Had some time today and decided to head down to the local BMW dealership to test drive the new 5. Started off with the 523i Highline. Essentially, a 2.5L engine mated to an 8-speed gear box with 205 bhp. Not too bad actually. Nice interior and comfy overall. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it an 8. It would have scored a 10 if it had that little more power that I was looking for. It was also a bit on the soft side but not as bad as the E60. Best of all, active steering does not come standard.
Did a quick hop from the 523i to the 535i. A press on the Start Engine switch and the engine came to life and what a sound it made. The engine note was raw and when an engine sounds like this, you know its going to be good especially if it comes from BMW. The 3L engine comes with a single turbo and twin scroll and its suppose to be more fuel efficient. It also comes with Sports transmission complete with paddle shifters and 3 settings for the dampers and steering. Hand brake release with a pull of the switch and we are off. The car is amazing. I love it. I felt like I was driving Daisy except she was wearing new clothes with a new engine. There is nothing I dislike about the car (except the price, of course) because BMW has finally come through with the new 5 series. It drives the way a 5 series is supposed to be, full of spirit and zest when pushed, yet comfortable, quiet and smooth when driven easy. Its a car that will suit my purpose for long distance drives yet fun enough for Sunday drives.
However, I am not jumping on the wagon yet. History has shown that BMW will unveil a M sports package somewhere down the road. If the new F10 M5 is what its like in the pictures I have seen so far, the kit will filter down to the 535i. Thats the time to get one. For now, driving Miss Daisy is still nice and only the 535i would be a worthy replacement.
The dilemma is finally over. Daisy is here to stay. Over the last one month, I have been scouring through car classifieds to find a suitable replacement for Daisy. There were several deserving contenders but there were just too many reasons not to buy them. The ones that were interesting enough and met my criteria were the Mercedes Benz C230/280, VW Scirocco FSI, BMW 330ci, Renault Laguna Coupe 2.0, Nissan Skyline GT and Jaguar XF.
Face it, the biggest factor not to buy any of the car indicated is the price. Its just not worth it spending all that money to buy a car that is going to give me worries 6 to 8 years down the road whether I should keep or scrap it. On top of that, I am going to be in debt again. Of course, I could buy a new car but I just cannot bring myself to spend all that money when it could be used for better things. I am not a rich man and coupled with new family responsibilities, every penny spent needs to be accounted for. Another factor that deterred me was that none of these cars comes close to the kind of drive that I derive from Daisy. The only one that comes close is probably the Jaguar XF. It was a stressful month for me and I must have spoke to a dozen people asking for their opinions whether to keep or scrap Daisy. Not surprising, everybody told me the same thing...keep. Everybody thinks the car is just too immaculately kept and most of all, it does not even look its age. For those who has driven with me up north, they are aware of the prowess of the car and how reliable it is. Its nicely tuned, comfortable, safe and dependable. So, the decision was made, Daisy is here to stay for the next ten years and probably longer.
Over the last month, the car has not been feeling well. The transmission was jerky, the ECU seems undecided whether to upshift or downshift and there were 'clunking' sounds coming from the engine. The ECU have been re-tuned by Wetterauer with increase in power and torque. We suspect that either the rear differential or propeller shaft may need to be replaced. The car is still performing well but as most people know, perfection is what I demand in everything I do. Hopefully, the parts can be sourced in time before I head out for another long drive.
In the meantime, much work has been done to rekindle the car and an attempt to bring it back to 'stock'. The 19" Tecnomagnesio rims have been replaced by original 18" BMW M3 rims. If you think the Tecnomagnesio rims were light, these rims are even lighter. They are made by BBS, by the way and staggered.
The cone air filter have been replaced by an E39 M5 air box. That's right, you saw it right. With some ingenuity, guts and a power tool, we modified an M5 air box to be used as the stock air intake. The M5 air box was the right size also because I needed space to install the Broquet fuel catalyst. The engine compartment looks really neat and tidy except for splashes of color due to the grounding wires and my DIY power steering sock to suck up the oil that spills out of the hole in the cover.
Last but not least, M5 seats. When you have tasted the best, there's no turning back. I found these seats on eBay Germany. It took one long month before they arrived but the wait was definitely worth it. They are almost flawless, except for some minor marks on the left front seat (which is actually the drivers' seat). The best thing is that the rear seats are direct replacement unlike the previous M5 seats which needed alot of work to weld strong points in order for it to fit properly. I spent a couple of hours with leather cleaner and wax to clear all the muck up and now, they look almost new. However, it still needs a new belt pre-tensioner; apparently, this was set off probably by an accident. Everything else looks and works perfectly.
I am glad this dilemma is over. With the decision made to keep the car, I intend to have the engine overhauled and the car will get a fresh coat of paint. Black is the preferred colour. Daisy is here to stay. Look out.
