Big Lee

It`s the older shape, far nicer than the new ones , in black with tan leather, smart alloys & a great looking oe bodykit

I`m picking it up in a week or so & can`t wait! It`s into the BMW lane on the motorway for me now I can`t wait for the abuse the BM owners get, I missed it since I sold my 325i

Anyone else got one or had one?

Lee

Big Lee

My old 850 T5 is for sale if anyone`s interested? 54k miles leather etc etc?

BTW I`ve just noticed I`ve been lurking on Scoobynet for the past 5 years

Andy M3

Big Lee - from VT5. Your old car looks lovely - good luck with that sale.

BMW 530 sport is a nice car indeed - and they are excellent value for money

Patt@firstime

Post some pics up when you've got it mate

Matt

P.S Drop me a PM when you have

Big Lee

Cheers Andy, I`m expecting to be inundated with phone calls & emails for it

Ok Matt, I`m charging the camera up as we speak!

WRX Blues

Big Lee - best you be careful - there is a really hard debt-collector nutter called JDM who wants to fight BMW drivers to the death....whatever you do DO NOT out accelerate an ugly JDM bugeye at any cost.....he has friends as well you know....

Big Lee

LOL!!! Thats a chance I`ll take

RAJ27

Yes I have one. It's a black car with grey leather. Had it for nearly a year. Great motorway car and is not bad off the lights for such a large car.

Bit fussy on the fuel though. Hates optimax with a vengeance (responsive but runs too rich and ****e mpg), but loves BP ultimate.

Let us know if you have any questions.

6 pot

Why not run it on normal unleaded

RAJ27

I have tried normal unleaded, but you can notice the difference in terms of pickup and slightly better mpg with SUL.

dpb

Well,mus say i would have gone with the 530d sport everytime .
anyways good luck with hogging the outside lane....

Big Lee

I`ve just caught up on that thread Theres some classic quotes on there LOL! Haven`t had such a chuckle at a thread like that for ages!

Anyway just over a week before I pick it up, I`ll be coming back up on the M6 so can any Scooby drivers please pull over if they see a Big black beemer in the BMW lane, feel free to return to it when I have passed

thanks for the offer Raj

Dazzler

I've been very tempted to get one of these. Is yours an auto or manual?

Any comments on what people perceive to be the better choice? I know it depends on driving style etc.., but just a general comment on what suits the car would be good.

Big Lee

hi Dazzler,

Mines the steptronic sequential auto box, more desirable in these cars apparantly, & IMO gives the best of a manual & auto box. IMO essential for these cars. Don`t get the poverty spec manual In my current car, an auto Volvo T5, I find it frustrating sometimes that I can`t choose which gear I`m in to drive the car on the throttle, cornering, engine braking etc but most of the time I love the auto box. With the steptronic box I can move the stick over & engage "manual" which allows me to choose what gear I`im in & when to change so drive it like a manual. I found that when I pull up to traffic lights & I`m in "manual" in 5th gear the car will drop down to 1st or 2nd if I forget to do it myself to pull away. If I`m overtaking & the box is in 5th "M" (manual) & I floor it the box will change down to make a swift getaway rather than me do it. The box won`t allow you to drop a gear when you should be going up the box, 5000rpm in 2nd then push the gearstick the wrong way into first won`t happen. I know I tried it I can change gear with my foot on the gas & not have to lift off & can drop through the `box while braking. Great fun & the best of both
If you`re looking for one try a Steptronic box as well as a manual, IMO they`re well worth having

Dazzler

Hi Big Lee

Cheers for the advise, the steptronic sounds like the one to go for. I, like you, enjoy the best of both so this sounds ideal. I will make suire that I look for one that has this now.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Fantatics cars, Just wait til you chuck round an island at 60mph...bite the bullet, and don't bother braking and then you'll know what that chassis is really capeable of.

IMO using manual mode on the steptronic is useless - too slow to react and has bit of a hissy fit if it thinks changing gear mid-bend is too dangerous (thats the DSC for you, although some beamers seem worse than others )...stick it in sport...when you want it to go down a gear, say if you want engine braking for an island or sharp bend, briefly floor the acelerator, it'll shift down ready, repeat the process for the next gear, and the box will be in the right gear for when you exit without having to move your hands off the wheel Keep prodding the acelerator to keep it in that gear, and back off if you want it to change up. Left foot braking is a handy thing to practice when your using this driving style

Varboy

Ali B!!!! all that talk of the scooby being souless and you buy a 530 with a slushmatic, I hope you have gone some way to redeeming yourself by at least going for the sport.

