For those of you that have been following my "What Car" thread, you have probably expecting some photo's. Well it's here!
If anyone is interested in reading more about my car search, you can find a summary of the 7 different cars I considered here:
http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,66114.msg641942.html#msg641942I picked up the new 128i last night and all I can say is that I'm now officially drunk on the BMW Kool-Aid.
So please take my comments here with a grain of salt.
Impressions so far1) Originally I was a little cold on the styling of the 128i but it has been one of those cars that the more you see it, the better it looks. The exterior design is full of little details that you seem to pickup something interesting for each different angle you look at it. With the sport package and the larger wheels/tires the car has a very hunkered down muscular appearance.
2) Love the simple uncluttered interior. The seats are... just awesome. One downside of the uncluttered interior is that in order to reduce the button count, the stereo features are very menu driven that takes a while to get accustomed. That said, I'd rather that than a sea of buttons everywhere. The positioning of the stereo and climate controls low in the center stack is not as ergonomically friendly as it was on my WRX but I'll get used to it.
3) The power train on this car just makes me giddy. Such a beautiful engine, so smooth and linear in it's power delivery. It makes plenty of torque everywhere in the rev. band and is so forgiving if you're not in the optimal gear etc. I just love the way it sounds and a few times today as I drove it, I actually felt myself spontaneously getting goose bumps. The manual transmission shifts very nicely and the clutch feel is excellent.
4) The driving experience is just sweet. The steering feel is heavy but quick in its response without feeling twitchy. I was a little nervous about how the ride/handling trade off would feel with the sport package but I'm just delighted. It feels so nimble and quick... you feel all the textures of the road (kind of like my old 89 Civic SI hatch with sport springs and dampers), but yet there is none of the harshness typically associated with a stiff suspension. The chassis feels positively vault like compared to other cars I've owned. Somehow, the car manages to feel heavy, solid, and stuck to the road while still managing to feel quick and nimble. And the brakes... this thing car can stop in a hurry.
SummaryI remember watching an episode of Top Gear that really stuck with me. Richard Hammond was test-driving some exotic car on an amazing stretch of road somewhere in Europe. After a glorious run through a long tunnel he looks at the camera as says something like "If you're 10 and you are watching this right now, its exactly as good as you think it is". I know the 128i is no exotic but that's pretty much how I`m feeling right now. Let's hope this feeling continues.
So I'd like to introduce you to Lulu:
