Officially a 1Addict... AW N55

[stylish.]

First Impressions

Torque is pretty much everywhere... Boost starts to kick in before 2000rpm then you really feel it pull like a train from low 2000ish rpm. I've only pushed it up to 5500 rpm, still pulls very hard up there! Its wayyy too easy to hit 100kph... very effortless and deceptive. I've already caught a few FPV/HSV's off guard.

Turbo lag cannot be 100% eliminated, but the N55 turbo lag is very close to nothing compared to anything else it competes with. The turbo sound is fairly noticable compared to the N54, ditto with the exhaust, which is a lot deeper and much more aggressive.

I didn't get a chance to test drive a manual version, so I really took a gamble on the manual transmission. The gates are fairly short in stock form and fairly easy to enter the gates. Notchy, but an accurate, reassuring feeling. The clutch has good feel too... but can be inconsistant under normal driving conditions. Maybe thats the CDV working its 'magic'.

Handling wise, I can definately feel the body roll when pushing the car spiritedly though corners, BUT once the weight does transfer over, the car holds its place with mild understeer (which isn't as bad as I first imagined!). The runflats are okay at best, in terms of grip but yeah it does not like potholes...

I've only done just over 1100kms and I'm averaging 10.1L/100kms. I guess this is what BMW calls 'Efficient Dynamics'.

[shockin330i]

welcome :hi:

[wmj73]

welcome mate, dont think Ive ever seen your colour combo, is it AW with lemon?

[stylish.]

Correct, its Alpine White on Lemon. It was a toss up between coral and lemon, but thought the coral was a bit too flamboyant for me lol.

[MikeVictor]

Nice colour combo, stylish.. I think the lighter colours work well with lighter paint jobs. I've been dreaming up replacement ideas for Ms. Mattyv's car and this was a contender.

[Liub]

Hey mate, congrats! Will remember your plates and hope to see you on the streets

My observations pretty much mirror yours to be honest, as a fellow N55 6MT owner. I went through Black/Reefton Spurs this past Sunday and the understeer became a bit of a problem - I'll get it sorted out after a year of ownership I think . Will aim for sways, coilover and tyres to be done in one hit.

['fatboy']

welcome aboard - good to see another melbourne member.

[aus135i]

nice ride!!! now i miss my car "sigh"

[sparoz]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. It is actually a very accurate review of our cars.

[banglemangle]

Originally Posted by mattyv

Nice colour combo, stylish.. I think the lighter colours work well with lighter paint jobs. I've been dreaming up replacement ideas for Ms. Mattyv's car and this was a contender.

I've been dreaming up ideas for a replacement Mrs Mangle!

[BMW86]

Welcome mate!

[stylish.]

Thanks everyone for the warm (official) welcome!

The understeer is 'mild' but fairly manageable. I wouldn't be in a hurry to get coilovers anytime soon. The stupid runflats will be the first thing I'll fix once they wear out.

Will BMW roadside assist still cover me if I do NOT have runflats?

[135BANDIT]

Great review - welcome aboard

[Dackelone]

Welcome. Do it the CDV delete - you will not be sorry. The only thing you will wonder is what took you so long to do it! It really makes the shifting more pleasurable.

[MikeVictor]

Originally Posted by stylish.

Thanks everyone for the warm (official) welcome!

The understeer is 'mild' but fairly manageable. I wouldn't be in a hurry to get coilovers anytime soon. The stupid runflats will be the first thing I'll fix once they wear out.

Will BMW roadside assist still cover me if I do NOT have runflats?

Luckily you're in Melbourne and can get in to see Andrew@SouthernBM. The H&R swaybar he can supply you with will be a good first step to eliminating the understeer issue.

[Jeef Beef]

Hey mate! Glad to hear you're having a bit of fun with your car already. The notchy feeling with our gearboxes tends to improve significantly after a few kilometres. Mine used to be quite difficult to get from 1st to 2nd, but now it's almost butter smooth.

[UnknownPerson]

Very nice! Looks amazingly clean.

Hope you're enjoying it!

[cozza]

Welcome! Join us other Melbourne owners on a drive day this Saturday - http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=437215

[dontask]

White is so sexy!

[stylish.]

Quick 2500 km update:

- No delay in crank time =)
- Torque is everywhere... can pull cleanly anywhere north of 2k rpm. Can basically take fast winding roads in 6th o.O
- Runflats are okay at best. Good grip but far from perfect.
- Needs more traction from the runflats. Way too easy to get wheelspin from launch with dsc/dtc fully off. Maybe some star specs would help =)
- Avr. fuel consumption 9.7L/100km.
- Harman Kardon sound system is more than adequate. The bass doesn't do the whole 'doof doof' thing, but you can feel it though.

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by stylish.

Quick 2500 km update:

- No delay in crank time =)
- Torque is everywhere... can pull cleanly anywhere north of 2k rpm. Can basically take fast winding roads in 6th o.O
- Runflats are okay at best. Good grip but far from perfect.
- Needs more traction from the runflats. Way too easy to get wheelspin from launch with dsc/dtc fully off. Maybe some star specs would help =)
- Avr. fuel consumption 9.7L/100km.
- Harman Kardon sound system is more than adequate. The bass doesn't do the whole 'doof doof' thing, but you can feel it though.

That didn't take long! How is the launch control? That's a great fuel consumption you're getting. I'm always hovering around 15l/100km but I've been working on getting it down to 13l/100km

[stylish.]

My launch control consists of the gas pedal and the clutch =)

Yeah, the N55 is surprisingly frugal o.o