Those in dire need of a sporty executive saloon have plenty of options to choose from, and one of the best is the BMW M550i. It’s part of the M Performance series and it’s considered a very good alternative to the full-blown M5.
Not only it’s more affordable, it also packs sufficient punch from the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that delivers 462 PS (455 hp / 339 kW) and 650 Nm (480 lb-ft) of torque to make it an absolute four-door beast. Officially, it needs 4 seconds flat to get to 100 km/h (62 mph), 0.6 seconds slower than the M5, yet 0.3 seconds faster than the old M5 F10.
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With some tinkering, the V8 can put out even more power, with G-Power claiming that it can reprogram the ECU to increase the output to 600 PS (592 hp / 442 kW) and 810 Nm (597 lb-ft) of torque. With the upgrade in place, the car needs 3.2 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill, and can go beyond the 320 km/h (199 mph) mark, so it’s more than a match for the M5.
This particular M550i, however, is totally stock, apart from an AC Schnitzer exhaust system. It also has about 30,000 km (18,641 miles) on the clock, so it’s definitely run-in. On a no-speed-limit section of a German highway, it was subjected to a 0-260 km/h (0-162 mph) run, with the Launch Control engaged. The whole shenanigan can be viewed on the video right below.