Well it's been a while and I think I've narrowed down a car - it looks like I'm going to be getting myself into an '04+ 4.8is. After lots of research I have decided that I'd rather get myself into a facelift car with the right color combination instead of changing a bunch of parts in a different car which I'm not happy with. Why not just buy one I'm happy with even if it costs a bit more? Also, I could really benefit from the 4.8 V8.

I have read that the air suspension is a common problem on the 4.8 cars so I'm ready to replace that at some point down the road - hopefully later rather than sooner. In any event, I plan on upgrading to a coilover suspension setup so it's really a non-issue - I'll just wait to upgrade when the air pump goes. I thought about the benefits of ride-height control when towing, but with a solid stabilizer/weight distribution bar on the trailer, the air suspension would be redundant anyways.

I've also read that all models of the X5 suffer from a potentially spontaneously exploding transmission (although this isn't the case with every transmission), but again, this is a problem I've considered and am ready to address. If the trans breaks I'll just ship it off to IPT and have them build me a bullet-proof unit.

One more issue I know of is the leaking water pipe in the engine galley of the N62. Once more, I have sourced a great part to solve the issue if and when mine experiences it.

What do you guys think? Are there any other common problems that the 4.8 cars are known to have?

Thanks in advance!

PS. One more thing - could anyone help me locate an Alpine White with Black interior 4.8? I've searched autotrader, ebay motors, and google google google with no luck. Anyone have any ideas of where else I could look before asking my local BMW centre to run a search? Thanks!