Last Monday (July 10th) I dropped my beast off at TT in Nice. I have to say, it was the most angst filled moment I have ever experience over an inanimate object. Driving this car for 50 days and 3555 miles through the roadways of Europe has forever changed me, and instilled a deep sense of respect for the pinnacle of Teutonic engineering that is the M5. I was loathe to let it go, even if it was temporary.
Nothing beats the experience of cresting the Gotthard Pass, after destroying its switchbacks, or screaming through a tunnel at 130 mph, on the Croatian autoput. The more you drive it, the more you feel that getting into any other car will be… well… ordinary. And that is exactly how I feel, as I slide into the seat of my 1998 Audi A6 and head off to work each day. No more do I hear the satisfying growl as I depress the accelerator. And instead of the crisply executed shifts of the SMG, I am left with the muddy bumbling of my primitive automatic. And the waiting has just begun! Five to eight weeks, the representative at TT said! It might as well be an eternity. I comfort myself with the collective pain that other European delivery customers are feeling, as they wait for their cars and discuss their plight on the Bimmerfest ED forum.
Now, for some specifics about the car. Every *****, gripe, and complaint about this car that initially caused me concern, disappeared after about two days of consistently driving it. SMG not as good as a true manual? Rubbish. This gearbox is perfectly suited to the character of this car, and any other transmission would be… well… primitive. The auto mode actually works reasonably well under normal driving conditions, and manual shifts can be as smooth as butter if you are willing to let off of the gas a little bit (even in 6th setting). One board member mentioned that pairing a traditional six-speed transmission to this car, would be like pairing an Atari 2600 joystick to a Playstation 2. I couldn’t agree more, and if you don’t understand this analogy, then you probably shouldn’t be driving this car in the first place.
This brings us to the iDrive; the number one complaint of every BMW basher. For some reason, iDrive can’t shake the (justifiably) bad rap it received, from the first generation interface that was in the old 745’s. This version of iDrive works… pure and simple. Yes there is a learning curve, but the amount of customization that it allows and the lack of clutter on the dash, more than make up for the inconvenience of actually having to read the f***ing manual. Go figure.
Anyway, let’s move on to the undeniably wonderful things about this car. The engine… what can I say... it is fantastic. It is the gift that keeps on giving. You feel like there is an unlimited reservoir of power at your disposal, and as you continue to accelerate, it feels like you will never run out. And the sound! What a beautiful growl, that makes heads turn and your chest vibrate.
Next, the ‘M’ button… pure genius. I swear that I now know what a fighter pilot must feel like, when he hits the afterburners. It is probably one of the best marketing moves BMW has ever made. It is like Pavlov’s dog: whenever I press the button my heart rate increases by about thirty beats a minute, because I know that some really cool is about to happen. The suspension tightens up, the HUD changes to assist me in my shifts, and I have the full 500hp at my disposal. Maybe I’m going to race someone from a stoplight or pass six cars in a row on a two-lane highway, whatever it is, by pressing the button I have left my normal cruising and have transcended into something better.
Anyway, this post is getting too long already, so I’ll finish with some final thoughts. Driving through Europe is the best way to see the continent, and get a feel for what each country is really about. If you are buying a BMW, and don’t need the instant gratification of driving a car off the lot the day you show up to test drive it, then you should give European Delivery try. You’re car was made for these roads, and it is the best place to learn what your automobile is truly capable of. I will never forget my European delivery experience, and I hope to do it again in the future. Many thanks to all those on the Bimmerfest ED forum and on the M5Board (especially Jerry), whose advice helped me navigate the process much more easily. Now if I could only fly my car home…
Here are a few pics of the delivery in Munich, the Gotthard Pass, parked in Polignano, and my drop-off in Nice. For a detailed account of my travels and more pictures, please visit my blog.
Last edited by SouthBayM5; 20th July 2006 at 12:54.
