Taking advantage of the “Build Your Own” online tool, Martha decked out her SAV with Sparkling Bronze Metallic paint on the outside and a more sedate Sand Beige Nevada Leather interior and Fineline Wave Wood Interior Trim. Fans of Stewart and San Carlos 5 Series BMW buyers will like think it’s a good thing.

Martha even aired an episode in December on “The Martha Stewart Show” of her visit to the South Carolina BMW production plant to watch her X3 being made. She also stopped by the BMW Performance Center and tested out an Ultimate Driving Machine on the BMW track. San Mateo BMW service shop customers will enjoy seeing the facility.

Martha also gave viewers a chance to will their own BMW X3. Of course, BMW fans will want to check out not only the contest but the BMW X3 models. The Sports Activity Vehicle was first introduced by BMW in 2004 and it has been gaining in popularity since then.

With all-road capability and the smooth and sensitive driving you would expect from BMW, the Sports Activity Vehicles are practical and fun. The first generation BMW X3 was a big seller and this new generation has all that was loved about the first with some wonderful updates and features.

San Carlos 5 Series customers will appreciate the finesse of the driving experience in an X3 and will love the special edition exterior colors and find leather interior. Then there’s the bonus of more space, increased efficiency and functional comfort.

This new BMW X3 is being manufactured in Spartanburg, South Carolina and has just hit your BMW showroom. So if you’re paying a visit to your San Mateo BMW service shop, check out the new X3 while you’re there. If you’re not scheduled for any service, make the trip anyway. Martha is confident you’ll think it’s a good thing and BMW is counting on it.

This year’s 5 Series Touring has seen its storage space grow, reaching 19.8 cu ft with the seats up, and 59 cu ft when the seats are folded down. If folding the seats down is not an option, then you can add 30 cu ft to the cabin simply by fixing the seats into a more upright position! And on the rare occasion that you still can’t fit all of your necessities inside, the San Carlos 5 series also comes standard with roof rails available in three stylish colors to coordinate with the exterior: matte aluminum, matte black, or gloss black.

Aside from having a greater storage capacity, the features of the 5 Series Touring run nearly identical to that of the 5 Series sedan. Some of the standout features you can find on both models include, but are not limited to, Variable Damper Control, 8-Speed Sport automatic gearbox and Efficient Dynamics technology. BMW’s Efficient Dynamics package alone offers an enviable package designed to make your car more efficient: Brake Energy Regeneration, Active Aerodynamics, Low rolling resistance tires, Electric Power Steering and lighweight engineering that runs throughout the vehicle.

Whether you’re into racing the neighbor’s station wagon or saving more at the gas pump, the new and used BMW San Carlos 5 Series Touring sedans come with four engine options – the 184 HP 2.0 L diesel, the 245 HP 3.0 diesel, the 204 HP 3.0L gas and the most powerful, the 306 HP 3.0L gas engine. And no matter which engine you choose, the newest generation of the BMW 5 Series Touring debuts an amazing feature called Auto Start-Stop, which reduces the engine idle period when coming to a short stop. This feature alone makes this vehicle worth the test drive at your local San Carlos 5 series dealership!

But come on. Is it really ever as bad as the news paints it? How many times have we seen stories like, “Is your toothpaste giving you cancer? More at 10”? Yes, businesses across the world suffered, but we’re on the upswing now. There are things to look forward to. And if you’re BMW, you’re thanking your lucky stars that in places like San Carlos, 5 Series inventories are helping your company pull in reasonable profits and keeping the shareholders happy.

It’s the demand in Germany and the United States for the very popular 5 Series that’s allowing BMW to predict sharp, steady increases in profit for 2010. The company lost $365 million last year but seems to be rebounding well in the first quarter of this new calendar, where stocks have risen 2.3% already since January 1.

What makes the 5 Series so popular is its similarities to the more expensive 7 Series, yet made available for a considerably lower price. About 70% of the parts used in the 7 Series are also used in the 5 Series, which is what has made all the recent deliveries of the vehicle worldwide go so successfully. In fact, in searching for a great BMW dealership, Palo Alto patrons need not look much farther than Peter Pan BMW. They, like every other Beamer lot in the country, have the 5 Series cars on display. Go check them out for yourself. See what all the fuss is about.

With cars like the 5 Series GT Crossover, BMW clearly is back on the way up from the gloom, which, as we’re seeing more and more in today’s world, isn’t as gloomy as it was a year ago. There’s no need to panic, folks. Things are starting to stabilize, and BMW plans on keeping itself the most recognizable luxury car brand in the world. Not even a “2012”-style natural disaster could keep them from that.

In Munich, Germany next month, the Auto Mobil International (AMI) will host its usually array of sexy concepts and updated models of all the old standards, but the show-stopper is really what patrons are making travel plans to come see. In this case, it’s a gigantic BMW exhibit taking up 16,000 square feet in AMI’s Hall 3 for the first time, and the centerpiece of this exhibit is the unveiling of the new 2011 BMW Series 5 Touring, codenamed F11.

Technically, the vehicle will first be unveiled at BMW’s Leipzig plant in Germany with limited press coverage, but the public will get their first look at this beauty at the AMI later in April—something San Carlos 5 Series fans have been looking forward to for months. The Business Touring has been a huge hit for BMW in the past, so as a show-stopper we all expect big things when it’s finally unleashed.

Of course, with 16,000 square feet of space at the AMI, BMW isn’t just bringing the one new vehicle. Other cars expected to make an appearance include the 5 Series Sedan, the new X5, and the BMW 3 Convertible. There will be plenty of other automobiles around to gander at, but Germany is proud of its luxury auto manufacturer, and to know that BMW is taking center stage next month in Munich is rather fitting.

In looking for a used BMW, San Carlos can point you in the direction of plenty of great Beamer standards, but for the latest and greatest that the range has to offer, it’s probably going to cost you a trip to Europe to lay your eyes on all the goods. Or, you can peruse the internet for pictures and recaps of the event and the new Series 5 Touring, but let’s face it—show-stoppers don’t pack quite the same punch when they’re viewed through a computer screen.

Most importantly, the new 5 Series has improved the efficiency under the hood, without compromising ability and performance.  Two engines will be available; the N55 dual scroll incline six, which supplies 300 horsepower, and the N63 twin turbo V8, posting a whooping 400 horsepower.  Initially, two models will be available; the 550i will feature the more powerful engine, while the 535i will fill a slightly more conservative role with the smaller engine.  Rumor has it a model called the 528i will be sold to US clients only at a later date.

Inside the San Carlos 5 Series dealer tells us the ’11 model continues to impress.  The interior is most like the lavish 7 Series, but possess a distinct personality all its own.  Black LCD screens grace the center control panel, as well as the back of the headrests for your passenger’s enjoyment.  In addition rear seat riders can enjoy an extra half inch of leg room.  Also, the car features the newest version of iDrive.

What is most exciting, however, is the car’s electric power steering.  Why would I be so excited about this feature?; because this element gives the car the technology to park itself and do a better job than most of us can, well myself for certain.  New technology allows the car to calculate the parking space available, determine if the car will fit, and then close your eyes and voila, your car will be parked.  (The only thing missing is an automated voice saying, “have a nice day, Mr. X”).

For those of you who like to let others test out new technology, the Peter Pan BMW dealership also sells used BMW models to San Carlos residents.  Stop in today to test drive what is currently on the lot, but don’t forget to return this June to see the superb 2011 5 Series up close.  Peter Pan’s new and used BMW San Carlos dealer promises you won’t be disappointed.