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Here are BMW’s official pics of the new X5, expected in dealer showrooms in about a month’s time.

To me, this is BMW’s most cohesive styling job since the E39 5 series, proportions are spot on despite the stretch job to add a third row seat, surfaces are complex without being caricatured, and – get this! – the wheel sizes are no larger than the last model, a sign that the stylists were finally grounded for their style it first engineer it later ways.

Interestingly the new X5 uses a double wishbone front suspension, a first since the M1 if my memory serves. Also of note: sport package models get all season tires, which makes a hell of a lot more sense than the summer only rubber fitted to the last model on 19s. Lastly, iDrive gets 6 programmable shortcut buttons (thank you to my friend at BMW for passing that request along – I’d like to think I played a part).

Dynamic Drive and variable damping is now included in the sport package (so now head toss won’t be a part of the X5 experience – BMW’s SAVs have a notoriously firm ride to get their tall bodies to remain on an even keel when pushed), and active steering is a standalone option.

The only sore spot for me is that run flats are standard on all models as in the 3 series. Yes, these are fourth generation models, but had I an X5 this would be the first thing I’d attend to.

Overall I’m impressed with what they’ve done here – unlike the next MINI, its done the way it should be.

Kudos to BMW for changing what needed to be changed and retaining what made the last X5 the best car in its class.

Unlike the raped-ape V-12 flagship S65 AMG, which delivers all of its 604 horsepower in a sudden, twin-turbocharged atomic bomb explosion, the normally aspirated V-8 in the S63 is more linear and doesn’t suffer from turbo lag. As a result, the S63 is likely to be the true driver’s choice, even if it does produce almost 275 lb-ft less torque. – Automobile

Order the 22-inch tires if you must have the look, but we advise against them. They ride harsher than the less sporty choices, they’re noisy, and their quick-responding nature fights with the steering feel on gusty days, taking you down a ziggy path. – Car and Driver

UPDATE: Click here to download a short clip taken during the my drive…

Original post [08.28.06]: Acura recently decided to drop the RSX from their U.S. lineup, feeling it was too unrefined and raucous to be sold next to cars like the RL and MDX. So it surprised me today that I was relieved to return the keys to the RDX because it felt – well – unrefined.

Let me back up by saying this was a car I expected to love. On paper it has one of the world’s most advanced all wheel drive systems, a suspension based on the new Civic’s (a good thing) and loads of torque without resorting to a heavy V6. It has the industry’s best nav system with real time traffic data. It was benchmarked against BMW’s X3. I was sure I’d love it.

But I didn’t, and neither did the potential buyer I accompanied. And here’s why… Read the rest of this entry »

“Ferraris are serious cars for serious people who drive around wearing a serious expression. The Gallardo can do serious, too. It has Audi electrics and Audi engineering. But as you careen towards the next bend on a wave of extraordinary sound… you’ll be making the noise of a howler monkey and wishing you were naked.” – Jeremy Clarkson