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2008 BMW 550i – Gaining back the visceral thrill

“Not another, please; heartbreaks are too much to handle!” – was my first reaction when the news about the BMW 5-series went public; I’m not blaming the automobile aficionados for thinking me to be a confirmed heretic; it’s just that all the BMW-s that have hit the US asphalts so far, with me, shared a strange love/hate relationship. To explain that further – sometimes, it’s me who rejected them (I didn’t like sports sedans for some reason or the other) or the BMW-s (the atrocious price being responsible), but this time, it seems BMW appointed a few agents who carried the news back to the headquarters about all those people whom they couldn’t convince. Well, that definitely makes me sound a braggart, but very few braggarts in this world can praise the way that I’m now. The BMW 5-Series stunned me with its technology, more so, for its nonpartisanship to performance, comfort and safety. However, everything under the sun has a negative aspect to it; for the same technology, the blame goes for making the iDrive cockpit controls confusing and perhaps the only one I can complaint about my now-favorite midsize luxury car. Oh yes, all the three models are a favorite to me.

Getting started with the 550i made one thing clear; it’s way apart from the others in the 5-series and delivers that same raw feel similar to an American muscle car. The 360-horsepower, V-8-cylinders make the 360 pound-feet of torque with the ease most 4.8-liter engines are unable to deliver, yet, rumbles the wonderful notes through the exhaust when gunned even to a quarter of its real capabilities. Now, don’t ask me to explain; for certain things need to be realized and though it is the New Car Test Drive that attracted me to the BMW 550i with the lines – “appeals to those who put a premium on straight-line acceleration and turbine smoothness, it’s not until I made it behind the wheels that I got the real juice of the statement (of the car, too). It’s profoundly satisfying, but only if one can handle this automatic transmission-fitted colossus hunger – I guess 15 mpg is not that good for driving around the city. But it’s perhaps the automatic Steptronic transmission that’s to be blamed; I think the standard six-speed manual transmission shall help the BMW 550i go easy on the guzzling, without making any torque-happy dork (like me) whining about it.

I could utter two words after getting inside the 550i; substantial changes, which is also the keyword I would like to use for it. Though I mentioned the iDrive to be confusing, but my son (a tech-geek) claimed that learning the ways to manipulate the joystick shall make navigation much easier than it used to be in the previous versions. But I liked the seats (blimey, this is going to be my office cabin henceforth); distinctively German – that makes them firm and provide a good lumbar support to make long cruises practically effortless. Thanks BMW, now I think the age-old war between me and my bitter half (regarding taking my in-laws out) is going to end. The rear-seat is enough to accommodate even three Hulk Hogan-s!

I expected the suspension to receive a facelift this time, which was not; but then again, it wouldn’t have delivered the crisp handling and the smooth ride we cross-country freaks expect so much. To keep with that, there is safety equipment aplenty – from the oh-so-common stability/traction/radar-operated active cruise control to rain-sensing wipers, anti-lock brakes with auto-drying features and adaptive brake lights.

So, is $58,500 a sane price for all these? Definitely, if you are the one who loses a perspective of the rest of the world once behind the steering wheel.

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BMW Z4 Coupe 3.0Si

Let’s portray this one as the mechanical Narcissus. Sounds like a riddle, isn’t it? But the BMW Z4 Coupe 3.0Si screams for attention – if not for the style, then definitely for the BMW in-line six-cylinder engine; a great maneuverability and an interior that shall make you lose your temper over the BMW guys; hell, if it had been out a few years back, you could have saved all the dollars that you spent on booking your honeymoon suite. But then again, you would eat back your own words after taking the visibility factor into account; there is many a peeping Tom who would have taken the full advantage of the rear window. And the quality of the ride would not have matched the smoothness that’s an integral part of a honeymoon; it’s quite a hard-ride one that doesn’t offer the full value for this pricey, little baby.

If you have had a glimpse of the Coupe’s predecessor BMW Z4, then you must have gone gaga over its powerful engine; 6-speed transmissions (manual/automatic) rock-steady brakes and the related aesthetic paraphernalia. No doubt the Z4 Coupe 3.0si reflects the legacy of its elder sibling, but being the first automobile of the series in a closed-body model, it also packs in a large cargo area and two seats inside the fastback body that can be said graceful at the least.

What shall impress more is the support the Z4 delivers during an energetic driving; the seats bear a memory-driven 8-way power adjustment that gels well with the steering wheel’s telescopic adjustment. Now, if you are expecting an automatic one, you shall be disappointed a bit, but the contemporary styling of the compact instrument cluster and LED-installed analog dials shall allay your agonies without much effort. But that alone didn’t make the BMW Z4 Coupe 3.0Si win the much sought after THX Certification; to know the reason behind, you must pump the volume on the Z4’s bountiful audio system. And that won’t make you forget your iPod.

