hehe you are mistaking the Cayman S for a Cayenne S....

 

The Cayman S (the non-SUV )is truly exceptional for the price. I think over the next few years, Porsche may be one of BMW's greatest threats when it comes out with the Panamerica (4 door) - after all, it is the only mainline carmaker that can really beat BMW's driver dynamics. In the current Automobile issue, the Boxter S beat the MZ4 despite substantially less horsepower due to superior dynamics. If Porsche meets a 550i price point and doesn't make it Cayenne-ugly, I could be persuaded to turn in my BMW keys.

As for the Infiniti, I drove it and IMO thought it has a better value equation if one leans toward features, but the BMW is the better choice if having 4-door driving fun is the primary criteria.

 

I don't like the way it looks on the exterior (inflated G35 which looks pretty dated). Hated the dash and interior doesn't speak sport nor is it innovative. That said, saving $5 to $7K on a premium automobile is low on my priority list. The E60 is the one and the clear top choice in the segment. The cache and tradition of the roundel doesn't hurt as well.


CVT Benhogan

 

I guess you get what you pay for. You get ~80% of a 550i for 80% of the price. However, after test driving the 550i, my current G35 simply does not seem exciting anymore. Its going to be a long 2 months.

 

I did the test drive of the M35-version out in Honolulu on some of the most winding of roads, Except the hard ride (you could feel everything), no manual trans, and the busy dash (I felt as if you had to be an F14 pilot to work that thing, and the imitating of the 5series which BTW, was the only reason we stopped in.) Other than that, the entertainment package is great, and the rear seat is like a couch to me!! WOW that thing was friggin HUGE! My kids had a blast.

One more thing to note, I thought the acceleration was slow, I floored it and about two - three seconds later the car finally said "ok, I think the driver wants a response" So the rpms scream and off we go" Just my initial views on the car. Driven from Apr17 to Jun17 2005.

 

i have a m35 sport

i love the car, but i havent driven an e60 yet, cuz im still waiting for it to come... but i think the m35 is a really perfect car.

i donno who would spend 50Gs for a big sedan to enjoy ultimate driving wiht, but if that was the case, i'd get the m3 or miata or evo. but to each his own

i have to defend for the m35 sport cuz its a beautiful car IMO

 

That's basically how a 545i with runflats feel. Floor it, and about a second and a half, the car picks up.

 

I was just reading this fun flame-throwing thread on another forum about the M45 vs 550. (Some of our finest members have been participants of the nice kind in the discussion).

I have a neighbor who just bought an M45 after 18 years of BMW ownership :'( ... and we've agreed to swap keys some day to see how they compare.

Resale value is one of the arguments made in support of the BMW price premium. Here's what I found on cars.com within a 250 radius of me:

- there are 9 2006 M45s for sale with an average of 18,400 miles and an average price listing of $46,900.
- there are 4 2006 550s for sale with an average of 1,450 miles and an average price listing of $59,900.

A fully loaded M45 is about $55k. A fully loaded 550 is about $67k. So, yes, the Infiniti looks to be losing a larger portion of it's initial price than the 550.

So far this year the 5 series is outselling the M series 2 to 1. Yet there are double the number of used Ms for sale right now. Not a very appealing snap-shot of the future value of the M45s.

 

Great thread, ive heard that the stearing on the IS350 is really light, but that car is very quick and sharp, it just feels light. The e60 responds better.