Originally Posted by gmartin' date='Oct 24 2004, 08:43 PM

14rsm the car looks great - at this pace you should be done with the break in in no time. My question, which may be stupid, but it would seem to me that you should be varying the rpms not the speed? I know its hard to do one without the other so I guess its one in the same. As far as keeping below 100 mph, is this an arbitrary number or is this the max speed at 4500 rpm?? I will be picking my car up in 10 days and driving back 500 miles home on I-75. Maybe I need to order a V1 before I go.

Originally Posted by bmwin14rsm' date='Oct 24 2004, 05:31 PM

First Report on the new car.? 48=756 miles.? Not bad for two days.? Saturaday morning, we took the family to Carlsbad from Orange County for the morning.? When we got back to Orange County, we loaded up the two kids and drove to San Luis Obispo for the night.? We met our parents, which have a 2004 M3.? Sunday morning, drove to Cambria for muffins at Lynn's Bakery,? Lunch at the James Dean caffe off the 46 and 41.? Finally we drove back to Rancho Santa Margarita from the 46 to the 5 then 210, 57, 5 241, Home.

By Mile 450, I finally had the SMG down.? I will have to say, I did exceed the 4,500 rpm suggested limit only 3 times.? Who ever wrote that rule should be shot.? My sales man, Chuck, said don't worry about the 4,500 rpm limit as much as varying the speed.? I did exactly as he said some times I drove 40 then 70, then back to 60 then to 110.

Before we left, I activated Sirius and enjoyed it very much.? The navigation system was easy to learn along with the I-drive.? My two biggest concerns with the new car was the SMG and the I-Drive.? The SMG exceeded my highest expectations.? The vehicle reacted to my driving needs when ever I needed it.? I did need to get use to the push / pull reaction to the stearing wheels shifing paddles.? As for the I-Drive, all the editors and reports are idiots.? With in 2 hours of using the system, I was able to understand the menu structure and alread have memorized how to get to the navigational screen without taking my eyes off the road.

Jimbo: In responce to the dash being a different color than the rest, it is a lighting effect.? I took the photo with the flash and the reflection highlighted the grain in the wood.? I was especially pleased with the dash color combination.? I love the grey with the Anthracite.

I am going to post photos of my trip in the Members Photo Galery.? I jus need to figure out how to do it.