I am actually surprised that MB keeps advertising the E55 even on TV!! I thought that they are doing so as they are not selling as well as initially hoped...

 

Go with the SL65. As far as a 4 door, did you consider the Audi RS6? I would take the Audi and E55 over the BMTroubleU

 

ShanktGT2
I am really not a BMW fan so I am hoping MB can deliver soon! I really don't like the looks of the RS-6 as much even though it's track performance is better than the E55. But, this is my 4-door car, track/ fun cars are Lamborghini or better yet, my 996tt.

 

E55, no question. One parked next to me at the gym last nite, and man, it was sexy! Sounds awesome, to boot.

And plenty fast. No need dropping $100k more for the S65.

 

I think that M5 looks pretty hot! ANy more pics?

 

I vote for the E55 if you can get one--no reason to spend the extra $.
Re the new 5er or M5, I saw a new 5er in Chile 2 weeks ago--I was very unimpressed. The shape is just IMHO Fugly--As a former M5 owner I am very disappointed with the new Bimmers.

 

Comparing the e60 M5 to the e60 530, is exactly like comparing the TT to the C2. They are not the same vehicle, both in looks and performance. It is amazing what lowered ride-height, large rims, new front and rear bumper covers, wider fenders, etc. can do to the look.

The M5 is a car many people buy instead of a sports car, not as an addition to their stable. Most M5 owners would never buy an Audi RS6 or MB E55, not because they aren't great cars (they are clearly amazing in many respects), but rather because they do not offer sports-car handling and a 6-speed transmission. They could have 1,000HP, and it still would not even ding core M5 customer loyalty.

Cheers.

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Now I am more confused. I think the best thing will be to wait until the end of 2004.

Today my choices would be
1. E55 (O4 Model)
2. Aston Martin AM V8/DB9
3. SL 55/SL65
4. M5 (05 Model)
5. S55 (05 Model)

 

I've had my '03 E55 for 4 months, and I absolutely love it. It's beautiful inside and out, has all the luxury bells and whistles you could possibly want--and, oh yea--handles really well, is fast as sh*t, and the fit, finish and build quality are superb. After owning 3 Porsches over the last 15 years, I thought I wouldn't be happy in any other car, but this is one awesome car.

 

Do you miss the 6-speed?

 

You definitely feel more connected with a 6 speed, so I do miss it sometimes. The AMG speedshift is quite good--very crisp shifts. You can manually shift by tapping the gear shift left or right, or with buttons on the back of the steering wheel. Honestly, I've used manual mode a few times, but not my cup of tea, so I just keep it in sport transmission mode--quick shifts at higher rpms.

 

BMW stands for

"B"angle "M"angles "W"onderful car designs!

I can't stand any car designed since Bangle Wangle
took over. They are all BUTT UGLY!

 

I totally agree. I had a '00 BMW 740i sport, which was a great car, and was going to wait for the new M5, until I saw what the new 5 series looked like. That, plus what Mercedes did with the new E55, made my decision very easy.

Somebody said they suspected Bangle was on Mercedes' payroll...

 

Fred, if I was in your shoes and was going to ADD an additional car, i'd go for the E55. If I was going to REPLACE your TT, i'd lean towards the Aston Martin. I don't think I would keep 2 high end sports cars w/o some sort of nice daily driver.

If you can only have ONE car, the SL55 is the best compromise IMHO. Bad-*** sports car and luxury rolled up in one (minus the manual gearbox).

 

Get the E55!