[Red Bread]

Fine, we can agree to disagree. I suppose the Boxster Spyder has no appeal to you, what with a lack of radio and a $60k price tag.

I get what you're saying about technology, I guess I'd just prefer that BMW place it in the actual mechanicals of the car, and passes on gimmickry inside, or at least gets the basics right (cough, LSD, cough) before making fluff standard. I'm all for the option of a touch screen, especially one that's better integrated than it is on our 1ers, and stuff like BT, iPod connections and the new B&O stereo stuff, but one of the great things BMW has offered even US buyers, has been the choice to pick just how much of that stuff you want, not forcing it on us like Audi, Acura and many other do in an attempt to provide "value". Not everyone values those things, and the opportunity to leave them out is something I welcome.

Finally, decontented cars don't drive any differently than those with all the options, and are usually lighter too. A 3er with every option, for all intents and purposes, drives just like one with no options. I've personally considered an M3 sedan with the cloth seats, no sunroof, all three pedals and a non metallic color. You can spend the same money fairly easily on a 335i sedan, and I'm sure the majority of buyers would prefer the heavily contented 335i, but I like that BMW makes both available. Why are choices bad? If it's only because it creates an artificially low base price for buyers who want lots of options, or even that the average car on the lot is no where near the base price, I'm not sure that bothers the average buyer.