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Life with the BMW 550i is going rather well. The combination of monster-power up front with a nice lively rear axle is proving to be a bit of a boon when the opportunity presents itself. But as we know all too well, the place where most of the kilometres are pounded are on the ever-delightful six-lane highways of the UAE. And it’s fair to say that the 550i does this job with aplomb too.
Where things come ever-so-slightly unstuck is on low speed faffing about – especially if there’s annoying mini speedbumps to contend with. As is the case with most of the BMW line-up, the big 5 is fitted with run-flat tyres which don’t have much in the way of give when it comes to soaking up jarring imperfections. That’s not to say that the 550i is overtly stiffly sprung, but sometimes you wish for a teeny bit more give.
However, all this pales into insignificance when you get the opportunity to open the taps and enjoy some of Bavaria’s finest muscle. The gearbox performs its job in all cases without any drama – flick a paddle into manual mode to give a little more control, or leave it in drive to get on with things itself.
The previous Bangle-era 5-series was never really a looker, but this latest generation big exec scores rather highly in the style stakes. Yes, white cars are a bit of a regular occurrence in these parts, but the crisp hue suits the flanks perfectly.
In a matter of fact, the biggest issue we’ve been having with the 550i is the choice of music that a certain unnamed member of the c&p loft has decided to load onto the BMW’s fancy-pants infotainment system. Rocking out to Jay-Z doesn’t seem to fit the general ethos of the five-five-oh…
