[DallasBeemer]

Picked it up yesterday from Classic BMW in Dallas. 30 miles on it so far. No time to really go through everything yet, and haven't even cracked open the manual. So far, I must say the looks are outstanding and the stares you get are unbelievable. Vermillion red with black interior. Stock 19 inch tires and wheels. Technology package, comfort access, power tailgate, satellite radio

Surprises/Findings:
* The "dark wood" interior shown in the on-line brochure is actually much lighter in reality. Not a bad look, but not what I thought it was. If you want the dark wood, you need to go with bamboo.
* The i-drive is really a convoluted non user-friendly device. It's about as bad as all the car magazines describe, but I've already pretty much figured most things out. Non intuitive, and not nearly as functional as what I had in my Infiniti. Like other users, I'm sure this will be a non-issue for me later on, but unfortunately electronic technology and human factors is not where the Germans excel.
* The stock 19 inch wheels look as good to me as the upgrades in the 20 inch. I may opt for something different later in the aftermarket, but for now I'm glad I didn't get any upgrades.
* The rear camera stays on after I put it in drive. Not sure yet if this is a problem or if I need to change a setting to keep it from happening. There's a button you push to turn off the beeper, and this makes the camera go off.
* Vermillion red is my favorite color. They had a blue one, green one, black one, and silver one. All look good, so it's a matter of personal taste. I almost ordered black or silver.
* Seats are very comfortable.
* Ride is quick. Plenty of torque and power. Rides like a BMW - you feel the road, but not overly harsh. Haven't had time to put it through any handling paces yet.
* Overall fit and finish is outstanding. Little road noise.
* Very roomy interior.
* The dealer wanted to re-negotiate the price, saying the configurator made a mistake when they priced it for my order. Basically, I got the comfort access, power tailgate and Siruis radio at no extra charge. Naturally, I told them they were crazy if they thought I was paying a dime more than what we had agreed on when we placed the order. They eventually caved in and I got my options at no additional charge. I find it hard to believe they would even approach me on this, but that's the car business for you.
* More later on after I've driven it a little more.