OK - after a Masters playoff (wow - what a chip on 16 by Tiger) - a few more details. Basically, it kinda felt like a previous E46 325i with an auto. 6 speed is nice - shifted nicely around town (I didn't run anything hard - just around the block, around Grand and back to Kinderkamack). Nice sounds, good acceleration through town, feels very well planted and balanced. Steering is great with excellent feedback (especially over the tracks - little kickback over the rails but very minor) and has good refinement. This one was a stripper w/o Idrive (thank God) so I thought the dash looked great and Germanic (read: simple). The push-to-start button is a PITA. To me, stick the key in and turn is so much easier. Nope - stick key in slot (not intuitive) and then ensure tranny is in Park (or neutral for the stick I guess) then punch the button and hope it fires. Didn't feel normal. Otherwise, it'll pass for a Bimmer. Hope that helps - I seriously just got lucky as heck and saw it coming out of the store. Turned out to be someone I knew and got to drive it for 10 minutes. Very nicely turned out car. I question the exterior, but the substance is definitely up to par.

Interesting...considering they're not for sale yet in the US.

Yeah, what's the deal? Do you know somebody from BMWNA who has access to a vehicle?

Car was just on tour in NY

...which happens to be next door to New Jersey. Not on sale, but the cars are here in America.

m

Exactly... Also, the area (Park Ridge & Montvale) that he was in is where some BMW-NA offices are located in NJ... I was recently working at a client located in that same area, and saw several different colors (Black, Red, Silver & Artic) of the E90 being driven by BMW employee's well over a month ago... A few still had the black masking tape on them, but some were completely unmasked...

mfstout said:

...which happens to be next door to New Jersey. Not on sale, but the cars are here in America.

m

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I grant you that there are way more E90s in the country than you can believe. I would also be willing to bet that there are a $h!t load of them at BMW Manufacturing in Greer, SC, which also happens to be a VPC.

Sorry for the confusion. I live in Hillsdale (2 miles from Montvale and BMWNA). A friend of mine (actually several) work there. The car I drove was a corporate "distributor" car that he's been driving around for a while (GA plates actually). There are a ton of US spec E90's up here. Don't know 'bout Greer/Spartanburg yet. This is BMW's backyard (also MB USA along with Volvo North America). The actual "corporate headquarters" is in Woodcliff Lake and there's another office close by here.

"metallic green"

volsfan0911 said:

Ahh - the joys of living in NJ (yeah - I know they're few & far between). Going home to watch the back nine at the Masters stopped on a beer run on the way home. 325i (metallic green - whatever it's called) parked in the lot. Had only Step for options but it was a buddy of mine so he let me drive around the block a couple of times (actually 2.5 miles around Montvale, but who's counting?). If I decide to spend the $$$ on one, it's gotta be a stick - no doubt. Overall, very nice. Smaller in life than the pix (actually, feels smaller than the E46 to me). Thought the ancillary needles in the dials would bother me - no so. Lines look good in person - it's not a "classic BMW" look at first, but the exterior grows on you. Kind of like a Jag on acid or something. The US rear turn signals are red Absolutely no doubt - hate it! Potholes aren't that bad in Park Ridge & Montvale but the run-flats felt completely 'normal' to me - a good sign. Railroad tracks didn't upset anything or puncture one of my kidneys. Stereo on the 325 is great - I want to hear the Logic 7 or whatever on the 330i. OK - Chris is within 1 of Tiger - gotta go - more to follow I guess

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I am assuming your reference to "metallic green" is referring to "arctic". Did it really look green? I am considering the arctic color, but assumed it was more grey/blue with maybe a green hue. But, is it really green? This will definitely sway my decision if it is.
thanks,
Psyran

Looking back over the E90 order guide, yes - that's the color. Personally, I didn't like it much. It really did make the whole car look like a baby Jag. I'd order the darker shades myself - the orient blue or grey.

Meant to ask - where in TN are you from? I grew up in Jackson and Memphis. BA from Rhodes College (Southwestern @ memphis when I graduated) and got my second degree from UT. GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!! (insert Rocky Top here)

Sean said:

I grant you that there are way more E90s in the country than you can believe. I would also be willing to bet that there are a $h!t load of them at BMW Manufacturing in Greer, SC, which also happens to be a VPC.

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I saw a silver (unlabeled) 330i zsp in Hoboken last night, parked on the waterfront. It was nicer than the 325 I saw in the auto show. It seemed to have some hokey round alum shifter, guessing not stock. It had new car dealer plates but no insignia!

I reside in the city that is home to the the VOLS - Knoxville! GO VOLS!

volsfan0911 said:

Meant to ask - where in TN are you from? I grew up in Jackson and Memphis. BA from Rhodes College (Southwestern @ memphis when I graduated) and got my second degree from UT. GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!! (insert Rocky Top here)

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ahhhh - a member of the faithful.

Sean said:

I reside in the city that is home to the the VOLS - Knoxville! GO VOLS!

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The one I got to drive was a slushbox (actually - the auto tranny is pretty damned good IMHO - if you like autos) and had the same shifter handle that you see on the website. Insignia was the same as current. But it was wearing GA distributor plates (probably headed to Atlanta for something).

equ said:

I saw a silver (unlabeled) 330i zsp in Hoboken last night, parked on the waterfront. It was nicer than the 325 I saw in the auto show. It seemed to have some hokey round alum shifter, guessing not stock. It had new car dealer plates but no insignia!

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Greetings from Augusta :thumbup:

Nice writeup...but this is going to drive me mad. Why the hell does DOT allow red rear turning signals and why did BMW bring them here. THey could have done what they did in Europe with the amber flashers (withthe red covers). It is a potentially dangerous situation to have red signals.

Plus the amber signals always seem more classy than a red rear signal.

volsfan0911 said:

The US rear turn signals are red Absolutely no doubt - hate it!

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ED might be the way to go then...
Getting an E90 with European specs...

pmoney said:

Nice writeup...but this is going to drive me mad. Why the hell does DOT allow red rear turning signals and why did BMW bring them here. THey could have done what they did in Europe with the amber flashers (withthe red covers). It is a potentially dangerous situation to have red signals.

Plus the amber signals always seem more classy than a red rear signal.

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Just to clear it up, ED does not provide you a car with European specs. You get to drive your US spec car in Europe for a while before it gets shipped to the US.

doggydogg you can look around the forums for more info on how ED works.

doggydogg said:

ED might be the way to go then...
Getting an E90 with European specs...

Click to expand...

Sorry for the wrong info...
Anyway, I'm an European living in Europe... so I'll get an European specs car

Armen52 said:

Just to clear it up, ED does not provide you a car with European specs. You get to drive your US spec car in Europe for a while before it gets shipped to the US.

doggydogg you can look around the forums for more info on how ED works.

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