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OK ... get comfy ... here we go:<p>I flew into 'Jersey (from Florida)to sign the paperwork and check-out the beast before putting it on a carrier to ship back to Flordia (I also had business in the NY area, so the trip wasn't just for paperwork). After signing the paperwork and getting the delivery tutorial, I wanted to take my new toy for a spin. Not a minute into the drive I had made my decision: I wasn't letting this car out of my hands for a minute ... that's right ... I decided to cancel the carrier, cancel my plane ticket ... cancel my meetings ... and drive this masterpiece of a car home to Florida. <p>This car is simply amazing (Silver/Charcoal, K2a, 19 miles on the clock @ delivery)in both looks and performance. I now firmly disagree with those who have commented on the "overly sensitive touch" one needs to launch the E55 at normal speeds: there is no such sensitivity. The pedal feel is perfect: not to light, not to heavy. <p>The ride is much less harsh than I had expected as matter of fact, it is darn near luxurious. When you hit a bump, you feel it, but it doesn't make you say 'ouch'. The ridgid body and the suspension just soakes it up and disipates the harshness.<p>Through the snow-flurries in Delaware and Maryland, and the pre-Christmas traffic in Virginia, the only pain in the neck was varying my speed to comply with the break-in process. I would pull over occasionally for coffee, but it was really an excuse to thumb through one of the seven owner's manuals and check out the next set of features I would play with over the next few hours (you must get the 'Voice Activated Phone' option [K2a]... it not only allows you to use the phone hands-free, but you can also use the Radio/CD/Cassette via voice commands as well ... "CD #6 ... Track 5", or "Radio ... frequency 95.5" ... then Bam, you've got it playing, all without taking your hands off the wheel!!!). <p>The ride was an absolute pleasure and quite uneventfull until an hour from my destination. Throughout the entire ride my thoughts continued to drift (in between using voice commands to change tracks on my Sinatra CD and using the voice activated Timeport telephone that came installed and activated) to the time when I would eventually meet up with an M5. <p>Well, 26 hours after delivery, with one hour left in my trip, I was cruising I-75 down the west-coast of Florida at a leisurly 80 mph (I now had approximately 940 miles on the clock). It was about 6:30 pm and the sun had just set. In my rearview I could see Zenon's cutting through the slower traffic and approaching rapidly. When the Zenon's got to my back bumer they just stopped, and slowly came along side. I glanced over and saw a BMW. In an instant the BMW began to pull away. It was like the God's were giving me my wish ... my E55 had gone through its break-in period ... the road ahead was clear of cars (and hopefully troopers) ... and then the emblem on the right-rear-trunk lid came into focus ... M5. <p>I don't even remember the concious thought, but my right-foot just went to the floor. Within an instant I was on the M5's ass. I let off my gas pedal. I could see the rear of the M5 suddenly tuck down ("down-shifting" I thought), I gave it a nano-second to be sure he was excelerating , and I floored it again. " OH MY GOD " I thought as my whole body felt the gutteral-bubbling coming from underneath the front of my beast as it literally shot forward with seemingly unending thrust ... for the first time. <p>As we shot down I-75 at 95+ mph (I was too numb ... I didn't dare take my eyes off the road at that speed to see exactly how fast we were going), I noticed that we were coming up to slower traffic. <p>We slowed to about 75 mph in the fast lane as an 18 wheeler attempted to pass a passenger car. As the 18 wheeler turned back into the right-hand lane, I saw the rear-end of the M5 tuck down once again. No thought. Pedal to the floorboard. As we hit 110, I am still not sure if my body was shaking from the child-like giggles coming from my mouth or the gutteral-rumblings eminating from the engine of my beast. Look Ma, I'm floating.<p>More traffic up ahead, and the same scenario: 18 wheeler passing a passenger car. But just as the 18 wheeler cleared the passenger car, the rear of the M5 tucked down and it shot over into the right-hand lane. No thought. Pedal to the floorboards, I was on his ass in an instant. Uh oh ... there was a car in the right-hand lane that I didn't see ... the opening between the 18 wheeler in the fast lane and the passenger car in the slow lane was closing fast ... the M5 in front of me had a second to get into the fast lane before crashing into the rear of the slower passenger car ... it made it ... but the 18 wheeler had accelerated just enough to close the gap ... only by a bumper ... but just enough so I couldn't get through. <p>I let off the gas, hit the brakes (they are just simply awe-inspiring by the way!) and pulled into the fast lane behind the 18 wheeler. I thought that it would take the trucker a few seconds to pass the slower car in the right hand lane, move over, and I would catch up with my nemisis. A few seconds went by .... and a few more ... but the trucker wasn't pulling over ... as a matter of fact, he was slowing down. <p>I began to realize that the dream was over. The M5 was now long gone, and I had missed my chance. This time. (after all, I'm more likely to see another M5 on the road than another E55). <p>After about 5 heart-stopping minutes, the trucker finally sped up and pulled over. "The bastard", I thought, "was doing this on purpose". The first trucker probably called to the second trucker on the CB and told him that some SOB's in German super-cars were reaking havok and coming in his direction. <p>Oh, well. My day will come ... and my beast will be ready.<p>The final hour of my ride home was made with an ear to ear grin. I cannot say enough good things about the E55. Luxury. Solidity. Amenity. and Power, Power, Power . But only when you want it: normal driving (which I will be doing the majority of the time) is just that ... normal. The only noticable change from the norm is a more throaty growl from the front half of the car. The beast seems to ride on rails (as I noticed when taking an unfamiliar off-ramp in South Carolina ... recommended 20 mph exit hairpin, at 55 mph).<p>Sorry to cut this short (LOL), but I have to go out to the garage, take one last gander for the day, and say goodnight to my beast ... the finest vehicle I have ever owned.<p>I'll take pictures and post 'em this week.<p>-Drew. <p><br>
