DC Area ///Meet - Pix with the new crew!

[RPiM5]

Well, I got lots of nice big ///M hugs today from the DC area crew. Turns out that this area has a bigger following than I thought. In fact, pretty much every week I see a random M5 or M3, plus the Cars and Coffee scene here is better than I expected. Here's a few of the DC Crew.

I think I'll be just fine with my new family.

Also special thank to dhirm5 for getting everyone together and for letting me drive his Comp Pack 14' F10 M5.

[B-1Pilot]

wow thats cool. I used to ride my bicycle to the pentagon right past that photoshoot location.
You need to take your car west into wine country and shennandoah valley area... lots of great roads out there and now is the time to go...

thoughts on the CP? you know I had to ask...

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by B-1 Pilot

wow thats cool. I used to ride my bicycle to the pentagon right past that photoshoot location.
You need to take your car west into wine country and shennandoah valley area... lots of great roads out there and now is the time to go...

thoughts on the CP? you know I had to ask...

Well B-1 since you asked...

First of all, I only got to drive it for a little bit. Dhirm5 and I switched cars and I got to drive his 14' CP M5 and he got to drive my 13' Straightpiped M5. We didn't get to do any super hard turns or anything but here's my thoughts from the experience:

1. Love the lowering springs of the Comp Pack. Love the stance and the looks. Dhirm5 also has the spacers on his M5 already. Took a couple of medium hard turns and I liked how the beast perceptably had little body roll. The CP suspension setup felt almost exactly like my stock 13' suspension setup. You have to remember that I have never modified my suspension, I like the comfort of it and I thought the CP suspension was just as compliantly comfortable.

2. M6 Steering wheel, I've never been the biggest fan of the M6 steering wheel, but all I can say it was different. From my track experience at ///M School, I already knew I loved the paddle shifters on the M6 steering wheel, but I had forgotten how smaller it was than the M5 steering wheel. One thing that I don't like on the M6 steering wheel is the hole on the back of the wheel at the very bottom. It just didn't feel good to me. The steering feel itself honestly felt very much the same to me. Don't hate me everybody, but maybe I just wasn't driving the car hard enough to tell the difference, but I didn't feel that I could feel what the tires were doing any better than the 13' steering feel. I think people who transition from the 13' to the 14' may be having a placebo effect, knowing that it is in fact different and therefore convincing themselves that it feels different.

3. Couldn't feel the extra 15 horses above 6,000rpm. I think dhirm5 and I need to race. Lol!

4. Comp Pack exhaust. Honestly, from the inside of the car the exhaust sounds the exact same as the non-CP exhaust. BUT from the outside the exhaust is noticably different and better! Whenever I drive behind him I can tell the difference. On the inside, like I have said time and again, the sound proofing is too damn good! This also left me longing to drive my car again. My straightpipes make the M5 feel like it has soul to me, especially with the drone.

5. One thing I noticed right away just about the LCI-M5 in general is all the subtle changes that were made inside of the iDrive. For example, Last Desinations on the Pre-LCI M5 is now Recent Destinations on the LCI M5. It confused the heck out of me! Lol!

All in all, I'd hate to say it, but unless I was driving the M5 on the track, I can't say the Comp Pack is worth getting for use in an every day driving capacity. I think the greatest thing about the Comp Pack that you can enjoy every day is the 10mm lowered suspension, love that part, but the rest you can't really tell anything is different unless driving it at the limit I suppose.

Well dhirm5 now has a few hundred miles behind the wheel of his new 14' CP M5, maybe he can let us know what he thought of my 13' without the Comp Pack.

I now may rethink getting the Comp Pack if I ever get another M5, but right now because I have driven one and I didn't experience a massive difference, I may never get another F10 M5. Anyways, I am definitely thankful for dhirm5's generosity.

Also one last note, dhirm5 coded his M5 to having the British Lady's voice for the iDrive voice commands, 100 million times better than the American Lady's voice. His M5 now has the personality of Catherine Zeta Jones, we're gonna code my M5 for the same thing soon. Lol!

