There are a few really good suggestions on this post. But if BMW AG really is reading this: Please just engineer, tune and produce the cars the same, regardless of which market they are going to. With my 07' 550 sport I can't help but suspect that the car was dumbed down a bit for the american market. Then to add insult to injury the M sport package isn't made available in the U.S.? The BMW brand is the envy of the automotive world because, somewhat like Porsche, they have maintained the same time honored philosophy without wavering in the face of trends and financial considerations. It's as if BMW understood that they were respected for building cars that, by definition, WEREN'T for everyone. Now it seems they are trying to steal market share by making cars that have a broader appeal. They risk loosing themselves in doing this. Keep the cars light and tight - please. I'd rather see technologies used to make the cars more efficient, i.e. turbocharging, than to make them more comfortable and heavier, i.e. dynamic drive.

Regards-
DRP

 

I agree with all of that. The trend must be in the future, especially with taxation an "gas guzzlers" due to go up and up for lighter, more efficient cars.

 

In the May 2007 issue Winding Road drives the 2008 LCI E60 - an EU version 530.

They really liked the new interior ... "Next to the current 5, the interior is clearly more upmarket and better cared for during assemby."

About the transmission: they say the car tested had the "Automatic Sports Transmission" with shift paddles. They talk about the torque converter, software modifications, and a sport button on the console. All-in-all they said it was noticably more intuitive and responsive than the current bits.

 

Thank you. Nice find.

 

Thanks Tachyon -- I downloaded the new issue but hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. It's cool that they like the sport auto -- even though they didn't get into too much detail about it.

Does anyone else get annoyed with the article's slam on the addition of the "favorites" buttons? I mean, the whole freaking reason they're there is because the automotive journalists bashed the buttonless iDrive concept. Now, BMW caves and gives back some well thought out, programmable buttons (as opposed to dedicated buttons for specific tasks), and they get slammed for adding back buttons. Sheesh, BMW is damned if they do and damned if they don't!

When will the automotive journalists get a clue?

 

Regarding new SAT - anyone have info / pics on the LOOK of the shifter itself? From reading various threads on this topic - in my mind it could be identical to the banana-shaped new steptronic shifter (apparently with a "sport" button in front of it for the SAT) or perhaps look a lot like the last-year's (2007) SMG - which looks a little like a short-throw manual w/leather skirt.

Very curious... can't wait to see it either, since I have it on order so far for my SEP 550i / sport Munich delivery.

 

There are plenty of pics of the shifter on the forums. It's a bit different than the new steptronic shifter -- it doesn't have a "tilted" angle and is more tailored to manual shifting.

Here's a quick pic:

 

couple more from the NY Autoshow:

 

Hello BMW:
ACC( auto cruise control): Should have an option to use regular cruise by itself OR Should have manual settings(in I-Drive) for distance between two cars instead of 4- factory default settings.

Should add gray poplar trim for gray colors
Should add battery/Car warmup feature with remote without starting the car(available in Euro-models)
Should have atleast WINDSHIELD UV-99% and IR->50%(solar heat) rejection glass feature.

ACC is a very good feature and I like it.
Comfort Access is my most favorite.
Thanks BMW

 

Thanks for the pics - great!