I think my car is still awaiting transport, which suits me as I dont want to collect it for a 3 weeks ... off to the Nurburgring for memorial day weekend!

:)

its at the dealership...
 

awaiting collection...

^ Looks good! Is that Carbon Black?

nope deep sea blue metallic

will post more when I collect it

Sweet color. That was my original choice but after owning a Monaco Blue 335i Coupe, cleaning is a real hassle. When she's clean though, nothing looks as good!

picking it up on the 9th ... pictures to follow!

How was the ring? Have about 400 miles so far and am happy. I've never owned such a large vehicle so it's taking some getting used to. Installed OEM towbar last weekend, here is a quck pic. I'll probably create a thread on it - still having issues doing the programming though.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7245/7...7baa0715d5.jpg

picture tells the story; weather was excellent, track was busy, with lots of closures due to accidents ... cant wait till my next trip!

I imagine I will have the same feelings as you about the size, as it will also be the largest car I have had too ... cant wait to collect it on the 8th!

did you get it?? more pics?

Yep, Jon Shafer was amazing, short of having topless dancing girls at the showroom the purchase experience was amazing!!!

drove it back up 101, Rt1, 17, 85, 280 ... 6 hrs of V1 protected crusing!

my 1st impression is how BIG and MASSIVE, the car is, it appears as though BMW took an X5 brink of steel and handled it to some enormous CNC machine which milled the body out of that block ...

since this is my 1st SAV, I am wondering what I want all that mass for, it messes up the handling, fuel econ etc etc ...

I am neither a fan of the STEPTRONIC, I would like to meet the trasmission engineer, get him drunk, and get him to admit that the primary design goal of the 8sp STEPTRONIC is to slavishly keep the engine rpms between 1500 and never, never normally allow it see much beyond 2500!!! Its like driving
a tugboat and not a car...

ok, by now you may be thinking, "what an ass he has a car he hates..." (you may be right), however ...

3 things turn this car into a very very capable drive:

1) the V8 Twin Turbo Engine, with the M-Performance Pack ...

2) the "flappy paddles" to override the titanic's engine room telegraph...

3) Adaptive Drive...

The engine is amazing, it not only sounds great, but unleash the beast, all 440bhp and 485ft/lbs of it and it accelerates like a cheetah ... I had no problem passing multiple cars on sections of the road with one mighty swoosh!

This was mostly achieved by taking control away from the STEPTRONIC using the steering wheel paddle shifters, a few down clicks to get the car into M3-5 from 7-8 and give it some gas and off it goes like a rocket ...

lastly to those of you who think about, then reject Adaptive Drive, when I test drove the V8 (non AD) against the X5M I hated the wobbly jello suspension on the V8 and far in away preferred the X5M's ride ...

Adaptive Drive in my mind transforms the handling of the X5, when opportunity arose, I threw the car into some very tight turns on Rt 1N and detected no appreciable body roll and only a little initial understeer ... often entering the turns without braking (like the Jeep's or Range Rover Sports that were temporarily in front of me) ... "normal" is quite comfortable, but surprisingly so is "sport" which also tightens up the car even more ...

In short, get the M-Performance Package and Adaptive Drive, you wont regret it ... ah and the 20" M wheels to boot!

pictures to follow!

Thanks again to Jon Shafer for the unique purchase process you are the best

p.s
pictures to follow....