Finally decided to become a member after seeing what a great group this is. I'm on my second BMW my first was a 2003 e39 530i jet black / black Montana, prem, cold, xenon, she was one of the last before they switched to e60. Currently I have a 2010 E60 535i black saph/black Dakota , sport, prem, nav, park sensors, comfort access... Basically every option except radar cruise. I'm one of the few people in New England that hate AWD, I like having my snow tires on their dedicated alloy rims that I swap out with the summers when the time comes. This setup has never failed me and I usually start/ stop better than most people in their AWD with all seasons could go on and on but I won't lol. Anyways I hope to meet some good people learn new stuff and get good advice.
Welcome to the club & forums! Yep, snow tires really help getting through the snow, whether rear, front, or all wheel-drive. Unfortunately, except for M-models, BMW quit offering mechanical limited slip differentials since 2005. It's quite expensive, but if you want as much go-in-the-snow ability as you can get w/ rwd, they can be had. I suppose one might pop up once in awhile on ebay or from dismantlers from a wrecked or parted E60 M5, but considering the rarity of M5's, anyone would likely be asking a fortune, and the odds of finding one when it does come up would have to be pretty low. http://performancegearing.com/ https://store.vacmotorsports.com/limited-slip--torque-biasing-differential-units-c393.aspx http://www.koalamotorsport.com/ Also unfortunately, enthusiasts are the only ones that appreciate such an addition, so as far as eventual trade-in value, having a lsd doesn't mean much for added value. Selling the car yourself, then it might mean something for potential buyers. If leased with no plans to buyout & keep after the lease is up, it hardly makes sense to add such an expensive item to the car. Obviously a $2500 differential (never mind the labor for the swap) is an expensive enthusiast mod - might not be worth considering at all if you're getting around just fine with snow tires & the electronic traction-control systems,
Thanks for that info. Like you said def for the enthusiast, snows and electronics are doing it for me.
Welcome and yes I agree with you, grew up in northern Michigan and never really needed AWD. Hey snow tires and learning to drive.
