sorry to repeat - but i wanted to make sure i get S55 owners' thoughts on this also...
*****
i finally test drove the 03 and up V12 TT yesterday and i wanted to share some impressions and get some feedback. i've owned a mid-90's SL600 and also have driven 01/02 S600/CL600s, but obviously it's not the same w/o the twin turbo.

overall, i thought the s600TT felt much heavier off the line, even compared w/ the non-turbo. once the car got going, the power and the smoothness of the power were both amazing. i could see how people fall in love w/ the engine. i could see myself going for long drives just to enjoy the cruising. the main disappointment for me was that the S600 steering felt too light, even at high speed. it felt similar to the Lexus LS, and in fact, it felt looser than my E320 wagon.

the CL600 was great and i'd love to have that as a daily driver. the car "drove" smaller and was much more enjoyable, but the back seats are about the same as my old SC400 and really not functional.

btw, i spent some time playing around the interior of the new S550 and SL500. many part of the interior were ok, but overall i have to say it's pretty disappointing to see certain pieces feeling very cheap and plasticky. from an engineering standpoint, the car probably drives better than prior models, but i'm still disapointed at what you get for $90k+, including the way the SL door closes.

so at this point, i'm a bit torn. i could be very happy w/ the S500/S55 cars, but other than finding a nice pre-owned designo model, i'm keep thinking about the 600's superior interior...with the downside that i could face more electrical/mechanical issues. obviously in the big picture, this is not such a big problem, but i thought i'd share these impressions and ask for some feedback.

p.s. i hear the bmw 745i/Li for 02 and 03 both come std w/ 6 yr/100k factory warranties...hmm...food for thought?

 

I toyed with the idea of a low-mileage 745i as they are dirt cheap despite the high technology. However, they're so pig ugly and that proved too much. 750i is far nicer looking and is also a great second hand buy. 7's lose so much money from new.

 

Try to test drive a 65. The steering and handling on an S65 are totally different. The power is sick too, of course. They'll be in the 80's soon. Even if you can't consider one now, take one for a spin just to calibrate things.

 

V12 Tt Ftmfw!!!