BMW is known for its bizarre but intelligent and progressive output and the Z4 engine is a proof enough. Contrary to the V-6 formats that are oh-so-common with the front-wheel drive small and mid-sized models, this inline 6-cylinder is a brilliant one where smoothness and an inaudible sound play their parts responsibly. N52, the direct successor of the M54 family, also delivers a greater power (255 hp) and torque (220 lb-ft.); thanks to the Valve-tronic technology granting ardent motorists the legacy of the variable valve lift. It works a few hundred times better than the VVT i.e. variable valve timing. Punched with the standard 6-speed (which is also 10% lighter than the previous transmission assemblies), one can be rest assured that nothing converts the torque better. It’s enough to slap the most finical motor enthusiasts on the face; the new shift programming delivers that great responsiveness. But the real mystery lies in the internal clutches (this time, they are fewer in number) that also puts the engine on a balanced diet.

But we complained about a bumpy ride. Blame it upon the strut-type and the multi-link system suspension systems; though an award-winning one in the days of yore, it seems the calculation somehow went a little wrong this time. However, the 12.8-in. (front) and 11.6-in. (rear) brakes cut it out fairly when a sudden stop is on the bill.

Did we forget to mention the Dynamic Stability Control system? We are not demeaning the electric-servo motor based steering mechanism, but with the DSC, a larger range of traction and stability becomes yours. That guarantees one thing – even if you are blinded by something more powerful than the Z4’s auto-leveling Xenon headlights, you won’t lose much control. And it’s essential due to the fact that the 3-litre engine is a perversely powerful one; try to change the gear smoothly and you shall realize what we mean. Thus, a lightning-quick gear-change remains the only option when acceleration is what you are focusing upon and the legacy of the DSC comes into play. But forget all that; the fact that this beast can do a 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds flat is a reason enough for putting on the DSC and the servomotor leash.

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2008 Mercedes-Benz C350 – The real-life realism

Let me speak the truth – I’m one among them who judge a car on its durability and the distance it covers on per gallon; so far, I was doing fine with my Jeep until that special someone started nagging mercilessly about getting a new vehicle this year. I know for long she had been trying getting hold of a Mercedes, but you cannot go on the rough terrains (like I do with my jeep) with it. But my wife, who earns a pretty good amount (around $50K more) than I do annually managed to bag one without any inputs from my side; what follows is an account on how I had my own words for dinner last weekend.

First of all, the C-350 is truly a mile-eater that doesn’t need a lot of fluid to gulp them down. It was surprising that the officially limited 155 mph can actually reach the 163 mph mark and that too without a complaining whine! However, the entire process ran unnoticed; I was stepping firmly on the gas and humming to the Lee Hazelwood tune playing on the hard-drive based Comand navigation/phone/radio/CD combination, until my eyes caught the speed-limiter all in a sudden. Voila! How come a car crosses its limits and still stay this unperturbed?

All these days, I used to think anything above the overdrive to be an item of fancy; however, this time, I was forced to think differently. Doing between 70 and 150 mph, I understood the legacy of the seven-speed auto-transmission – it’s the first time that I truly realized the pleasures of spending more time at the power peak and avoiding the soft zone of the engine. Later, while I was searching relevant info online, I made a resolution to get the Advanced Agility package as soon as it makes to the US market. What I learnt about it is there’s a very sensitive Sport button that can trigger virtually effortless downshifts. Of course, the fuel-factor stays a concern, but 18 mpg is something being between frugal and excessive; it’s something I agreed to bear to flaunt the Sport body kit (front bumper with big air-intakes; sill extensions; a rear apron and twin tailpipes, chromed) that makes this four-door sedan even more desirable. Plus, I think the extra inches in the C350’s cabin can demand its price as well as the safety it provides with its six air bags and anti-whiplash front head restraints. However, the 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine of the C350 is not what that I can call an epitome of direct-injection unit; at the most, this C-class can be gunned from 0 to 62 mph in 6.4 seconds with a maximum torque of 258 lb-ft between 2400 and 5000 rpm. But then again, nothing less than the speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering can respond better to keep this beautiful muscle on the tracks; the credits for further road-holding can easily be given to the AMG suspension setup with the spring-and-damper calibration and of course, the elegant and intelligent electromechanical device – the brakes, with auto-drying and anti-skid properties.

An all-point scorer on overall ability, appeal and balance – unless you have a lot of self-control, she just might turn your wife to a car-widow. But then again, you just might become as well the male counterpart.