I have a Ferrari F355 for a sports car and an S-600 for my luxury car.

Don't try to make one into the other--either direction.

 

Totally agree!!

Totally disagree. One word...VANOS. I looked for a nice used 7 series a couple years ago, and EVERY single local 7 series had a VANOS issue, it goes across the entire line of BMW's. I wouldn't touch a BMW of any type from that era. Maybe the 2020 and newer ones don't have that problem. But that, in addition to the starter recall for that generation of 7 Series cars. That's just some of the reasons why a similar spec'd model of the 7 series goes for much cheaper than an S-Class on the used market. Some dealers won't touch em'. https://bimmers.com/blog/bmw-vanos-e...fl_ag868cjEzPP

 

ALL THE DISCUSSION RE “UPGRADING” ‘S’ CLASS W222 through to S63 AMG !

FURTHER INPUT FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH !!

HEAVY VEHICLE - AND FOR THOSE THAT WANT ALSO MORE SPIRITED PERFORMANCE HANDLING AND / OR HAVE LOWERED HEIGHT TO REDUCE ROLL SWAY….

K-MAC AFTER MANY OWNER REQUESTS - we manufacture both uprated bushings for improved traction and tauter steering response !

AND JUST AS MANY REQUESTS - for Front “Camber and Caster” along with Rear “Camber” adjuster kits.

AS FACT / REALITY IS OEM - THE OFTEN QUOTED REASSURING “FULL FRONT & REAR ‘4’ WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS NOW ONLY BASIC FRONT AND REAR TOE “DIRECTIONAL” ADJUSTMENT (New car industry’s best kept secret).

YET CAMBER IS ESSENTIAL - To compensate for uneven wear by allowing adjustment to spread load more evenly.

RESOLVING “COSTLY, PREMATURE” TIRE REPLACEMENT.

ADJUSTMENT HAS BEEN DELETED - BECAUSE OF EVER INCREASING SPEED OF NEW CAR ASSEMBLY LINES - STOPPING TO ADJUST CAMBER IS NO LONGER AN OPTION !

NOW ONE ONLY CAMBER SETTING - TO SUIT SHOWROOM HEIGHT CONDITIONS !

NO LONGER ABLE TO ADJUST / CATER FOR DAY TO DAY COMMUTING - Encountering high cambered roads with excess passengers side edge wear. Wheel squat Camber change through extra passenger loads. Fitting wide profile tires. No longer ongoing adjustment capability for curb knock damage. Or lowering vehicle height for performance / improved handling.

WITH DEALERS NOTING, AGREEING RE THE EXCESS EDGE WEAR - but only can offer, try and placate by stating - Alignment is within the factory (broad) specs !

WE SAW THE NEED THEREFORE AND MANUFACTURE FRONT AND REAR BOLT-ON KITS (designed so no special tools required or need for arm removal to install).

FRONT KITS PRICED FROM $480

SEE SPOILER (IT’S NOT A TIRE BRAND ISSUE) - RE ESTABLISH “CAMBER” ADJUSTMENT !






AUDI to VOLVO - K-MAC Experience Of Resolving OEM Suspension Shortcomings (and Costs) Since 1964 !

 

Hi Carlos,
The BMW V8 engine (N63) was terrible on the 7-series between 2008-2015 (F01/F02), and then became better (but still not reliable ) with the N63TU2 (2nd technical update version) for the G12 7 series pre-LCI. Then, starting around 2019 (mostly 2020 in the US) for the G12 / 7-series LCI (2020-2023) as well as the (2020-2023 X7) they introduced the N63TU3 which is a very reliable V8 engine that I barely see any complaints about.

In all cases, the above is true for the N63 that is equipped on the 7-series 50i version or B7 (The M760 V12 is still one of the most reliable engines anyone can own nowadays). The problem is that earlier versions of the N63 were garbage and damaged its reputation (especially the first release), but again, the most recent updates (3rd technical update) made this engine the most reliable V8 engines that BMW ever made. That was the reason I specifically said 2020 models years. Also, the 2020+ B7 - Alpina that I referenced in my post uses a variant of the N63-TU3 engine, hand-assembled by Alpina, and I've not seen any issues on the web. I myself had this engine, and I also had every other variant of the N63 from TU1 to TU3. The last one that had the N63TU3 was my 2nd last X7 M50i, which we kept the longest, and was one of the most smooth engines I had (never seen a single complaint related to the engine itself in the X7 or 7-series forums). I also had the X7 50i in 2019 that had the N63TU2 - no issues either, and things seemed very positive on forums that I don't recall reading any common issues. The worst was the original N63 2008-2015 which almost every owner I know including myself had issues with.

Then for the M760 I referenced in my comment... The N74 V12 engine is known to be even more reliable than any V8 engine BMW ever made. Most people choose the M760 with the V12 N74 engine over the B7's V8 N63-TU3, just for the engine reliability and its reputation (despite the fuel economy) though they both deliver similar power levels. Maintenance cost would be high, but it's believed the the N74 would last healthy for decades.

I would certainly have zero concerns owning the M760 with the N74 engine or the B7 with the N63-TU3 (specifically from the 2020 era and beyond, which would get you these two reliable engines coupled with the LCI variant of the 7-series).

 

Alas... BMW V-12s just don’t make the huge torque of MB 275 or 279 and are in a car with an interior that just feels cold by comparison.

 

Cold? Can't agree there:

 

I missed this comment the first time. Reallly??? 99% chance the car was tracked like a sports car????? You know I try to respect all opinions and viewpoints, but this one is beyond anything that makes sense. Would you care to offer how you have come to think that 99% of S63 owners are taking their cars to the track for thousands of miles? I would say that 99.9% have never even been on a race track, even once. Can you offer any evidence, even anecdotal evidence, that someone has driven their S63 on a racetrack?

 

Been in them. Just doesn’t do a thing for me.

I looked at, drove the bent-12 powered Alpina version of it. Just not my AMG Crack.

As such it didn’t follow me home.

 

Carlos the average age of those purchasing an S-63 or S-65 says..... maybe just 99.5% of them have not been hammered on.

I have never seen one on a track.... I have only been able to get a couple of S-65s to boot it on the freeway in the years I’ve had mine. Most are owned by guys who look like Barry. No offense to Barry.... he just looks as one that isn’t giving his steed WOT tests with regularity.

 

True and I agree no doubt for sure... Plus, the point is that you do NOT need a track to drive a car like a track car. it would be foolish to have high expectations that the majority of S63 pre-owned cars were owned by people driving it like a normal car or treating it like a "normal" luxury cruiser. It is almost guaranteed that the S63 and S65 cars are driven more aggressively by their former owners, than those who own an S450 and S560.

 

You drove the "bent-12" Alpina 7-series that you didn't like? What do you mean by bent-12?