for the super helpful reply. A couple questions though:

I see you may have an F10, would this reply to the F07 5series?

You mentioned a stage 2, I see those are not legal in California and are generally race-intended. Do you have any other recommendations for a slight step down?
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      02-21-2021, 09:12 PM   #4
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Yes, your 550i would benefit from the same power mods.

If I were you, I would look into BMS stage 1. It is a piggyback tune that can be removed in 10min if you need to smog your car. The downpipes would be great if you can pass visual with them and I would think you would as long as the heat shields are put on after install.

In Arizona, we have very laxed smog restrictions so you can pretty much get away with any mod that doesn't cause a CEL. I am not familiar with your current restrictions as I moved 4 years ago.

Like I said, it sounds like you should look into BMS stage 1 tune to start with.
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      02-21-2021, 09:15 PM   #5
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Also, I wouldn't say JB4 is necessarily for race. It may be more advanced than stage 1, but I daily my car for work with the tune.
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      04-26-2021, 12:32 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikelaca View Post
I just got a 2015 550i xdrive GT with 60K miles and it's pretty well loaded but no Msport package and I'd like to get the best performance possible out of it so I'd love to get some recommendations from those of you in the know:


1. I heard the Msport means it has an anti-sway bar across the engine? Since I don't have Msport, but I do have Adaptive Driving, any recommendations on the best anti-sway bar I can add and should I add anything along with it that would help the stability?

2. What are the best brakes you can buy to reduce stopping distance? Happy to go to any 3rd party, I just want to get great initial bite and powerful stopping under high load. Not concerned about repeated stopping without fading (like at a track with carbon ceramic), I just want the best "normal use" brakes.

3. Who do you recommend for an engine tune? I can't seem to find anyone reputable offering one but maybe I've missed it. The goal is to get a bit less lag, a smoother torque curve, and a few more horses won't hurt either. I don't need anything massive like a stage 2/3, just a nice well-done stage 1 would be ideal.

4. Anything else you'd recommend for driving performance. I'm trying to make it into an M-lite 5 series, so I think these 3 things if I can find them, would go a long way.

5. Any preventative maintenance tips or tricks you'd recommend, from my research I've avoided the engine recall issues on the earlier V8s but curious if there are any other must-dos to avoid headaches down the road.
Change the plastic coolant fittings on the top of the engine. 3 in total. Had mine fail. Luckily I was near home and no damage was done to the engine.
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      08-11-2021, 12:01 PM   #7
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Dont forget catch cans and cold air intake
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      07-11-2022, 09:00 AM   #8
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JB4 Tune

Is this what everyone is talking about? Please excuse my naïvety.

https://burgertuning.com/collections...=3391563694104
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