Lookie what Santa brought.

[txtaz]

Well not the "Ultimate Towing Machine" but it sure does handle nice.

Happy holidays everyone.
Mr and Mrs Taz
60508

[gcarter]

There's a certain member from the Bay Area that might be a little envious!

[Ed Donnelly]

What size Donzi can you tow with it???.............Ed

[zelatore]

What size Donzi can you tow with it???.............Ed


Well let's see.....360 hp; not sure of the torque, but should be pretty strong even right at the bottom of the range, so other than that pesky lack of a frame thing, it should tow right nicely!

Seriously, very nice car. If I stay with the BMW family for my next car, it'll likely be a 1 series M (whatever you do, don't call it an M1!). But I have to admit the Cayman has really been drawing my attention lately.

[Team Jefe]

WOW Nice:kingme:

[DAULEY]

nice car does it come in all wheel drive:crossfing:

[txtaz]

Thanks guys. I love this car. It is sporty enough with tons of power and still rides nice. EVERYTHING is computerized. So far I've figured out how to work the stereo/CD/DVD/CD changer and sequential shifter. Next, voice commands, communications and on board maintenance system and navigation. I swear the manuals weight 3 lbs.

Sorry, no AWD and I didn't see a place to put a hitch. But the dealer offers all kinds of freebees.

I can see a road trip to the coast in the near future.

[zelatore]

Thanks guys. I love this car. It is sporty enough with tons of power and still rides nice. EVERYTHING is computerized. So far I've figured out how to work the stereo/CD/DVD/CD changer and sequential shifter. Next, voice commands, communications and on board maintenance system and navigation. I swear the manuals weight 3 lbs.

Sorry, no AWD and I didn't see a place to put a hitch. But the dealer offers all kinds of freebees.

I can see a road trip to the coast in the near future.

BTW, the on-board 'usage determined' maintenance schedule should be considered a bare-minimum. Lifetime sealed transmission and differential? 10,000+ mile oil changes? This reeks of a 'get it through the warranty period then to hell with 'em!' attitude. I think the push for fully included no-charge service is driving it.

If she's a lease or you only plan to keep her a few years might as well stick to it and save the money. But if the car is a keeper you might want to consider a more aggressive maintenance plan. I'm sure your dealer signed you up for the BMWCCA when you bought it, so you'll be getting their magazine soon. Scan through some of the maintenance column and you'll see they're no fan of the current demand-based maintenance. They've even gone so far as to publish their own service schedule.

Road trip to the coast? Not a bad idea....both Sears Point and Laguna Seca are near the coast. :wink:

Speaking of maintenance, have you tried to check the oil yet?

[Phil S]

"from the Bay Area that might be a little envious!"

Heck, I'm envious, and I'm nowhere near the Bay Area ! :wink::yes:

Very cool car !! :cool:

[txtaz]

Thanks for the heads up Don.
Yeah they give me free service/washes/gas etc but I haven't even thought avout it yet. I only have 250 miles on it. And it is a keeper so I will baby it like my other toys. It does have full synthetics so 10k miles isn't bad for an oil change but I've read 7500 is the norm for us ana!@ retentive.

Check the oil? I've only opened the hood and all I saw was a big cowling covering the v8.

Now time to find the best gas in town. The manual says it's picky about ethenol.

I'll post pics with the top down later.

[DickB]

I drive a '99 Mercedes SLK with 140K miles on it, which I bought with 33K on the clock. I have always stuck to the programmed maintenance schedule which is about 10K miles between oil and filter changes and used the recommended Mobile 1 synthetic. No issues. The two significant repairs that I had were replacing the supercharger at about 100K miles and a bad driveshaft bearing, neither related to scheduled maintenance.

[CHACHI]

Wes, I don't care what you are running for oil, change it before 10K.

Congrats.

Ken

[Sweet Cheekz]

It gets dirty long before it breaks down
Beautiful car

Parnell

[roadtrip se]

My mom has a 3-series convertible in black on black that she still loves even though it is about ten years old. The car is as solid as the first day she got it.

We have been looking at the 335d, which is the diesel version of the 3-series.
Made the mistake of driving one a few weeks ago. The car accelerates very hard and still gets 36 on the highway. I am impressed.

I'll save the Excursion for pulling duty though.

Congrats on the nice ride.

[zelatore]

My mom has a 3-series convertible in black on black that she still loves even though it is about ten years old. The car is as solid as the first day she got it.

We have been looking at the 335d, which is the diesel version of the 3-series.
Made the mistake of driving one a few weeks ago. The car accelerates very hard and still gets 36 on the highway. I am impressed.

I'll save the Excursion for pulling duty though.

Congrats on the nice ride.

Had the d been out when we bought our 335, we would have SERIOUSLY shopped it. I don't recall off the top of my head, but it's something like 400 lbs of torque. Maybe not the best thing at the track, but in day to day traffic or interstate cruising that sounds like a winner!

