The HACK
04-27-2005, 12:45 PM
Went to the dealership to pick up the Z4 for an Airbag light problem. Turns out they're having problem with re-coding the airbag module after putting in the new sensor and it's going to take another day, so I'm driving around in a cheap Kia right now.
Anyway, the dealership got their 4 demos last night and 2 of the 330is were out front on display under lock and keys. Just some quick visual impressions...It looks better in person than it does in pictures. The proportions are all f**ked up in pictures. From far away, the porportions are definite BMW, and up-close you don't tend to see some of the more "odd" lines that show up in photos. I have a strange feeling Bangle is a butt man, since all his recent creations (E63, E65, E60, E90, E85) tend to look better from the rear than from the front.
I like the front bumper treatment, taken by itself. Overall as a package, if you look at the car from the front it's a little odd...Definitely something you'll need to get used to or grow to love. Oddly enough, despite the car having grown significantly in size, the overall feeling is that it doesn't look that much bigger, especially since they had it up right next to a few E46 coupes and sedans. If you do a physical, side by side comparison it is obvious the E90 is larger, but if you take the car by itself, it doesn't look big or imposing like the 5, 6, or 7. All the design cues also seems to flow better in person than in pictures, although i can't say I in love with the recent "no door trim" trend. That has a tendency to make the car look a lot taller than it really is.
Unfortunately the sales staff doesn't show up until 8:00am, otherwise I'd have asked for a short test drive in the 330i manual. Since it was drizzling this morning, I can't get a good look at the interior since water beads sort of got in the way.
Right now, I'm about 67.5% leaning toward liking it. It wasn't like the E30, where I was 100% in love with it when it came out, or the E36, which was more like a 75% love affair, or the E46 where I also instantly fell in love with 100%, in terms of exterior design. Certainly it is significantly more conservative than the Z4, 5, 6, and 7...Although I liked the Z, 5, 6, and 7 fresh out of the gate. I probably would have liked it more if they had some of the more interesting tail light designs on some of the coupe concept renderings that was floating around on the net, like the one with the inverted E46 shapes.
I think it'll sell like hot cakes. I'd be surprised if those demos are still on the lot in two weeks.
Anyway, the dealership got their 4 demos last night and 2 of the 330is were out front on display under lock and keys. Just some quick visual impressions...It looks better in person than it does in pictures. The proportions are all f**ked up in pictures. From far away, the porportions are definite BMW, and up-close you don't tend to see some of the more "odd" lines that show up in photos. I have a strange feeling Bangle is a butt man, since all his recent creations (E63, E65, E60, E90, E85) tend to look better from the rear than from the front.
I like the front bumper treatment, taken by itself. Overall as a package, if you look at the car from the front it's a little odd...Definitely something you'll need to get used to or grow to love. Oddly enough, despite the car having grown significantly in size, the overall feeling is that it doesn't look that much bigger, especially since they had it up right next to a few E46 coupes and sedans. If you do a physical, side by side comparison it is obvious the E90 is larger, but if you take the car by itself, it doesn't look big or imposing like the 5, 6, or 7. All the design cues also seems to flow better in person than in pictures, although i can't say I in love with the recent "no door trim" trend. That has a tendency to make the car look a lot taller than it really is.
Unfortunately the sales staff doesn't show up until 8:00am, otherwise I'd have asked for a short test drive in the 330i manual. Since it was drizzling this morning, I can't get a good look at the interior since water beads sort of got in the way.
Right now, I'm about 67.5% leaning toward liking it. It wasn't like the E30, where I was 100% in love with it when it came out, or the E36, which was more like a 75% love affair, or the E46 where I also instantly fell in love with 100%, in terms of exterior design. Certainly it is significantly more conservative than the Z4, 5, 6, and 7...Although I liked the Z, 5, 6, and 7 fresh out of the gate. I probably would have liked it more if they had some of the more interesting tail light designs on some of the coupe concept renderings that was floating around on the net, like the one with the inverted E46 shapes.
I think it'll sell like hot cakes. I'd be surprised if those demos are still on the lot in two weeks.