[mgarvey]

Those black alloys are awesome. Love the custom colour of your M3 too.

[ShereKhan]

Hmm love the white.

The frozen grey is very striking

[zltm089]

they both look really amazing!!!...never knew such colours existed!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Speedtrap]

C0ngrats Wafik - got to see it in the flesh now Any more mods planned?

[wafik]

Originally Posted by Speedtrap

C0ngrats Wafik - got to see it in the flesh now Any more mods planned?

I got a whole bunch of mods that need to go on once i get the car

I havent got rims, springs, or exhaust yet...but i dont think i will do those just yet? maybe lowering springs soon?

Hmmm what you think of smoked headlight tint on a white car?

Are you coming on sunday to Ikea meet?

[flyfs6]

Wafik and I were very kindly invited to Sytner Harold Wood in order to preview some products, by Laurence Bennett, the Sales Manager at BMW who also promised us a surprise! Great I thought, happily accepting the invite!

Pulling into the dealership car park, I caught the first glimpse of a 535i GT in Black Sapphire with Beige leather interior, wearing a set of 20” wheels. I took a good few minutes to look around the GT and my first impressions were, ‘this looks better than I thought it would and I suppose I can see why BMW built this’. As I turned my back to the GT to walk towards the main building, I saw a white X1 with Red leather interior parked outside and I spent a brief amount of time looking at it. This was a bit of a surprise to me as I did not expect to see these on the road yet.

I could see that inside the dealership there was another GT similar to the one I’d just seen outside (maybe this is the launch spec), which meant I was able to have a close look at one of these. I couldn’t see many other people around though, and then noticed that this was because everyone had gathered in one office in the corner. One of the guys came over to greet me and offered their apologies, explaining that BMW are here for a team briefing. Shortly afterwards, the hostess offered her apologies too and asked if I would like a cup of tea or coffee. At this point, I was wondering where Wafik was!

As I walked around the dealership, I was looking at the new and demo cars, at which point, Kevin, who was walking over across the lot, came over to say Hello and offered his assistance. Kevin is the new After Sales Manager at Harold Wood, and is responsible for looking after the service, parts and body shop operations. He’s a really nice guy who pays attention to detail, and is focused on delivering exceptional customer service and resolving any issues. I assured Kevin that I was okay and after thanking him, he carried on upon his business. Barely a minute passed when Kevin reappeared and was accompanied by Laurence. Laurence explained that the product teams from BMW were down to brief staff on the two new product lines and apologized for the delay as we went inside, where I was introduced to our very own Wafik. We dispersed to get our cameras out in order to take photos.

Firstly, we started off with the 5 series GT which sits somewhere between the 5 series and the 7 series, both in placement and size. Perhaps it’s targeted at people who want the comfort of a 7 series and the practicality of a hatchback. It clearly offers more occupant space that any 5 series prevalent. I really liked many aspects of the GT including the pillar-less doors , the two opening positions of the boot lid and reclining rear seats. We’ve been told the GT option packs include something for everyone. The interior looks very familiar due to the fact that it reminds of the new 7 series which I’ve previously enjoyed driving (which was also supplied by Harold Wood). Unlike the 7 series, this feels compact yet spacious at the same time due to the fact that it has shorter front and rear overhangs which enable the car to be more maneuverable and easier to park. The folding rear seats coupled with a hatchback boot allows awkward objects to be loaded and transported easily, which is more complicated to accomplish in a saloon car. After conversing with one of the staff members at the dealership, I discovered that it is only available in the 30d and the 535 petrol engine has mono turbo. From the few aspects of the 5 series GT which I have explored, it is evident that its target audience is mainly professional drivers or executives who need a practical yet luxurious car within itself.

I was asked if I’d seen his famous ‘Brilliant White’ M3 which in fact, I somehow missed. The next question was would I like to? It was inside the showroom already wearing its number plate. In my mind I was thinking, ‘It looks stunning, wow!’ I thought that it was an amazing colour. Despite the fact that for the past few years white has been the new thing in, it was the first time I’d seen anything like this on a BMW. The difference between it and Alpine White, is day and night. It reminded me a bit of the Lamborghini pearlescent white as the paintwork has lots of bright and beautiful metallic flakes. This M3 is fully specified and it shows, extended leather, the larger wheels, DCT and the list goes on!

All this while Laurence was accompanying us so that we wouldn’t feel unattended to. He made us feel comfortable, offering us refreshments and even offered to make us a proper brew. At last the two gentlemen from BMW GB arrived with a ‘Frozen Grey’ E92 M3 coupe. This is the same colour which is well discussed and appreciated through various forums. It’s a beautiful metallic grey with a specially developed lacquer which enables it to appear as if it has a matt finish. I should add that this colour isn’t currently available to order, and BMW have only produced a limited number of M3’s and M6’s for market feedback. I think it’s a striking colour which accentuates the curves and lines of the cars wearing it. I, for one, would be interested in ordering the colour on a M3 Touring (if such dream became reality).

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone at the dealership and the discoveries which we have made. Pleasure meeting Wafik as well. I am grateful to Laurence for the invite and his commitment, and hospitality towards us. He spent a lot of time with us, I am sure if we stayed longer he would still extended his hospitality. Things have changed at Harold Wood for the positive, and I will whole heartedly recommend the dealership to anyone considering a BMW product or service regardless of where ever they are in the country.

[wafik]

Wow, what a review of the day! Thank you for review! Was such a great day, and good to finally meet you!

Heres a few more pics of the 5 series GT (sorry forgot to add them on)....I just realised i didnt take any pics of the Msport 7 series! damm....well, when i got there next week i will take some more pics then..

[Rushall]

Lovely car Wafik - love the colour. Must say, not a massive fan of the 'vert (I know I'm in a minority but the shape just doesn't do it for me) but the metallic white on yours really does set it off well. Very nice!!

Love the frozen grey M3 - if BMW are debating whether to offer this colour, I think market feedback will be overwhelming. It looks awesome and really does work well with the contours of the M3.

[dxb335d]

Id like to see a Frozen Grey ans Space grey M3 parked together.

[Harold Wood]

Brilliant photographs, I cant wait to see your finished machine back at Harold Wood[IMG]http://

[flyfs6]

Thats a cool drawing complete with Wafik's number plate.

[MIKEYBMW1]

Originally Posted by Harold Wood

Brilliant photographs, I cant wait to see your finished machine back at Harold Wood[IMG]http://

Excellent pic

[wafik]

Originally Posted by Harold Wood

Brilliant photographs, I cant wait to see your finished machine back at Harold Wood[IMG]http://

Awesome pic...thankss for that...dont worry, once my parts are on, i'll come back and show you as promised!

[Neil McRae]

looks awesome mate. I was very close to going for that colour too, not sure why they said it wasn't available as it was in the catalog mind! lets just hope it doesn't leak.

[BigDman]

Wow .. phenomenal color - glad this has all worked out for you Wafik !