BMW 550

Introduced in 2006, the BMW 550 replaced the 545 in the BMW 5-Series lineup and continued the tradition of V8-powered BMWs. Under the hood of the 550 is a new 360-horsepower, 4.8-liter, double-overhead-cam V8 with Valvetronic variable valve timing and a High Precision Injection system.

A six-speed manual transmission is standard, while a fully electronic six-speed automatic transmission is available as an option. A six-speed Automatic Sports Transmission is also available as a no-cost option. This adds gearshift panels to the three-spoke sport steering wheel, so drivers can manually upshift and downshift, depending on their preference.

The BMW 550 is a mixture of aggressive styling, sports performance, and innovative technology. It comes with such features as a Start/Stop button, Active Cruise Control, Hill Start Assist, Park Distance Control, and Dynamic Stability Control with Brake Drying.

Active Steering, which adapts the steering rotation to suit the speed of the car, is available as a stand-alone option. Among the other options are a Heads-Up display and Bluetooth wireless technology.