Most of my driving (by trip count, not total miles) is local errands, and I really appreciate the virtually-instant power and torque from the V8, which propels this vehicle from a dead stop in a unique way (at its price point) that makes me smile every time.
I don’t want an SUV or a two-seater, and probably not another convertible.
I’ve already rejected all of the following:
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E53 coupe (fails as both a “luxury car” and as a “sports car”; some of the interior details are really low-rent; among the shortest test drives I’ve ever taken – with the notable exception of the one immediately below)
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E43 sedan (drove this after the E53 coupe, and it’s noticeably and dramatically less than; the recent E Class sedans are really dull to look at)
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AMG GT (spectacular machine, but I’m too tall to comfortably enter/exit, plus even the softest ride settings are bone-jarring after about 6 minutes; fails the “no two-seater” test)
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Tesla _____ (they’re all ugly)
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750i (already have one, so a second one seems silly, and I want something at least a bit smaller and more fun to drive)
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A8/S8 (I just drove a new S8 and it’s awesome – but it’s too large [see previous], and I found the all-touch-screen controls unintuitive and distracting while driving; the A8 solves none of that)
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A6 (yawn)
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S5x0 (the coupe is one sexy MILF, but it’s basically a rolling La-Z-Boy; the sedan fails the “smaller than a 750i” test and spectacularly fails the “more fun to drive than a 750i” test; styling on all variants is aged, which will only get worse as the next-gen models hit the streets in meaningful numbers)
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A7/S7 (haven’t driven either one, but I don’t like the exterior styling at all)
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INFINITI anything (nothing in the line-up appeals to me)
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BMW 3 Series | BMW 4 Series | Audi anything5 | Mercedes Cxx and Cxxx* (zero appeal in any variation; I’m too old to be a frat boy)
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BMW 6 Series (design looks even older than it is)
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Ghibli (a friend had one and I hated everything about it, but mostly it sounds obnoxious and falls apart when you look at it)
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Giulia (too small and ugly AF; without the triangular front grille it looks like a 1999 Ford Escort sedan)
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Panamera (it’s a big car, and it’s on already on the short list to replace the 750i)
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Boxster/Cayman (if I’m going to get a two-door Porsche it’s going to be a 911, and they all fail the “no-two-seater” test, either literally or on a technicality)
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Volvo C3PO, XR4Ti, etc. I’ve tried to talk myself into liking the sedans, but they’re awfully plain to look at so I’ve never attempted to see if they drive better than their specs suggest.
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Genesis G80/G90 (still has that Hyundai stink)
The only other vehicles currently on my “maybe” list are the Audi S6 (2020+, so I’d probably have to lease a new one), and the BMW Z4 m40i is a distant maybe (loved the power and handling, but it violates both the “no-two-seater” and the “probably-not-another-convertible” tests).