Getting an M550i?

Thinking hard about this one. pic.twitter.com/BfgxJ4JPe4

— Tamerlane's Thoughts (@TamerlaneBlog) May 30, 2023

Many of you know that I had been obsessed with getting an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. When a new one finally arrived at a dealer after a year's wait, I got to test drive it. It was beyond incredible. But because of its terrible resale value, the monthly lease payments are $500 a month more than a similarly priced BMW M550i. With either car, our insurance premium would double. Sadly, I had to say no to the Alfa.

I test drove an M550i xDrive last month. Its twin turbo V8 produces 529 horsepower. It was so effortlessly fast. But the one I drove had $8,000 in options I didn't want. And it's gray with a black interior. Not exciting.

I hemmed and hawed and after I got back from French Guiana, I decided to pull the trigger. I put in an order for a base M550i, blue with cognac interior and wood trim. The next day, I got an email from the dealership. BMW stopped taking orders for 2023 models. The 2024s will be a new generation. The new 5-Series will not come with a V8. The new 5-Series will not have buttons inside. Fuck!

Then, I got another email. The M550i I test drove, which was still sitting in the lot over a month after I test drove it, will have an $8,000 discount over Memorial Day weekend. If I can overcome the gray exterior and black interior, I think I'll get it.