This is my first time here, so please be gentle and don't hurt me. (Where have I heard that before!) I fly helicopters commercially out of Pategonia in, where else but, southern Argentina. I retired from the US Army in '98 - keep the smart cracks to yourself - and recently bought a reeeeeaaaallllly nice 2001 540i. It is my first BMW and my wife calls it my "work car", yeah right. Just after I bought my "work car", I had to return to work, leaving it with my lovely wife. Now while I was in the army, I flew Cobra helicopters for a while. When I took my first training in them, I was told to do a lot of situps. When I asked why, I was told that when doing diving fire, and firing the guns and rockets, all of the blood in my head would rush to a certain part of my body and I might black out. To prevent this I would need to tighten my stomach muscles. This was not exactly true, but close. Well, nobody told me about this 540i. That is almost the closest to having a sexual experience while driving a car that I have ever had. I don't mean to be obscene, but this thing is the cat's meow! When I call and talk with my wife, I ask her how she likes the car. She responds that she is "trying" not to drive "my car" every day. I've been married to this woman for a loooong time and I can tell by her voice. The experience is as good for her as it is for me. After flying helicopters for so long, I know what maintenance intense is and I have read some rather interesting comments about this going out and that breaking. Not having much exposure to a BMW, but having owned a look good, go fast Corvette, no one ever prepared me for this thing. Boys and girls, I'm telling you I don't care if syrup goes to a dollar sop, this thing has got to be some of the most fun and adult can have with their pants on and it's all legal. Ya'll keep driving safely and look out for each other. Hold hands as often as you can, look both ways before you cross the street, drink milk with your Oreos and remember that life is really grand, especially if you're cruising around in a BMW and it's a 540I Sport.
Welcome aboard! Indeed, you have one of the more . . . interesting BMWs of recent vintage! The 540i is a serious sleeper---and of course a certain Mister Dinan knows how to put a blower on the darn thing when you start to feel it doesn't have enough scoot! (Better yet, he reprograms the computer if you have an automatic transmission.) It's invigorating to reach a Certain Age and find yourself still thrilled by the push of a good V8. Of course, I have to make do with two fewer cylinders, but I was passed just the other day by a sweeeet V8: the E39 M5.