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Ashok
2002 E39 Carbonblack/Caramel M5 (best car I ever owned)
2005 E60 Blue Onyx/Caramel/Light Figured Ash M5 (worst car I ever owned)
2007 E90 Montego Blue/Black Alpina D3 (sublime) Let me tell you what SMG stands for...
Thanks for the wonderful post - we're scheduled to take ED of our M5 in November, so it can't get here soon enough. This post just got my heart pumping! I can hear the engine now, the first time we start it and drive off the lot - cautiously, then the first time we let it rev a bit.
great post. thanks for sharing.
But just curious, how the heck did you get 50 days off from work or was this part of a business trip? You lucky dog. I would kill to get 7 days to sit on my a** and do nothing much less speed around Europe with my new M5
Couldn't agree more. We took ED on June 1 then drove through Italy for 2 weeks. I think we will do ED for all future purchases. Actually hard to imagine a European trip in the future that would be as much fun (unless we get next generation of M car). Admit I had reservations like you concerning SMG and iDrive but after driving it the totally evaporated. it has been 5 weeks since we dropped it off in Munich and still not here. Reached Halifax almost 2 weeks ago so expect it any day. The local sales staff here in Toronto were and are totally useless. In Munich they were great.
great post. thanks for sharing.
But just curious, how the heck did you get 50 days off from work or was this part of a business trip? You lucky dog. I would kill to get 7 days to sit on my a** and do nothing much less speed around Europe with my new M5
I'm a self-employed real estate developer. I 've been planning a trip like this for a couple of years and when we finished our latest project, we decided to take a hiatus on starting a new project. It just so happens that it is a pretty good time to be on the sidelines in the market right now, things are starting to get a little hairy.
Last edited by SouthBayM5; 20th July 2006 at 22:11.
Great report. I just had a three-week tour of southern Europe myself, albeit sans the M5. My dealer told me that ED (Euro delivery, not the Bob Dole and Rush Limbaugh kind) was not possible when I got my M5 last Oct.
Speaking of a Europe trip, I want to do another within a year or two and am considering doing it on a motorcycle. I'm hoping to get some advice from some of our many Euro-savvy board members. While I normally stick to pure sport bikes, a long road trip would probably call for something more like a BMW R1200ST, R1200RT, etc. I would need it for the 2-4 week duration of the trip and I assume they cannot be rented/leased for this purpose/duration. Thus, I was thinking about buying one (maybe slightly used) and then reselling it at the trip's conclusion - ideally pre-arranging the prices and terms. There would obviously be a significant cost and I would have no problem with parting with a few $1000s. Thoughts, suggestions, comments?
Tom
Great report. I just had a three-week tour of southern Europe myself, albeit sans the M5. My dealer told me that ED (Euro delivery, not the Bob Dole and Rush Limbaugh kind) was not possible when I got my M5 last Oct.
Speaking of a Europe trip, I want to do another within a year or two and am considering doing it on a motorcycle. I'm hoping to get some advice from some of our many Euro-savvy board members. While I normally stick to pure sport bikes, a long road trip would probably call for something more like a BMW R1200ST, R1200RT, etc. I would need it for the 2-4 week duration of the trip and I assume they cannot be rented/leased for this purpose/duration. Thus, I was thinking about buying one (maybe slightly used) and then reselling it at the trip's conclusion - ideally pre-arranging the prices and terms. There would obviously be a significant cost and I would have no problem with parting with a few $1000s. Thoughts, suggestions, comments?
Tom
Hate to be a wet blanket, but unfortunately Euro delivery is no longer available on BMW motorcycles. You have to go through a private party to buy one. It is good that you plan on reselling it at the trips conclusion, as you would have to export it back to the States yourself.
Maybe I wasn't clear. I don't want to own this bike, but owning one for a few weeks seems to be the simplest way of using one while in Europe. My thought was that the purchase/resell might be pre-arranged through a European dealer, thus necessitating a round-trip. I'm looking for comments about the feasibility of this or even better alternatives.
Euro Delivery Trip Over - Now I Wait..
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