Oh and the checking the oil comment was about one of our (BMW owners) favorite gripes: there's no dipstick. You can only check it electronically via the dash!

[txtaz]

Don, The Feb 2011 issue of Bimmer has the test drive of the new 1 series M. Sounds like they got back to the old e30 M feel. Light weight with power and grip.
A diesel 3 series????????? Hymmm. Not sure about that. AND since when have we been worried about mileage?
I drove an M3 and it was a bit heavy. The v8 had more power though. Still felt a little sluggish and after driving the 6, a little tight. It's nice having the extra room.
Now to get windows tinted and the trim wrapped in silver matte cf.
I finally figured out how to turn the windshield wipers on. Now where is that pesky dip stick thingy?
BTW, it rained all day. Go figure a new black convertible ready for pics and it rains.
Can you say free wash and detailing while sipping a free mocha? Sure I knew you could. :) Shoe shine anyone?

[BUIZILLA]

my neighbor has an X5d, it rips..... now, they just got a 335d as well....

[roadtrip se]

and I am digging it.

More torgue than the twin turbo 300 hp gas 3-series at 425 foot pounds and a rolling 0-60 of 5.5 seconds, standing at 6.0 seconds from a low and high end twin turbo set-up. Then add the efficiency on the commute or down to the lake at 36 mpg, and finally the durability and long life of a diesel package. I'm sold.

I never thought I would even consider a BMW, but with the few diesel choices there are in the states, this thing has caught my interest. And I am finding them at reasonable prices with 5-10K on them. It will be Jill's next ride when the TDI gives up the ghost.

[zelatore]

my neighbor has an X5d, it rips.....
Now THERE'S a candidate for 'ultimate towing machine'....

Taz - did you consider the matte paint option? When we were in Germany earlier this year I saw quite a few cars (including one Bentley) done that way. I'm not sold on it, but it is interesting. I understand BMW makes you sign a special form saying you understand how to care for the matte paint when you take delivery.

And yes, the 1M does look very promising. I love the torque of our 335 (one of the earlier twin turbos vs the current single turbo - basically the same motor as the new M), which is quite a departure from a typical M-car. And I'm all for smaller. I actually wanted a 135 when we were shopping, but Michele was then getting a fairly sizable car allowance each month and we didn't want to risk anybody at corporate asking questions about how she was using a 2-door for work instead of a sedan.

[BUIZILLA]

when we went car shopping last spring, we looked at EVERYTHING SUV in that wheelbase offering, the X5d was my FIRST choice, but I couldn't get Janice on the oil burner band wagon, and we'd already had an X5 and X3, but I would have been ecstatic to have gotten one... wonderful vehicle.. if your looking for a used 335d, NOW is the time to jump before we see $5 fuel in 6 months..

[CHACHI]

It will be Jill's next ride when the TDI gives up the ghost.

Todd,I wouldn't be holding my breath.

I think you will get tired of the TDI before it gives up the ghost.

Ken

[txtaz]

Don, I didn't consider it. I just picked a car off the lot. The only thing I didn't like was the fake wood trim. Other than that it had everything. I did look at the options for doing the trim and ordered the cf matte from where BMW gets theirs. I'll try the DIY first and if it turns out bad I'll order the replacements which is pricey.
Come to think of it, Audi I think has been running diesels in the GT class for years now and doing very well. So it does make sense that tech would make it to the streets.
I'm still not sold though. I like the rumble of the v8 through the exhaust. I wonder what the diesel would sound like.

[McGary911]

Santa didn't bring it, but it still found it's way into my garage. Ever since I moved to Florida, I've been threatening to get myself a convertible. I also wanted something fast. About 2 months ago, I pulled the trigger on this 2004 M3. It took a few months to find the right one, but I couldn't be happier. I didn't want the usual black\white\silver. This one is carbon black, which is actually a dark metallic blue. The interior is Imola Red. It's not for everyone, but I really like it....especially with the brushed aluminum trim (it's not as bright RED as it looks in the pic. This car is a SMGII car...it's a real manual tranny, but without the clutch pedal. It's super cool. I was originally looking for a full manual car, but figured I'd give this one a shot. I'm glad I did.

The car is a blast to drive, and is a giant step up from my last BMW....a '79 320i. I'm still all smiles when I drive the car. :)707637076470765

I remembered there were a few Bimmer fans on the board, so I figured it'd be ok to blow the dust off an old thread.

Here are a few pics.

[mike o]

A Valentine............:kingme:


Sweet !

[Ghost]

Congrats! Some friends of mine have had a similar one for quite a few years now and have never stopped loving it. I don't think they'll ever have anything but, going forward.

[zelatore]

Nice - M's are starting to get affordable now. But you won't sell me on the convertible - can't take it to the track!

Now I'm going to go off and pout for a while about not having ANY car at the moment. Stuck with my truck and her company SUV/Minivan (Traverse) <sigh>

On the pluse side, I've got a call back for a second interview at a local distributor for next week. Fingers crossed...