Video – 2011 BMW 550i vs. 2011 Infiniti M56 by Insideline

The latest generation BMW 5 Series is compared to the Infiniti M56 by Insideline. The review shows a lot of room for improvement for the BMW 550i. Especially in terms of steering feel and its 4,400 pound weight. Which sports sedan wins in this comparison? It’s still the BMW 550i. Let’s see why in this video comparison and review excerpt below:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkyuJNQdjvk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

How They Stack Up

Not surprisingly, the 2011 BMW 550i and 2011 Infiniti M56 have plenty of similarities. Both are rear-drive sedans powered by sizable V8s. In this case, both are hooked to automatic transmissions, a seven-speed in the Infiniti and an eight-speed in the BMW.…..

What’s the Motivation Here?
Turbocharged engines are quickly becoming the norm at BMW, and now the 550i is on board. Its direct-injected 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 400 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 450 pound-feet of torque from 1,750-4,500 rpm. Yes, that’s a massive torque curve, but it comes at the expense of the old V8’s rumbling exhaust. Now there’s little more than a muted growl, and you can’t even hear the turbos working their magic.

The 2011 Infiniti M56 uses cubic inches and plenty of revs to achieve its power. Its 5.6-liter V8 is good for 420 hp at 6,000 rpm and 417 lb-ft of torque at 4,400. It’s no dinosaur, also utilizing direct-injection and variable valve timing and valve lift for a smooth, reasonably efficient power plant.

A little more driver involvement is required to get the most out of the M56’s V8, though, as its power is concentrated at higher engine speeds. The Infiniti sounds more like a sport sedan than the BMW, especially when it approaches the 6,700-rpm redline.

By the Numbers
At our test track, the M56 was slightly quicker to 60 mph than the 550i, 5.0 to 5.2 seconds, respectively (4.7 and 4.9 seconds with a 1-foot rollout, as on a drag strip). So the BMW is slower, despite the fact that it’s capable of getting a near-perfect amount of wheelspin off the line thanks to power-braking, something the Infiniti’s brake-override system won’t allow.

So how come the BMW is slower? Might have something to do with the extra 287 pounds of ballast the 4,380-pound 550i carries versus the M56. Seriously, what’s a 5 Series doing weighing nearly 4,400 pounds? This is “EfficientDynamics?”

Weight aside, by the time the 550i hits the quarter-mile, its twin-turbo V8 inches the BMW ahead by 0.1 second (13.2 vs. 13.3); it’s also traveling a lot faster at this point — 108.3 mph against the Infiniti’s 106.7.

Source: Insideline