230bhp in something weighing 1600kg+ ouch and that soggy suspension, yuck

Varboy

should have read the post, yes it's a sport, at least that is something +ve, great car but a little undepowered to be a diver's car, I would have gone for the 530d sport and got it chipped.

Big Lee

How can it be underpowered to be a divers car? I am a diver & it`s got enough power for me

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I know your on a wind up but what the hell...I'm bored

How heavy is your fattest mate? A 530 is 100kg heavier than a 330 (and only 10kg between the new 3series vs new 5 series ) not much considering it has MUCH better handling dynamics than both a 3series and a scoob for that. Don't confuse grip, traction and suspension stiffness over "pure" handling ...ask Bob Knight, Derrick White, Jim Randle (Jaguar)...or even the great Colin Chapman (Lotus). They were all advocates of soft suspension with controlled damping...and they knew what they were doing, especially to note the previous 3, when it came to making barges go round bends like on rails. Belive it or not, a car with soft suspension can be made to handle well - it's in the geometry and progression of springs and dampers moreso than overall stiffness...in many cases, some compliance is needed in suspension to get the best out of it. (one day I'll get into a rant in the Suspension forum about solid droplinks and removing compliance makes a scoob's overall handling worse not better - but then "unsticking" them does make them more interesting, so I'll leave them alone for now ).

There are not many large saloon cars I know of that can be pushed anywhere near as hard round the twisties as a 5 (even with standard SE spec suspension) and still be able waft along at 110mph at under 3000rpm. Even though it has only 231bhp, you don't need to wait for a turbo, that power range and torque is there from 1500rpm right up to 6000rpm as soon as you hit the throttle. No need to make sure its above 3000rpm or below 6000, and wait for a turbo to spool up, its a very flexible engine. No bogging down off the lights with these (more than can be said for certain rice box drivers with poor clutch control )

Yet even with the effortless steering which I could hate, it still has more weight and feedback to be "acceptable" for a comfy saloon and still has more feel and communication than a classic Scoob. Ahh whilst on scoobs, I forgot about brakes. No dodgy ABS here, stamp on the pedel at 3 figure speeds and watch that needle fall, yet you don't really notice or feel that you've just washed off XXXmph without any twitching or fuss. They seem to still work after the 3rd attempt too.


Anyhoo, I don't own a BMW "per se", but I drive many Beamers of all sorts of shapes and sizes, and I am a most certainly a manual man, unless its got a laggy turbo (no lag between gears and building boost on standing starts is an auto+turbo Forté - something I learnt with a Bentley Turbo of all cars, which I should note doesn't handle or stop...kinda fun if your suicidal ).

brybusa

Good choice, any 5 series are superb cars

Ive got the older model 535 Sport, with a re-map, approx 220ishBHP and for their size and weight they handle very well indeed...certainly quick n grippy enough to fend of the chav chariots..as well as being refined enough for longer trips

Indicates 150MPH without to much fuss either

Oh, and the E34 sport has LSD, mines a manual box as well so plenty tail out fun

[img]http://67.18.37.16/1402/84/upload/p6978040.jpg[img]

Hope the piccie works!

Ah, bugger it..can never get em to work

Link below

http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3578&hl=

You might find this site usefull anyway!

Dazzler

Nice write up there ALI-B !

Does anyone know how a 535i Sport would compare? Is there that much difference between them?

Big Lee

The E39 530i Sport would be FAR superior LOL! Only joking That`s a VERY nice motor you have there, are the alloys split rim ones?

brybusa

No there not Lee , they are the O/E wheels for the sport of that era..I do like the deep dish and extra detailing on them.

The only downer is that only 1 specific Michelin tyre fits the rim ..and they cost between £230 and £265 EACH!!

Hence the reason why most of them are running aftermarket wheels but im gonna bite the bullet and keep the “proper” wheels and tyres on it

Big Lee

HOW MUCH!!!! if it were mine I`d get a good set of tyres & use the oe wheels on show days etc & get a set of aftermarket ones for slobbing round on.

Mark Miwurdz

Stick with the 6 pot 530. Steering setup's better (rack and pinion vs. recirculating ball) and there's less weight up front than the V8 which gives far more neutral handling.

Cheers
Kav

Mark Miwurdz

Whilst the steptronic is king of autos, I'm going manual next time. Had both and I know which is best for me.

Cheers
Kav

GMT

I've got a 2001 530i Sport manual - very nice cars, and has already been said quick enough and lovely interior. Looks nice and mean as well

I will probably want to change it in 6 months or so .. fancy a 330d Sport next, 2004 model with 204bhp 6 speed box, DMS tuning chip... nice