2007 BMW 335i Coupe "Cute and Sporty"

The Good: - Intense handling - Seats four in comfort - Excellent engine

The Bad: - Somewhat firm ride quality - Rear seat access - Small side mirrors

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We find it hard to start an article about a member of the BMW 3-Series family without mentioning that it still rules the roost as far as sports sedans are concerned. We’ve driven most of the new-name competition such as the almost-famous Infiniti G35, the cramped Lexus IS 300 and some really sad version of the non-Quattro Audi A4. And they still fall behind in some way or the other. The new turbocharged 335i coupe just ups the ante.
We were pleasantly surprised when this car was delivered to our doorstep to keep for the next four days. As with many other recent BMWs, this one too appears overlong, dull and tall in photos, but really is amazingly well-proportioned, aggressive and low in reality.

2008 BMW 135i Convertible "Young and Charming"

The Good: - Sports-car handling - Sports-car acceleration - Sports-car fun

The Bad: - Hard ride quality - Cramped rear seating - Very expensive

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The 1-Series hatchback was unceremoniously launched years ago, touted as an entry-level BMW for young people who can’t afford the 3-Series. Years later, the same young people voted with their wallets, skipping the undesirable One and saving up for the Three anyway, at least in this region. BMW is now trying to rectify that expensive blunder by expanding the 1-Series line-up with a two-door coupe and its soft-top variant. A more powerful set of engines were also thrown in for good measure. Which brings us to our 135i convertible tester, easily the most ‘funtastic’ car we’ve driven in months.

2009 BMW 750Li "First Class Luxury"

The Good: - Looks better than before - Powerful and efficient engine - Feature-filled spacious cabin

The Bad: - A bit too long - A bit too expensive - A bit limited in the boot area

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BMW’s long-running 7-Series flagship has always been an elegant and classy luxury sedan, right until they unleashed the bloated previous-generation mutant back in 2002. Fast-forward to 2009, and the German manufacturer seems to have rectified their gaffe, turning the 7-Series back into what it originally was — a svelte supercruiser.
Most noticeable is the successful execution of a new front end featuring wider nostrils and angry headlights, although the front bumper is cluttered with random lines that are thankfully missing on the rest of the car’s body. Generous use of LEDs for the front indicators and the huge rear tail lamps make for a briefly-interesting light show at night. Use of chrome is limited to small trim bits, along with some shiny exhaust tips integrated into the rear bumper. And the use of 20-inch alloy wheels made our long-wheelbase 750Li tester look smaller than it really is.

2009 BMW X6 xDrive50i "Big and Sporty"

The Good: - Amazing handling - Awesome engine - Head-turning looks

The Bad: - Expensive and seats only four - Rear-seat headroom - Head-turning looks

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After the 1-Series was introduced, BMW purists lamented the downgrading of an iconic nameplate in the name of profits. And just as the 1-Series is starting to get accepted, BMW has dropped another bombshell in the form of the X6, which some would call a misguided attempt at upgrading the iconic nameplate. But while the X6, a so-called sports-activity-coupe-whatever, is an abomination, we could not help hating it a bit less after we kept one for a few days. Because, love it or hate it, the car sure makes a statement.

The X6 is essentially an X5 with roof-replacement surgery, as the top has been chopped off for a “sportier” look. However, beyond the near-identical front-end, every body panel is different from those of the X5. Even the front bumper and the rear tail-lamps are completely different. Fitted with 20-inch alloys and plastic cladding along the bottom, the X6 looks smaller than it really is. We were actually excited to see this car in person, and couldn’t take our eyes off it. It was sort of like the love a dog owner has for his pet bulldog.