BMW: Ordered 545i today!

You know the Nav system won't be available until 6 months from now. They
redesigned the Nav to have other displays in the rear passenger area, so the
rear passengers can play games and watch DVD's. I really didn't wan't the
Nav anyway, but if I did the Manager wouldn't budge on the price! He said he
will take care of me when the car comes in... likely story! HeHeHe

I've always wondered why some people are always so negative about the
"cosmetic' design changes to new vehicles. I don't think you can say
that the majority feel that way (because we only hear from the ones that
hate the new looks). I wonder how many people actually LIKE the
redesigns of various autos?

Could it be just resistance to change? I remember the "uproar" over the
new looks of the Jags, Rollers, Mercedes, etc. To be honest, I quite
hated some of the looks (Jag in particular), but now I find them rather
attractive.

I read something from the Rolls people about how they fully expected the
negative responses, saying that it wouldn't be much of a change if
everyone liked it.

I'd also bet that it has a lot to do with people who currently own prior
year models - their cars are obviously going to look "dated" now. I see
many owners spending lots of cash on small cosmetic changes like angel
eyes, light lenses, etc. in what is obviously an effort to make their 7
year old model look more like last year's model. Now with a new body
style, all of that is for naught.

Comments?


John Burns wrote: 

"Stan Peterson" <net> wrote in message
news:0E57b.604$cgocable.net... 

There are lots of times I've liked a car's redesign. And lots where I
didn't.

I've noticed this though... you get used to it very quicky, unless it's
truly hideous. (Pontiac Aztek)
 

I don't agree people mod their cars to look like newer ones. Rather to look
better. Sometimes that means a cue from a newer car. Sometimes it means
more of a departure from it.

In the BMW crowd, a lot of people mod for function. Eg... Xenon lights
because they're brighter, not to look newer. A new lower air dam to duct
more air to the brakes. Bigger wheels for handling. Etc. Sometimes the
easiest place to get such improvements, is from the BMW parts bin.

-Russ.

> I've always wondered why some people are always so negative about the 

I think it was all going well for a while. The E34 was nice, different
from the E28 but nice in another way. The E32 and E38 were both great
sevens and I like them all. It all started to go wrong when the E36 came
out. I bought an 18 month old coupe in 1994. I remember thinking at the
time that the 89 E30 325i Sport on the dealer's lot looked better and
perhaps I should have bought that. But I was young and newer was better,
right?

It's only the cars they've brought out recently that offend me. I wasn't
nuts about the E39 five but it wasn't awful. The E46 did nothing for me,
I have no desire to ever own such an overweight car with fairly bland
styling (actually the coupe is a LOT better than the saloon). The next
five and three are just awful, the seven is a joke and the new six is an
insult to the memory of the old one (I had an 85 635CSi).
 

Not really, when the E38 came out I thought it was great.
 

Not a bad thing, call it classic styling or whatever you like.
 

Agreed. Some of the things folk do to make their car look like the next
model are quite incredible and seldom an improvement. But would I WANT
to make my E30 look like the new three, not a chance.

I was thinking the other day what I'd buy if my E30 was totalled (perish
the thought)! Shortlist includes an E28 //M535i, another E30, 635CSi or
//M6, Audi TT Quattro (modern!), E36 //M Coupe, Lotus Elise, BMW Z1, but
nothing BMW have made since the ealry 90s. My fiance drives an E34
Alpina B10 and it's wonderful, but a bit big for just myself. BMW have
forgotten how to build fun medium sized cars that look great and weigh
under 1300kg (OK, maybe the E36 Compact). Maybe the only exception is
the MINI, but I'm not sure I could go back to front wheel drive.

I want a BMW that seats 2 with 2 more sometimes. Looks great, fun to
drive, light enough that it doesn't need a huge engine to be fun. My E30
318iS is all of those things, with 165k miles it drives like new and in
the twisties it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Plus I
get 30-40mpg, bonus.

--
Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
Email: demon.co.uk, John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
Web : http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html

In article <0E57b.604$cgocable.net>,
Stan Peterson <net> wrote: 

If that were true, I'd have no reason to dislike the 7 Series as I've no
intention of ever buying one. But I genuinely think it's worse looking
than the old model. I'll wait till I see the new 5 before passing
judgement, but pics don't look too good.

As regards Jags, it would seem that the company agreed with many. Perhaps
the best looking of all the saloons was the '80ish Series III XJ6. The
XJ40 that replaced it was just plain ol' ugly. So they reverted to the
Series III look on the next model, and it was drop dead gorgeous. But it
wasn't a pastiche of an older car like the S Type which I dislike. And the
X Type is simply a Ford with tweaks - and looks it.

--
*I like cats, too. Let's exchange recipes.

Dave Plowman co.uk London SW 12
RIP Acorn

BMWs have always been ugly. It's part of their allure.




On Mon, 08 Sep 2003 16:22:45 -0400, Stan Peterson
<net> wrote:
 
that 
the 
rather 
the 
prior 
see 
angel 
7 
two like the new 7 series 
focus objective and wait 
hope). 

Let's face it ....... the new 5's and 7's are butt ugly ....... need a few drinks first to
pretty them up :-)

On Mon, 08 Sep 2003 23:17:52 +0100, Dave Plowman
<co.uk> wrote:
 

Well, it is. But so what? It's stuff like I-drive that really turn
me off.