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Hey from Northern California! i4 M50

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15K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  northerncalguy  
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#1 · (Edited)
Long time reader, wanted to poke in and say hi and share a few pics of the new baby on the driveway. I've owned a couple of BMWs prior, namely an E90 and a F32, both in 6MT and while I miss the shifting, I welcome all the new advancements in tech and fit and finish of the M50. Like many others, I pre-ordered and waited, and waited, and waited. Then, just like magic it was here and I can say emphatically that it was worth the wait.

For folks still in the queue, hang tight - when you get in the seat, be prepared for speeding tickets and some torque on that neck of yours!

Options:
A96, MANL, ZDY (5AR, 5AU), ZHO (3MF, 7M9), ZPK (5DN, ZX1, ZX2, ZX3), ZPP (248, 488, 494, 4UR), ZTK (33T, 3FW), 3MQ, 4MC, 5AZ, 688, 6DR, 6NX, 6PA, 6U3, 6UX, 71C

A few modest camera phone shots. Pics or it didn't happen, right?
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Two week impressions:
  1. All the reviews are true, it's torquey and that can make you sick to your stomach at times. Going to lay off the Sport Boost for a bit :).
  2. The fit and finish are superb, just like the other BMWs I've owned. The i4 is no exception. Quiet, no rattling, good balance of tactile materials and bling.
  3. The carbon fiber is pretty good...as good as any reputable manufacturer. I have had several Ducatis with carbon fiber and the i4's interior and exterior carbon elements are just as pretty.
  4. The 20"s are surprisingly a good ride. Not harsh IMO, just right.
  5. iDrive 8 -- not sure about this one yet. The organization is all over the place. Don't get me wrong, it's many steps above what I had on my F32, but if you're expecting an Apple iOS level of software fit and finish, you're going to be disappointed. Here, I feel BMW have a long way to go in terms of UX, logical menu organization, etc.
  6. 50yr emblems -- surprisingly, this looks great on the pearl white. I thought I would miss the blue ring, but I don't and knowing that this is a limited emblem makes it even more distinguished, IMO.
Overall, very satisfied but still adjusting to new tech, driving dynamics, and the charging routine. Over the past two weeks, between my solar based charging and EA, I have not spent a single dollar on powering this thing. Hope it continues through the fall!

Questions / comments welcome!

- northerncalguy of e90post & bimmerpost, and now i4talk :)
 
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#9 ·
Hahah, this is strange....when I was younger with my very first E90 it seemed everyone in America wanted to have clear markers instead of amber. To hear your interest in it makes me chuckle. I'm sure you can easily purchase them from a dealer here, if you really insist on it!
 
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#13 ·
Techwhiz1 said:
I was on e90 post also.
My E90 was totaled last August.
I had an electrical fire.

Anyway congrats!
Click to expand...
Thank you!

I was looking at some of my early posts from e90post and they're reminiscent of the types of posts I see here at i4talk :). Sorry to hear about your E90, I let mine go along time ago...it's vintage now!
 
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#14 · (Edited)
At 1300+ miles, there are a few more new observations to be had:
  • The everyday drive in Eco Pro is buttery smooth, so much so that I feel I'm being pampered in total luxury. But switch this baby to Sport or floor the throttle and it will respond!
  • I updated iDrive to address the Valet Mode Recall and got the latest patch 07/2022.40 and was pleasantly surprised at the changes. It shows BMW is actively updating (and probably fixing many bugs) so this is a great sign of more updates and enhancements to come.
  • MyBMW and communication with the car for such things as updating the charging parameters or triggering cabin preconditioning isn't very reliable. The app back end needs a lot of help, I hope they figure out a way to make it more reliable and working not half of the time.
  • We need more persistent climate controls on the touchscreen. I would love to have the fan speed -/+ somewhere on there.
  • Range is on spec for the 20" around 230ish for me -- consistently in Eco Pro.
Now with some proper exterior shots:
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#15 ·
Frankly, the app back-end design has had real issues for the 3 years I've had my 330. It's become more reliable recently, but the synchronous communications architecture was not smart. They designed it like it was being used on a reliable link rather than assuming weak communications. My fear is that a real re-architecting will be necessary to fix the underlying issue of expecting reliable communication. It used to be I had to leave the app active to get it to complete a remote command. They've made that better. But it's still fundamentally flawed.
 
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#16 ·
The more and more I see the m50 wish I gone that route.

Love the tint! I will be going in the same direction :D
 
owns 2016 Porsche GT3RS
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#19 ·
Anxious said:
...I can't wait to meet up with folks in the area who purchased them to feel the power.
Click to expand...
You don't have to wait much longer, sign up for UDE -- they're in the Bay Area in Sep/Oct:

driving.bmwusa.com

The Ultimate Driving Experience

driving.bmwusa.com driving.bmwusa.com

I'm booked for SF West on 9/30 to see if there's anything I can learn about more effective driving with the i4. From the videos I've seen, it might be tame but, hey, it's free and I get to drive someone else's car without worrying about mine!
 
#20 ·
SHE SO SEXY!
 
owns 2016 Porsche GT3RS
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#27 ·
I've been debating adding the 50th roundels on it but not sure as I like the blue rings. Really looks sharp on the white though. And yes, took it for my first set of launches on Sunday and did not prepare by putting my head against the head rest, and paid for it. Just f'ing crazy.
 
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#28 ·
Very belated congrats! Oooh those pro / second set of shots are damn sexy! I want those kinda shots with mine. I think the 50th Anniv M emblems look good on any of the colors honestly, though of course, I'm partial to the blue hehe.

I did the carbon fiber inside but yeah, didn't want to go with the exterior carbon...it's damn cool though. But I also like the gold mirror caps and grill surround that mine has. So no complaints

iDrive 8 is fine by me. ohh haven't tried to see if there are any updates though. Haven't driven in Eco Pro yet nor Sport Boost...want it to be in a safe place for the launch control of course.
 
#29 ·
Great looking car!
 
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