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Here are my pictures from the E90 3-series intro in Dallas. Didn't get to drive it. 
Did get to sit in it and they started it, etc. I think maybe some other time group got to drive it? There was only the Noon signup when I registered last month. The 330i and 325i in the parking lot had bugs on them, so they were definitely driven. The weather was PERFECT! Things of note from the presentation and free lunch:
-They had the FIRST of ~120 1995 M3 Lightweights produced there. Only 500 miles on it. 2950lbs. Hanchey's is near that!
-The 330i Sport Package with 6 speed manul was manufactured last month and is a U.S. model. They will show up at dealers around May 6th.
-The sport package on the 330i comes with 225/40-18 on 18x8 in front and 255/35-18 on 18x8.5 in the rear...same tire size as my car.
-E90 325i and 330i will come with the sunroof standard. They said the only people that don't want a sunroof are a handful of racers and dealers complain about not being able to get rid of the non-sunroof cars. Said the E90 M3 will likely have it as an option since it is more racer oriented.
-E90 M3 probably a 2008 model, though while he admittedly was not in product development, did not know if it will have a V8 or not.
-It definitely looks sporty, but I'm still so-so on some of the looks. Some I like better. It also definitely looks like a bigger car than my E46 (which it is).
-There is a front strut tower brace installed from the factory, though I don't know how good it is.
-SMG option (330i only) will come out in October, as will AWD models
-The E90 3-series WILL be at the Dallas Auto Show this week.
-The shifter is nice and smooth. I like it!
-The front seating area is roomy enough
-The cupholders seem to work well enough and there is also one that can have the AC siphoned off to cool your drink.
-Not having to have a giant keychain (I'm guilty of that!) dangling from the dash into your leg will be nice with the C6-style no-key in the dash start option.
-The back seat definitely had less headroom, as I'd read. Seemingly slightly more footroom though.
-The trunk was BIG in comparison to my E46's.
-The interior materials were not "cheaper" than the E46s, contrary to what I'd read in magazines.
-I didn't see an iDrive car there, but the buttons on the HVAC and radio were nicely laid out. The feel of the interior isn't bad, though not as "warm" feeling as the E46. It's not quite E36 cold, but less driver-centric than an E36.
-They gave us E90 brochures.
On a small-world note, I ran into one of my former TI co-workers from '96. Old Ag that bought his '99 M3 (Titanium Silver) new and still has it with only 63K mi on it. He still works at the Plano - Spring Creek location. He said they had 6 cars broken into in their parking lot last week, but his was unscathed.
Onto the pictures...
http://redwood.smugmug.com/gallery/478095
Did get to sit in it and they started it, etc. I think maybe some other time group got to drive it? There was only the Noon signup when I registered last month. The 330i and 325i in the parking lot had bugs on them, so they were definitely driven. The weather was PERFECT! Things of note from the presentation and free lunch:-They had the FIRST of ~120 1995 M3 Lightweights produced there. Only 500 miles on it. 2950lbs. Hanchey's is near that!
-The 330i Sport Package with 6 speed manul was manufactured last month and is a U.S. model. They will show up at dealers around May 6th.
-The sport package on the 330i comes with 225/40-18 on 18x8 in front and 255/35-18 on 18x8.5 in the rear...same tire size as my car.
-E90 325i and 330i will come with the sunroof standard. They said the only people that don't want a sunroof are a handful of racers and dealers complain about not being able to get rid of the non-sunroof cars. Said the E90 M3 will likely have it as an option since it is more racer oriented.
-E90 M3 probably a 2008 model, though while he admittedly was not in product development, did not know if it will have a V8 or not.
-It definitely looks sporty, but I'm still so-so on some of the looks. Some I like better. It also definitely looks like a bigger car than my E46 (which it is).
-There is a front strut tower brace installed from the factory, though I don't know how good it is.
-SMG option (330i only) will come out in October, as will AWD models
-The E90 3-series WILL be at the Dallas Auto Show this week.
-The shifter is nice and smooth. I like it!
-The front seating area is roomy enough
-The cupholders seem to work well enough and there is also one that can have the AC siphoned off to cool your drink.
-Not having to have a giant keychain (I'm guilty of that!) dangling from the dash into your leg will be nice with the C6-style no-key in the dash start option.
-The back seat definitely had less headroom, as I'd read. Seemingly slightly more footroom though.
-The trunk was BIG in comparison to my E46's.
-The interior materials were not "cheaper" than the E46s, contrary to what I'd read in magazines.
-I didn't see an iDrive car there, but the buttons on the HVAC and radio were nicely laid out. The feel of the interior isn't bad, though not as "warm" feeling as the E46. It's not quite E36 cold, but less driver-centric than an E36.
-They gave us E90 brochures.
On a small-world note, I ran into one of my former TI co-workers from '96. Old Ag that bought his '99 M3 (Titanium Silver) new and still has it with only 63K mi on it. He still works at the Plano - Spring Creek location. He said they had 6 cars broken into in their parking lot last week, but his was unscathed.
Onto the pictures...
http://redwood.smugmug.com/gallery/478095
).
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