daytripper <day_trippr@REMOVEyahoo.com> haute in die Tasten:

But still it is nothing more than a major facelift, which is totally
common after a lifespan of 3 and a half years, given the fact that most
competitors have presented new models or will so so in the near future.

It also seems to be usual, that a car maker varies the debut dates of
new bodies and new engines. When the E65 came out, most engines were
already known (so you avoid engine problems in a new car). Now they
bring new engines ind a known car.

Some years ago I have heard somewhere that this engine swap starts a
wave of car swaps, because many of these cars are used as company cars.
And if your professional status gives you the right to drive the
second-fattest 7'series (because your boss has the fattest one), then
you can claim a 750i instead of your 2 year old 745i. The bottom line
of that story: New, stronger engines in company cars push sales,
because lots of executives have a reason to change their cars. In
Germany, BMW sells roughly 75% of their cars to companies, so this is
quite an interesting factor.

Franki

Bullshit. They have made the front lights larger with more curves. they have
enlarged the grills, the hace enlarged the tailights that are fixed in the
truck (but not those fixed in the body, they have added chrome highlights to
both the front bumper and rear trunk and if ou look hard enough you will
notice that the hood sits higher, maybe an inch or so.

That's it for the exterior design. Nothing more, nothing less. Still go the
broad curvy flanks, still got the high sill, still got the bulbous trunk,
still got the disparate dimensions...in fact with the exception of the
headlights, the car has still got all the cues that were complained about
and critisized in the first release.

They have simply not retreated from the design direction the embarked on in
2002.

That's more bullshit....you are just a victim of Bangle's comment that it
takes people time to become accustomed to change.