XSeries-forum

I have a x5 3.0d sport and have noticed that all the sports i have seen dont have any m sport stickers on them? or have i just not seen any or do u only get m sport stickers on car versions of a sport?
silly question really just curious

Mark

well i think only the very suttel badges such as the little m on the wheels, steering wheel etc like on the 3 series might look ok but for some reason they dont? our 320ci is an m sport and has small m badges dotted around and they look good so i would like to know why

M means the true M-class cars, the M3, M5, etc...

The 'is' models were designated M models in the US with a letter to the first-time buyers but the cars came out with no M badges.

So general consensus is unless it's a 'proper' M car don't stick the badges on, (Sport models mean nothing) every enthusiast knows.

[quote=""mrmjn""]I have a x5 3.0d sport and have noticed that all the sports i have seen dont have any m sport stickers on them? or have i just not seen any or do u only get m sport stickers on car versions of a sport?
silly question really just curious

Mark[/quote]

Do you mean on the boot or elsewhere?

No BMW M-sport has an M on the boot so thats normal (like sanj says thats only for the proper M cars), but if you mean the little M's you get on the alloys and on the steering wheel etc, then I guess BMW probably ran out after sticking them in a million places on every other M-sport vehicle they made

Being serious though, I didn't even realise they were missing till reading this thread, and I have had an M3, 3x 330ci sports and a 535d M sport before this. I guess they can't make too big a difference if I didn't realise they weren't there on the X5 till now...

The M division help with the aesthetics and chassis, etc of the sport models hence the ///M badges subtly placed over the cars.

The X5 however was never really touched with the M stick so to speak. As for the 'is' model...Alpina.

Does anyone else agree that BMW should have left the Sport versions of their cars as just 'Sport' instead of calling them M Sport and putting M badges all over them?

I do, just so that I never have to see another 320 sport with an M badge on the boot I don't think folk would be sticking them on if BMW didn't get them started with the little badges they stuck on the steering wheel etc.

[quote=""Raj""]The M division help with the aesthetics and chassis, etc of the sport models hence the ///M badges subtly placed over the cars.

The X5 however was never really touched with the M stick so to speak. As for the 'is' model...Alpina.[/quote]

I thought only the 4.6is has Alpina legacy - does the 4.8is have an Alpina background as well? Was it called a 4.6/4.8M in the US then? Thanks, Confused.com

Original letter sent with delivery of a 4.6is to the first owner in the US (and many thanks to The Dude on xoutposts for the original post).

Only the letter head is missing which reads 'BMW of North America' with a BMW rondel on the right-hand side).

As for the 4.8is association to Alpina.......

As is known the 4.6is had near identical engine to the Alpina E39 B10 V8.

Little mention of it nowadays but there was an Alpina E39 B10 V8S : 4.8i engine afaik but with 375 BHP whereas 4.8is afaik is 360 BHP

Lack of detailed info on this now (& even on some Alpina sites)

Evo Mag Test here

This link courtesy of alpina archive seems to clearly make direct reference between Alpina E39 B10V8S & the X5 4.8is....... Quick click on tabs suggests only 188 cars built & in last year of E39 production. According to [http://www.thealpinaregister.com/alpinastats.php] this link courtesy of Alpina register only 46 cars available (just 2 rolled out in 2003).

Further reference to the rare Z8 too.

No mention of the missing 15 BHP though.

Yet further research from links shows displacement on 4.8is as 4799cc whereas B10V8S is claimed 4836cc.....Minor differences but definite differences.

All credit to other sources.........Merely sharing info provided by others.

As shown above in the link, the 4.8 engine was Alpina's. BMW dropped it in and detuned it and then rebadged it 'M'.

Now I'm confused.......

Dropped 4.8 into what & called what "M" ?

To clarify I am not aware this engine featured in a car with an M badge.......please clarify

400HP S62 as in E39 M5 seemingly a development of M62 but many differences between the two.

I may be being thick...........Keen not to make any claims I can't support particularly as I don't know all differences between these engines.

He he. The 4.8is engine is an Alpina engine to all intents and purposes, dropped into an X5 shell and labelled 'M' for the American market.

As stated there are apparent differences between the engine both Cc & Bhp between engine in E39 Alpina B10V8S & E53 4.8is.

You seem to state that E53 4.8is was labelled "M" for the american market I do not believe this is the case......

...Please provide a link or provide further info to clarify

The letter Sanj posted above shows that BMW labelled it as M and the same was of the 4.8. A friend of mine in the States seemed to confirm the same.