Order placed!

[UniqueCheese]

I finally have something interesting to post here. I've just put down deposit on my M5. It's an Individual, and is due for delivery to me at the end of June.

I'm really quite excited.

All I need to do now is figure out what else I need to get ready. (Yes, I've checked that it fits in the garage).

So, where in the world do we get the non-planar mirrors I expect from driving in the UK, but for left-hand drive cars?

[stealth.pilot]

Originally Posted by UniqueCheese

I finally have something interesting to post here. I've just put down deposit on my M5. It's an Individual, and is due for delivery to me at the end of June.

I'm really quite excited.

All I need to do now is figure out what else I need to get ready. (Yes, I've checked that it fits in the garage).

So, where in the world do we get the non-planar mirrors I expect from driving in the UK, but for left-hand drive cars?

I'm interested too. I have the part numbers thanks to JMH however it seems only available from German dealers at $700 each.

[jmh]

Originally Posted by stealth.pilot

I'm interested too. I have the part numbers thanks to JMH however it seems only available from German dealers at $700 each.

Just a minor correction, it's 380 Euro per mirror glass (still pretty steep)

[UniqueCheese]

Ouch. It's 380 EUR .. plus shipping!

[stealth.pilot]

Originally Posted by jmh

Just a minor correction, it's 380 Euro per mirror glass (still pretty steep)

Was that 380 MSRP? If so then I could imagine it being 200 with eBay pricing.

[jmh]

Originally Posted by stealth.pilot

Was that 380 MSRP? If so then I could imagine it being 200 with eBay pricing.

Yep.
Looks like there may be options on eBay for "used" ones between 100-200 euro
http://stores.ebay.de/KB-Dienstleist...=p4634.c0.m322

[UniqueCheese]

Interesting. I'll figure out what those items actually say, and which are for the same options I have...

Thank you for that.

The only other thing to investigate is coding in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. That said, I'm not actually averse to buying the kit myself.

[Greer]

Congrats! Now the wait...

[mwlmd]

So tell us what you ordered????

Also,where in the PAC NW are you?

[UniqueCheese]

The wait is already killing me. It's not even going to be built for another month, unless it gets moved forwards!

As for configuration, I want to keep parts of it a surprise. I went off-list on some items, but my dealer has come through for me and we've made it happen. I've gone for a blue car with black leather and piano black trim, and tickyboxing all the electronics except for the night vision. It's a proper grown-up car after my old 72 Challenger, and my Jeep XJ.

I'm up in Seattle. I've got about a month to get the car up to 1200 miles before I need to make a long road-trip, and there's a plan to drop in on Portland in that time - my girlfriend needs to visit her Papa Haydn...

Do I remember someone from around that area doing a really nice Bel StiR Plus install? I should find out who that was, and how long it took and how much it cost. I'm not planning on speeding, just knowing what's around...

[avlnch]

Originally Posted by UniqueCheese

The wait is already killing me. It's not even going to be built for another month, unless it gets moved forwards!

As for configuration, I want to keep parts of it a surprise. I went off-list on some items, but my dealer has come through for me and we've made it happen. I've gone for a blue car with black leather and piano black trim, and tickyboxing all the electronics except for the night vision. It's a proper grown-up car after my old 72 Challenger, and my Jeep XJ.

I'm up in Seattle. I've got about a month to get the car up to 1200 miles before I need to make a long road-trip, and there's a plan to drop in on Portland in that time - my girlfriend needs to visit her Papa Haydn...

Do I remember someone from around that area doing a really nice Bel StiR Plus install? I should find out who that was, and how long it took and how much it cost. I'm not planning on speeding, just knowing what's around...

My Individual M5 arrives state side at the very end of April. I also went off list on many options and parts.

Now you have to share your individual specs. Spill it...

[johnsama86]

Originally Posted by UniqueCheese

The wait is already killing me. It's not even going to be built for another month, unless it gets moved forwards!

