acorradi87

This isn't that big of an issue, but something that's always going to annoy me. Does anyone else think it's a little ridiculous that '08 550i's with the M Sport package didn't come with high gloss shadowline trim? Many of the low-end BMW models have the matte black trim as well, and on a $70,000 car it looks a little unfinished to me. I prefer it to the silver trim, of course, but I just feel that the high gloss shadowline looks so much more finished and upscale for a car in this price range.

On top of that I hear it's an arm and a leg to upgrade because not only do you need the strips of trim that go around the doors but the larger trim pieces that are fitted on the actual door jamb.

Thoughts?

sdg1871

I have the same reaction with respect to the mirrors on the 550i Sport. For $70K plus, BMW should have slapped on sportier looking mirrors. I suppose that's why a number of our members have spent big bucks swapping out the plain jane mirrors in their non M5 E60s with M5 side mirrors.

TAmes

I agree -- I just ordered a 2010 550i, and I was surprised that high-gloss shadowline isn't available. It was available on the US version of the E39 540i, so I don't quite understand why it wasn't even an option for the E60 550i. I'm always jealous seeing what's available through the individual program in Europe -- member Aeroresh for example has a beautiful E60 sport in deep green with high-gloss shadowline and customized green stitching over champagne leather. How great would it be to have access to so many different options?

Howitzer

They are putting a little too much emphasis on making the M5 visually "special" and the only way to do that is to make certain outer elements exclusive. I agree that its lame... However, if that weren't the case, would everyone really turn their head when they saw an M5, or would it just be another plain Jane 5 series?

When anyone can get something, it no longer becomes cool. If you all had shadowline trim stock on your 5, you'd want chrome trim instead! This is human nature. Why do you think we all love our modified car exteriors? Because that 50 year old snot rich woman with foofeekins in her lap who has ZERO appreciation for the BMW she is driving with boring stock 17" wheels and chrome trim with the dealership sticker still stuck to the back trunk.

Not us though.. our cars are head-turners because WE made them that way. =P


Let me give you a shocking example....... just yesterday my black 530 was parked right next to an alpine white M5 with gunmetal 166's. A customer came in to the shop and said to the owner of the M5: "wow man is that souped up Bimmer outside yours?" and the owner goes......."which one?" and the customer said "the black M5, that thing is amazing".

I smiled inside. Of course, I didn't mention that the car does zero to 60 in about 12 minutes.

Speed_Force_E60

Yeah I agree. There are some special features that need to stay exclusive to the M5. An M5 is a $90k+ vehicle so it wouldnt make sense to spend that kind of money on an M5 when you can get almost the exact same thing on a lower model for $20k less.

DD_545i

On the other hand, we pay through the nose for our cars over here. We (here in Germany) get hardly anything as standard. The bigger the engine the more standard things we get, but a huge amount of what you guys see as standard isn't here. The UK is half way between US and Germany in terms of (a) what's standard and (2) what's available as options. But here in Germany we get the longest list. It might seem like a utopia of optionness but so many things that you want to be as standard aren't, they're on that bigger option list. I tried speccing up a car on the German site to the same as a US spec car and the final price was something like 40% higher over here. Not to mention the much better warranty you guys get. So, be careful what you wish for.

One of the things I've done is push back when I was ordering a new Mercedes. This was back in 1996 when they offered (for identical prices nearly) the elegance and the avantgarde packages. I liked the outside look of the avantgarde (grille, wheels) but preferred the elegance interior. The dealer said they weren't allowed to let me have an avantgarde grille and wheels even though they didn't cost any more - it's not like I was trying to get 18" over elegance 17"s wheels or anything. As paid options from a classic spec car, the wheels from an elegance or avantgarde cost the same. It was just a stupid rule they wanted to impose and I made the dealer get me the grille and wheels or I wouldn't buy it. They made it happen. It's not my fault if the dealer had to foot the bill themselves, it's Mercedes fault and they need to sort their shit out internally.

I'm sure that if more people in the NA region put their foot down and demand an option be available (doesn't have to be free, it just has to be an option you can specify) it can be made to happen. Your orders all end up on the same production line as the German orders.

Speed_Force_E60

You're basically paying the lump some of that $70k into the hefty V8 motor. And that goes for the M5 as well... the $90k is mainly the engine, all the small little details add up too.

EBMCS03

Everyone wants what they cant have...

acorradi87

I honestly don't think it's a "want something more because I don't have it" sort of thing. The silver trim looks like it belongs on an 80s Cadillac (in my opinion) and the black trim is much more sporty, which is why I don't necessarily mind even if it's matte. I just think that the high gloss just makes the car look a lot more finished. After getting kind of irritated I started noticing how many other BMWs come with high gloss, including MANY last generation X5s. A friend's e39 540i M-Sport comes with the high gloss and I always thought the car just had this indescribable beauty to it. Now I realize if the high gloss was actually matte, I probably wouldn't feel the same. It's totally minor but it makes a big difference when it's not there.

melimel

i like my matte, im not complaining.. only thing i ever hated was the stupid lag (which ive eliminated) sorry your slightly disappointed though, drive her around a little more and have fun with her. that might make you forget your woes