Here are pics of my ride http://www.bmwboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8932
So, I just got done driving what must be one of the first coupes with the ZHP in US spec. I picked up my car April 2nd from Munich and spent a glorious week covering 1700 miles around Bavaria, Austria, Zurich, Switzerland, up to Munich again, Frankfurt, Calais and across to London.
Suffice it to say I became quite intimate with the car and got a quick intro to BMW after waiting years.
So the experience: Amazing!![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]")
Absolutely would recommend it to anyone. I landed in Munich and caught the train down to the delivery center using directions that were sent to me by BMW in the States. Once there, I was offered lunch while I waited for the car to be prep'd. The delivery 'process' was not what I had expected. It was all of a few minutes of the guy explaining how he had set the radio presets for me. Whoopey! I plugged in my ebay-bought DVD for the nav and was delighted to see it actually worked. He programed the address of the museum for me and that was my first destination. I was out of there in a jiffy.
The Car: The car looked felt and sounded like everything I was expecting. It feels so solid, so well put together. No complaints. The drive was perhaps not what I was expecting on a couple of counts. 1) coming from a turbo (albeit a 1.8T GTI) I am used to punchier acceleration in higher gears. Admittedly I was staying below 4000 rpm during break in so perhaps I didn't push it enough but I was a bit dissapointed accelerating from say 60-80, which in my GTI I would stay in 5th and still feel the kick, the Bimmer had me downshifting a lot. I'm sure it's just something to get used to. 2) My other unexpected dissapointment, considering the car has a list of electronics as long as your arm was what the dealer in London called "Tramlining", that's when low profile tires tend to follow grooves or lines in the road, pulling the steering wheel left and right as you drive. This to me was VERY annoying. I mean annoying to the point where it was a distraction from my driving and sometimes even dangerous. When you've got to grip the steering wheel so tight all the time, it kinda takes the fun out of enjoying a leisurely drive.
Apart from those 2 things, the car is a dream. I loved having Nav through Europe, what a godsend! The exhaust has a throaty growl that was divine and the Alcantara looks sharp. I hope as time goes by I get used to the tramlining.
Now comes the wait. Its just been 13 days since the drop off, so there are still 4-6 weeks left before I ever see it on these shores. I can't wait!
So, I just got done driving what must be one of the first coupes with the ZHP in US spec. I picked up my car April 2nd from Munich and spent a glorious week covering 1700 miles around Bavaria, Austria, Zurich, Switzerland, up to Munich again, Frankfurt, Calais and across to London.
Suffice it to say I became quite intimate with the car and got a quick intro to BMW after waiting years.
So the experience: Amazing!
Absolutely would recommend it to anyone. I landed in Munich and caught the train down to the delivery center using directions that were sent to me by BMW in the States. Once there, I was offered lunch while I waited for the car to be prep'd. The delivery 'process' was not what I had expected. It was all of a few minutes of the guy explaining how he had set the radio presets for me. Whoopey! I plugged in my ebay-bought DVD for the nav and was delighted to see it actually worked. He programed the address of the museum for me and that was my first destination. I was out of there in a jiffy.The Car: The car looked felt and sounded like everything I was expecting. It feels so solid, so well put together. No complaints. The drive was perhaps not what I was expecting on a couple of counts. 1) coming from a turbo (albeit a 1.8T GTI) I am used to punchier acceleration in higher gears. Admittedly I was staying below 4000 rpm during break in so perhaps I didn't push it enough but I was a bit dissapointed accelerating from say 60-80, which in my GTI I would stay in 5th and still feel the kick, the Bimmer had me downshifting a lot. I'm sure it's just something to get used to. 2) My other unexpected dissapointment, considering the car has a list of electronics as long as your arm was what the dealer in London called "Tramlining", that's when low profile tires tend to follow grooves or lines in the road, pulling the steering wheel left and right as you drive. This to me was VERY annoying. I mean annoying to the point where it was a distraction from my driving and sometimes even dangerous. When you've got to grip the steering wheel so tight all the time, it kinda takes the fun out of enjoying a leisurely drive.
Apart from those 2 things, the car is a dream. I loved having Nav through Europe, what a godsend! The exhaust has a throaty growl that was divine and the Alcantara looks sharp. I hope as time goes by I get used to the tramlining.
Now comes the wait. Its just been 13 days since the drop off, so there are still 4-6 weeks left before I ever see it on these shores. I can't wait!