As for configuration, I want to keep parts of it a surprise. I went off-list on some items, but my dealer has come through for me and we've made it happen. I've gone for a blue car with black leather and piano black trim, and tickyboxing all the electronics except for the night vision. It's a proper grown-up car after my old 72 Challenger, and my Jeep XJ.

I'm up in Seattle. I've got about a month to get the car up to 1200 miles before I need to make a long road-trip, and there's a plan to drop in on Portland in that time - my girlfriend needs to visit her Papa Haydn...

Do I remember someone from around that area doing a really nice Bel StiR Plus install? I should find out who that was, and how long it took and how much it cost. I'm not planning on speeding, just knowing what's around...

That's why I changed the color and trim(ones that are on dealership lots) so I can pick up the car earlier, I'm picking up mine on Tue. Instead of June 30

[UniqueCheese]

I understand. I nearly went with Singapore Grey for a similar reason, but in the end I decided that it's my car, that I'm ordering as I want it, and I'll be keeping it for a while. It's going to be the way I damn well want it. That's why I paid some money to IND already.

[avlnch]

What are planar/non-planar mirrors?

[UniqueCheese]

Planar mirrors are flat and don't magnify or reduce the image. That means that things look the same distance away as if you turn your head. An example would be a flat mirror in your bathroom. If you curve the mirror like the driveway exit mirrors then you can see a wider set of angles, but the distances don't all match. The passenger side mirror on US cars is this way, and they have a warning written on them to represent that.

In the US and Canada, cars must be supplied with a planar mirror on the driver's side. Planar driver's side mirrors have a blind spot for users who align them in the manner taught until relatively recently. In England (and probably a lot of Europe), mirrors on both sides are planar for the towards-the-body two thirds of the face, and then curved to give a non-planar outside third, eliminating the blind spot while giving an overlap with the rear-view mirror inside the car. The curved section has a marking, so you know it's the curved section, and it's also something I'm used to having. The US solution, at least here in Seattle is to NEVER EVER CHANGE LANES and to mandate blind-spot monitoring systems.

I haven't yet checked to see if the US mirrors and the German mirrors are the same shape - that might be my solution.

I'll be sharing the Individual specs when it arrives.

[positiveions]

Well congrats. Post photos when you get it.

[UniqueCheese]

That's the plan

[jmh]

Originally Posted by UniqueCheese

Planar mirrors are flat and don't magnify or reduce the image. That means that things look the same distance away as if you turn your head. An example would be a flat mirror in your bathroom. If you curve the mirror like the driveway exit mirrors then you can see a wider set of angles, but the distances don't all match. The passenger side mirror on US cars is this way, and they have a warning written on them to represent that.

In the US and Canada, cars must be supplied with a planar mirror on the driver's side. Planar driver's side mirrors have a blind spot for users who align them in the manner taught until relatively recently. In England (and probably a lot of Europe), mirrors on both sides are planar for the towards-the-body two thirds of the face, and then curved to give a non-planar outside third, eliminating the blind spot while giving an overlap with the rear-view mirror inside the car. The curved section has a marking, so you know it's the curved section, and it's also something I'm used to having. The US solution, at least here in Seattle is to NEVER EVER CHANGE LANES and to mandate blind-spot monitoring systems.

I haven't yet checked to see if the US mirrors and the German mirrors are the same shape - that might be my solution.

I'll be sharing the Individual specs when it arrives.

I just brought over a set of euro spec mirror glasses and the do fit the US spec cars just fine. Installation is a little scary but in the end not a big deal. Took appr 15 minutes to replace both inserts

[UniqueCheese]

Awesome. Thank you for letting me know!

[UniqueCheese]

I have a VIN! My dealer says that my M5 started official production on Thursday at 7:05am.

[UniqueCheese]

It went for paint on Friday. It's out of paint, assembled, and in quality control now.

[DesertEagle50]

Congrats on your car. You did it the right way. I'll bet you get your car before I do and I ordered in December.