Diesels have received more than their fair share of
flak recently, but you can’t deny the allure of an executive model with a
diesel engine that has more power than yesterday’s supercars. The 2018 M550d xDrive has a quad-turbo
3.0-liter straight six engine, which BMW says it’s the most powerful
six-cylinder oil burner out there.
It puts out 400 PS and 760 Nm of torque, which are transferred to both axles through an eight-speed
automatic transmission. Sprinting from rest to 100 km/h takes only
4.4 seconds and top speed is capped at 250 km/h.
So, with this kind of performance, it’s not like the
M550d xDrive needs more power. Nonetheless, McChip-DKR is offering not one, but
two chip tuning upgrades. Level 1 costs € 1,399 in Germany and lifts
the output to 470 PS and 850 Nm of torque. Top
speed has also gone up, to 290 km/h.
Level 2, on the other hand, is even more impressive,
as it allows the straight-six lump to produce 515 PS and 865
Nm of torque. This version costs € 1,678 and comes with a
295 km/h V-max.
For an extra cost, the tuner can install a KW
coilover suspension and new wheels. The latter measure 9×20-inch at the front
and 10.5×20-inch at the rear, and come with 255/35 and 285/30 ContiSportContact
tires, respectively.
