Well, hello to the community. This is my first post and I hate to say my second will be to see if anyone else has the same problems I have with my 2018 M550ix in the 5 series section shortly. Don't get me wrong, I truly love this vehicle and have had it for two years. It may have been one of the first out in Sept. 2017 and certainly the first at the dealership. Having gone through many bimmers in the 80s and abandoning them for a ridiculous maintenance schedule and quite a few maintenance issues, I moved on. Running my own tech startup focused my attentions elsewhere. Sold the company a while back and am now gainfully unemployed being retired. My automotive interests began many decades ago and included everything from autocross to wheel to wheel in everything from Camaro's to group 7, also then known as Can Am. Did everything from instructing to sitting on sanctioning body in the Midwest area. I hope to never experience that again. Too many hours spent listening to the passions of arguments on technical classifications, rules, and protests for my tastes. Anyway, I was advised by my auto mentor that I was meant for a non auto career so it was physics which is my first passion. Being a genuine old phart, it is obvious that I am also one that has never had the cure for the bite of the automotive bug. When it came time to replace a 2001 Lexus, it was a fine car and did it's job and my attention was elsewhere, it was time to decide what brand I was going to commit my wife to for technology education as well as the whole experience. In addition, I don't know how much longer we will be able to acquire eight cylinder vehicles for us common people so the M550ix fit the bill. Even with it's problems, it is without a doubt the finest vehicle I have ever owned although for beauty, it doesn't hold a candle to the E type I once owned. But then nothing does. I feel somewhat guilty not having been to any events, especially track events but while the spirit is willing, the flesh is not totally cooperating. In addition, my wife and I are trying to exit the bay area and I have not wanted to make any commitments here that I wouldn't be able to honor once we get our act together and leave for another region. In any event, I am glad to be a member of BMWCCA and after my wife and I recently completed our first course at the BMW driver's school, there probably another bimmer joining the family after the move. Hope I can get the M550 straightened out, it goes in again next week.
Thanks very much. What a bugger life is. When you're younger, you have the all the energy and motivation to set the world on fire in automotive involvement but unfortunately the resources are rarely available to match the desire. Now I find myself in position to have the time to play with a lot of toys but unfortunately a few things I did in my earlier days make me wonder if I can be safe while having fun on track. So now I have the time and the resources but maybe not the other parts. The M550 is a remarkable car. It has gone backwards in many ways from my beloved 535. But the performance levels are so high with so little demand on the driver, it is astounding. I truly hope my troubles are limited to my specific car and not indicative of widespread problems. I truly thought BMW had improved quality/reliability dramatically. If I have to search for something else, I don't know what I will do. But it got me seriously thinking about getting back out on a track, hence the trip to the BMW driver's school. Still not sure. A couple of more schools are probably in the cards to prove to myself that I won't be a danger to anyone else. Might look toward a group to put a BMW in one of the endurance races. What a hoot if I can do it. Hope BMW can sort out the M550, and I have enjoyed being a member of the club. Signed my wife up as well. Hope any members in harms way of Dorian stay safe. Cars can always be replaced. People matter.
