# Saw Disguised E90 on CA Freeway (I think)



## Weaselboy (Jul 7, 2002)

I searched for recent E90 posts and did not find any mention of this. I can't believe nobody else in Southern California saw this.

At 1000 A.M. yesterday (May 8) I was driving west-bound I-10 near Redlands when I saw what I thought was just a new 5-series coming up behind me. What attracted my attention was the car had the Xenon lights turned on. As the car pulled past me I recognized it as the new M5. It had the M5 quad tail pipes and black anodized look wheels. The M5 "vent" on the right fender was covered with a large piece of body colored tape and there was no logo at all on the trunk. The car was the grey green metallic color from the 3-series. The M5 was being followed by a new 5-series with no model designation on the trunk (looked like a 525i). This second car was sort of a light cocoa color.

About five seconds later I see a smaller car coming up in the same lane with headlights on (not Xenon) and I notice the headlight openings are real small. As the car passes I see it is very heavily disguised by black, plastic paneling. Looks generally like some of the E90 spy shots that have been posted... it was the right size and proportions. The left fender turn signal light looks just like spy shots. The entire front and rear of the car was covered with the rigid, black plastic stuff... even the doors had a covering on them. This thing was so covered in that plastic, I mean it could have been a Sentra under there for all I know. Based on the fact this guy was following the new M5 I mentioned, I think this was an E90.

I pulled along side twice to get a better look and the poor driver kinda got nervous. The first time he accelerated quickly, then the second time he slowed way down. I tried to wave a three (fingers) at him, but he refused to look my way.

We were on the way to the coast to see my grandson, and I always take my digital camera along... but did I have it this time? Nooooo.... left the damn thing at home.   

I did not see any other posts (searched E90) about E90 sightings in the US yet, so thought I would post.


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

Cool encounter, let's see when I'll get to see one here.



> This second car was sort of a light cocoa color.


Must be Amethyst Grey. Interesting color in person.


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

Alex Baumann said:


> Must be Amethyst Grey. Interesting color in person.


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## Weaselboy (Jul 7, 2002)

Alex Baumann said:


> Must be Amethyst Grey. Interesting color in person.


From atyclb's picture... that's the color. I checked colors on BMWNA web site to find a color that looked like what I saw, but none looked close.


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## jeffh325 (Mar 15, 2004)

Alan Flanary said:


> We were on the way to the coast to see my grandson, and I always take my digital camera along... but did I have it this time? Nooooo.... left the damn thing at home.


Not that it would have mattered. Taking digital point-and-shoot photographs at night in a moving car of another moving car is nearly impossible. You need two steady hands, a digital SLR, and an open sunroof so that the flash doesn't bounce off the glass.


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## Weaselboy (Jul 7, 2002)

jeffh325 said:


> Not that it would have mattered. Taking digital point-and-shoot photographs at night in a moving car of another moving car is nearly impossible. You need two steady hands, a digital SLR, and an open sunroof so that the flash doesn't bounce off the glass.


It was daylight (10 A.M.) and my wife could have shot the pics for me while I was driving.

Really was a missed opportunity.


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## Motown328 (Jun 4, 2003)

Alan Flanary said:


> I searched for recent E90 posts and did not find any mention of this. I can't believe nobody else in Southern California saw this.
> 
> At 1000 A.M. yesterday (May 8) I was driving west-bound I-10 near Redlands when I saw what I thought was just a new 5-series coming up behind me. What attracted my attention was the car had the Xenon lights turned on. As the car pulled past me I recognized it as the new M5. It had the M5 quad tail pipes and black anodized look wheels. The M5 "vent" on the right fender was covered with a large piece of body colored tape and there was no logo at all on the trunk. The car was the grey green metallic color from the 3-series. The M5 was being followed by a new 5-series with no model designation on the trunk (looked like a 525i). This second car was sort of a light cocoa color.
> 
> ...


OOOOOH!!!!! An Encounter of the 3er Kind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eeps:  :rofl:


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## e46shift (Oct 12, 2002)

sounds exciting. hope you get the scoop next time


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

Alan Flanary said:


> I tried to wave a three (fingers) at him, but he refused to look my way.


In Germany it is illegal to make hand gestures... he probably thought you were giving him "what-fer"... :rofl:


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## Tangent (Jan 18, 2004)

The area on and around the 10 in San Bernardino seems to be a prime are to spot disguised future cars. I've personally spotted the previous generation GMC/Chevy full-size trucks over a year before release, the current 7 about a year before release, and several Kia/Hyundai models long before they were introduced on the 10 in that area. The trucks were actually headed up towards Big Bear, each towing a trailer with weights and a big clear winscreen on them. All of them took a few moments to place since they had covers over and around all lights and several windows trying to disguise the shape. The cheapest disguise job was a Hyundai (the current Tiburon I believe) that was just painted with a funky pattern of flat black paint over it's silver in an attempt to disguise it's lines...


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## SONET (Mar 1, 2002)

Interesting. I'm seeing lots of domestic cars running around the LA area lately (some Chrysler/Dodge and Ford)... especially on La Brea between Wilshire and Melrose. They all have this weird grey contraption attached to the driver-side rear wheel. Seen a number of new Mustangs running around with a leopard pattern painted on the sides with the same contraption. I'm wondering if they're doing preliminary mileage runs or something. 

--SONET


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

SONET said:


> Interesting. I'm seeing lots of domestic cars running around the LA area lately (some Chrysler/Dodge and Ford)... especially on La Brea between Wilshire and Melrose. They all have this weird grey contraption attached to the driver-side rear wheel. Seen a number of new Mustangs running around with a leopard pattern painted on the sides with the same contraption. I'm wondering if they're doing preliminary mileage runs or something.
> 
> --SONET


Sounds to me that the car manufacturers are playing with us... If you really wanted to keep a car a secret, wouldn't you just drive it in some sparsely populated place like Montana or Wyoming... not LA! And leopard spots? :doh: Why don't they just slap a neon sign on the roof that says "Prototype"? :dunno:


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## Tangent (Jan 18, 2004)

> If you really wanted to keep a car a secret, wouldn't you just drive it in some sparsely populated place like Montana or Wyoming... not LA!


How would you test a car's ability to put up with 5mph stop and go traffic for hours on end in 100*+ weather in Wyoming?  Not to mention that an hour away from the potholed-freeway, rush-hour-hell in blazing weather test center that is LA you have great mountain testing areas in the San Bernardino mountains to see how the engine/tranny deal with extended uphill and how the brakes deal with extended downhill.


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## ItchyNScratchy (Jul 9, 2003)

Here's a post of a possible sighting of 
the e90 as well on e46.com

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=163161&highlight=e90


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

Salvator said:


> In Germany it is illegal to make hand gestures... he probably thought you were giving him "what-fer"... :rofl:


LOL! OK, it depends on the gesture though


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

Alex Baumann said:


> LOL! OK, it depends on the gesture though


Giving someone the "vogel im kopf" comes to mind... :rofl:


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