United BMW held their New 5er unveiling last night at the Atlanta Athletic Club...
Very nice event -- I'd say they had 200+ customers there for the appetizers and drinks. At 7:27 (don't know why they picked an odd time), they unveiled a silver 530i. They also had 3 others for people to look at and sit in... We'll see if I win one of the 3 door prizes -- BMW art-car models
Observations - it is better looking in person than in photos. Like all Bangle designs, some elements of the design are interesting and well done, some details are fantastic (detail within the tailights for example -- a small round light on each side within the taillamp area is very striking, as well as the non-dame edna portion of the eyebrow light -- a thin neon amber sliver when lit). But other details are odd (dame edna shape of headlights, kidney shape, and slab sides). One interesting note is that the toolkit in the trunk now contains a first-aid kit. The interior, while nice in some ways does feel cheaper than my e46 -- lack of wood on the doors is the primary reason, but also the flimsy-fealing steering wheel. The higher dash caused by the i-drive display and relatively narrow center console make it feel more enclosed. But at the same time it is very comfortable.
I overheard many people saying how beutiful of a car it is -- can't completely agree. They are doing test drives this weekend... may need to go for a spin...