The 5-Series GT is a car that BMW fans might be inclined to forget about, but still does its job well: ferrying human beings in comfort, if not style. The 2013 BMW 550i gets a power boost of 45 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged, 4.4-liter V-8 engine, to 445 hp. It also gets a stop-start mode, which shuts off the engine when the car is at a full stop, and something ominously named “Eco Pro,” which maximizes fuel economy for this engine as well, by 4.6 miles per gallon; while the 535i gets an increase of about 2.3 mpg.
The power increase first happened in England, where the 550i and 650i sedan and coupe saw a handy increase of 42 horsepower, to 449. American engines in the two cars still get 400 horsepower. What gives, BMW? Even though the new 6-Series debuted just last year, it’s a matter of when: when will we be getting the more powerful V-8 in our sedans and coupes?
BMW says that different markets have different engines, and indeed the UK 650i is far more expensive: when sales begin in the UK in July, it will start at the equivalent of $109,929—versus the $83,000 in the US. But seeing as BMW has had since 2008 to play with that engine—which debuted in the X6—it could be a possibility. And it would bring just a little more parity from here to the M6 coupe and convertible.
Source: Automobile Magazine
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