:iagree: Night vision, ACC, and nav-traffic are available as options and so are other fetures as in E92.

mgruber: Good comments. My take on your points:

2 - Camera - I would rather have function than stealth.

3 - 3rd row seats - Consensus seems to be that the target audience is midgets. Without making the vehicle larger, that was bound to happen. At least they are an option. Furthermore, with them, many will need a roof-mounted luggage carrier.

4 - Leg Room - BMW reports that 2nd row legroom has been improved over the E53 (thin seats?). Good, it needed it.

6 - Side marker lights. Blame the DOT, it is their rule.

8 - Round tailpipes. Agree 100%

9 - Tires - Don't know the brand, but they are runflats, new design, so they aren't a tire that is currently available.

16 - Economy vs Power - Absolutely. Give us an efficient gasoline engine, even with a 'shut down at stoplight' feature.

Cheers

Jeff

E70
 

You guys have some great follow-up comments. I'm glad to hear that there will be more options like night vision, etc. and also a tobacco color option... I didn't see those mentioned anywhere so you guys definitely have better information than most dealers!

I agree that a functional camera is most important, I just think they could have done a bit better in making it look less like an aftermarket add-on.

The leg room issue is interesting. Maybe the seats are thinner. Even without the 3rd row I wonder if 3 rear passengers would be more or less comfortable than in the E53?

From the official photos you can read "Dueller" on the tires. I don't know which model of the Dueller they are but I was surprised b/c I didn't know that any were run-flat. By the way (maybe I missed it) does the car not come with a spare as a result?

Agree totally with Jeff and others about economy vs. power. I'm not blaming car magazines necessarily but it seems like every review of a decent car (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc.) the reviewers ALWAYS complain that there isn't enough power (e.g. the 323Ci is okay but we really love and can't get enough of the M3 because it gets us to the next stoplight 1.2 seconds faster which seems to be incredibly important yadahh yadahh yadahh). If BMW and others are reading these magazines and building cars for these guys, no wonder the direction of development is where it's at. Further I wish BMW USA would import some of the smaller capacity engines that are all over Europe and not just the top end models. I don't think we need to go for a hybrid or even a shut down at stoplight design (I strongly believe that would lead to a ton of rear end collisions), but capping the horsepower at say 275 and engineering the efficiency to better gas mileage surely would result in a marked improvement; and for the record it would probably increase BMW's market share tremendously.

Lastly, I'm amazed that BMW CCA members don't have a petition going to try to lobby BMW into doing something like that. Years ago they supposedly lobbyed (and won) BMW into making a 4 door M3. I can't recall the total number of units that were finally produced of that version but I think it was less than 15,000. If they could do that then I don't see how they couldn't even try to lobby for greater economy.

I suppose there is no spare. But can someone confirm.

My Laundry List of Nits & Picks...

not having seen/sat in a prod. model, it's a bit like bitching about the airbrushed babe
in the centerfold, but here's my 25 Cts worth:
Nits...

-amazing to me that a "driving exp." car co. would delete the 6 Spd manual, or not pull another 6 Spd from the M3,
330, et al, and make the sumbitch fit and work. I realize the manuals only sell by the "dozens",
but it ought to be offered.

-I probably seem a Luddite, but I have zero need for night vision, stay in your lane radar, "active" cruise
control, back up cameras, front cams, side cams,moonroof cams, etc. Adaptive headlighs and swiveling
"fawgs" have somehow not been missed by me in 44 yrs of driving, but the spot-the-Bambi Ads seem to
get everyone teary and demanding them.

-I looked again: B Stone Duelers?! WTF?

-I'd pass on the 3rd row: does anyone really want Jr or, the Mother'n'law back there? Well, maybe the mom'n'law. :rofl:

-Get used to RunCraps, gang. It will be very expensive to "replace" with non-RFTs and expensive enough to
replace when the inevitable flat on the RFTs comes along. That, and your basic Goodyear, et al, joint often won't
touch RFTs in remounting.

-I know it's a OneUpsmanship Tech Race out there in car building land, but the adaptive roll bar settings, while
trick on an F1, are maybe not what we need when the front suspension components are suspect from the start.
Same for the Active Steering...the entire pitch is cloaked in "safety" but is Buffy really gonna be sliding it through
the S turns on the way to soccer practice or to get her nails done?

This will not be a car anyone will want to own, out of warr.,imo.

-I coulda used 7 1/2 less inches, unless the back seat and back forty are really "bigger".

-No diesel until 2008+, and I'd guess a $3G option when it gets here, is bs. Same for a 3.0 that has more power.
I have not ever thought I was underpowered in our 3.0...

Picks...
-the shark fin is probaly for the Sirius Sat radio and/or "better" reception than the window wire antenna. Looks fine.

-the car looks really good to me, from all angles: the mules and PS bs "pics" were not even in the same Zip Code.
It looks very well done to my old eye.

-those monster wheels are titz!

Alas, until I can scope some "surprising" pricing, it will probably be a tad pricey for us, when we toss the current '01 X5.

My comments from the last row of the Peanut Gallery.
BR,mD

Usually cars with run flats do not have spare, so I hope not, but you never know.

the e70 has Active Cruise control, doesn't it? night vision (?)

yes.

are those 19s or 20s? Looks like 19s to me. I'm not feeling the rims, too many spokes.

I also seem to notice slightly less negative camber in the rear wheels.

From my info they are the new 20s. I hear you on spokes. Same here.