Edlee

Hi guys. Just to clarify the time it takes to deliver a specially ordered car. There is no specific waiting time. If the buyer does not specify (like I did), then your special order will join the queue in the manufacturing line which is normally within 2, maybe 3 months from date of order. However, the freighting into Singapore, clearance and registration will probably set you off another 1 month. Lets not forget about consolidation at the BMW depot in Germany. This is one factor which cannot be determined. I would hazard a guess of maybe 2 - 3 weeks for this. You are therefore looking at a waiting period of approximately 5 months from the time you place your order.

After reading all your postings and hearing what my friends have to say, plus my experience with previous Bimmers, I am really beginning to get worried. I have waited so long for my car that now I am getting cold feet; much like a man on the day before his wedding. I really hope that I will not be facing all these problems by the time I receive my ride.

Guys, can you please offer me your advise on the sports suspension set-up? Is it better to have the sports suspension or is it best to leave the original set-up alone? I decided against the sports package because I was worried it might create a really rough ride and soon after there will be all sorts of noises from the panels, etc. Has anyone here got the sports set-up? Is the original set-up too soft? Really appreciate your assistance in this matter.

Thks

AHBOY

Edlee,

When I ordered my 520, I also got cold feet after reading the forum. Its been 3weeks, so far so good.

Dun worry too much, 80% of the worries dun come true.

zag

Ed, I wouldn't worry too much, unless you lucky enough to get a friday car.

If i were you i would go for sport suspension, the AFS; DD and sport suspension actually goes hand in hand i read somewhere. Totoseow has all the works in his 530i, can't speak on his behalf if he feels the ride is harsh in combination with those run flats. Right Toto?

Have you seen the M sport package? i think they look better than the ACS kit.

tategoi

Go for the 15mm lowered sports suspension. The car looks better when lowered. I find the stock suspension too soft, and would think sports suspension to be firmer but not hard. This is the Ultimate Driving Machine.....

Besides avoiding a Friday car, you might want to avoid a June 04 car too. German played badly in Euro 2004 and the games were held in June

totoseow

lowering it n combining wif DD is good...ride is definitely harsher cos of RF...but no significant enuf for me to b bothered.

anyway...i had a midnite run wif a RX-8....its a very fast car...with a nice exhaust note...but maybe he wasnt trying too hard...or the 530 torque overwhelmes the rx-8...anycase, another for the stats boys...yes 530 can beat rx-8. u can corner better, faster n brake later...

zag

RX-8.. .. is this your latest recent kill story? share the details please!

Edlee

Ai yah ..... too late. Spoke with Jasmine from PML. She tried but PML wouldn't follow-up because of 2 things. Car about to be manufactured; therefore too late to switch options or make additions even if I spoke with Simon Rock. Secondly and more importantly, they say that sports suspension set-up is useless if you have DD. It benefits cars w/out DD in cornering. It would not benefit me much because I have the DD set-up as standard. One pertinent point which they also mentioned which really put a stop to my enquiry was the fact (and I know it too) that sport suspension set-up will give you a damn hard ride even on straight road. Given the cost of the 545I, this will be detrimental as when travelling over road strips (many of them here), the dash and other plastic parts will rattle and loosen. There will also be plenty of unwanted mumblings from the wife who will most of the time be travelling with me.

Therefore, to summarise it all, whether it be sports suspension or 19inch rims, there is no way which I can force any change now. Just keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't turn out to be a "lemon" or "friday car".

BMW530

I'm sure with the nice smooth roads in Singapore; the E60 with sports suspension should be fine.
Over here in the UK the roads are not as well maintained, bumps everywhere you go. I do feel rattles now and again but have started to live with it for now. I have the 18" runflats and sports suspension, so the ride should be the worst that it can get. Surprisingly my people who have travelled in my car say the ride is great even with the bumps in the road.

Hope to meet you guys soon. Should be confirming my trip in the next week or two.

Guest

Roads here may be smooth, but we have lots of humps and speed regulating strips to keep people from speeding. You'll have them near schools (which are plenty here), housing estates, minor roads, accident prone roads; anywhere you go, you'll see them. Only roads that are free of them are the expressways and main roads.

Things really get bad when we have to drive into Malaysia. Believe me; the roads in the UK are superb compared to those in the towns there.

We Singaporeans are really concerned aboutr our cars and what friends say about them; given the price we have to pay; therefore, I'll spare myself the heartache and skip the sports suspension.

Looking forward to meet you; by the way, whereabout in the UK are you from? I've been to Manchester, Suffolk and London so far. Might be planning another trip there maybe towards the end of the year prior to the arrival of my 545.

Edlee

Sorry, forgot to log in so my last replhy was posted as Guest.