[Tom C]

It was great seeing everybody and finally getting to meet you and your beast!

[infamousq]

It was good meeting everybody and seeing some old faces. I can't wait to return so we can do it again!!!

[dhirm5]

Great time today - enjoyed meeting new people and it was a blast storming down GW Parkway in a caravan of M5s (and one R8 V10!).

Originally Posted by RPiM5

Well dhirm5 now has a few hundred miles behind the wheel of his new 14' CP M5, maybe he can let us know what he thought of my 13' without the Comp Pack.

As Dave said, there wasn't enough wheel time to give a detailed comparison, but I do prefer the overall steering feel of the CP. Perhaps not different enough in every day driving to make it worth the cost differential for some, but I do feel it's noticeably better in the few minutes I had behind the wheel of his beast.

Of course, Dave's has that extra element of beastliness because of his downpipes and straight through exhaust which is nothing short of "full retard" as advertised.

Also one last note, dhirm5 coded his M5 to having the British Lady's voice for the iDrive voice commands, 100 million times better than the American Lady's voice. His M5 now has the personality of Catherine Zeta Jones, we're gonna code my M5 for the same thing soon. Lol!

By far the best coding feature available.. Pretty sure this is also responsible for the change in the nav menu item; couple other weird things changed - "presets" is now "saved stations". Must be a UK thing. I need to mess with this some more.

Looking forward to the next meet.

[Un Gato Malodoro]

Great time today. It was nice meeting you all and it was great to finally here that RPI exhaust in person; the YouTube videos don't do it justice, that thing is loud. Loved it. Looking forward to the next meet up.

[dhirm5]

Originally Posted by Un Gato Malodoro

Great time today. It was nice meeting you all and it was great to finally here that RPI exhaust in person; the YouTube videos don't do it justice, that thing is loud. Loved it. Looking forward to the next meet up.

Ok wait - I haven't figured out who you are yet! Un Gato = Chris? or Vick?

Lol. So I'm pretty sure the next one will be a run up to the kart place - check this out - will be a blast: http://www.allsportsgp.com

[atleung]

It was great meeting you and everyone else. Be safe overseas!

Originally Posted by infamousq

It was good meeting everybody and seeing some old faces. I can't wait to return so we can do it again!!!

[///M5ForWin]

Had a great time today. Enjoyed meeting you guys and the "spirited" drive down the GW. Looking forward to the next get together. Maybe I'll have a mod by then.

[greentrbo95gst]

Awesome pix. I am glad the adoption process to your new family went well.

[ice7]

Good times guys and nice to be able to put a face to a screenname. Nice to hear the many different exhaust notes of all the cars including the V10s . Photobomb of additional pics

[GOLFFRR]

now that is a gathering! thanks for posting up the pics

[dhirm5]

Few more pix:

[boots]

Dave has a new m5 crew sweet

[M54ccibo]

Nice! Good to see that you got with the M5army east!

[mdosu]

Don't forget to check out Katie's Cars and Coffee every Saturday in Great Falls, VA.
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...ight=Katie%27s

[M5Rlz]

I was so done from the night before I didn't get home till like 5am


Let me know when the next one is and I'll bring the Sakhir looks like you guys could use the colors

[M5Rlz]

My buddy is trying to get his photography business going I wasn't a fan of taking pics (and actually was worried it would eat my whole day up) my car but we were down in Potmac and he did an insane job in my op... Kinda hooked on wanting shots now (PM me and I'll give anyone in the area his contact)

He's getting ready for college and would love the biz:

[dhirm5]

Originally Posted by 335iRlz

Let me know when the next one is and I'll bring the Sakhir looks like you guys could use the colors

Closest we had to a "color" was Tom's Singapore Gray... lol

[info@trinityautosport]

nice pics =)

[M5Rlz]

Originally Posted by nerwyll@trinityautosport

nice pics =)

yeah my buddy isn't even in college. I was sold on pic taking after seeing those (not even the high quality ones!!! )