#off-shoulder nee waistline

[gogmstuff]

Ekaterina Goncharova, Baroness Gekkern:

1838 Ekaterina Goncharova, Baroness Gekkern by Jean-Baptiste Sabatier (Alexander Pushkin Memorial Museum - St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Federal City, Russia). From Wikimedia; removed spots and vertical cracks with Photoshop 1833X2048 @300 2.6Mp. This is an outstanding example of a pelerine.

1840 Ekaterina Goncharova by ? (State A. S. Pushkin Museum - Prechistenka Ulitsa, Moskva, Russia). From Wikimeida; darkened light patch in c. bkgnd with Photoshop & decreased temp' 85% and satn 10% and increased sharpness 100% 1307X1608 @200 429kj.

1840 Catherine Gontcharoff, baronne d'Anthès Heeckeren by Henri Beltz (location ?). From Wikimedia; expanded to fit screen 1848X2854 @144 794kp,

I hope this is the back story - Ekaterina Goncharova's story is interesting. According to her French Wikipedia article (Google translation), "She spent her childhood and teenage years in Moscow, where he received a good education.In the fall of 1834 at the invitation of his younger sister, Natalia, wife of Alexander Pushkin, Ekaterina moved to St. Petersburg with her ​​in the house of Pushkin. In December of the same year she became a maid of honor to the Empress. (The Empress is Alexandra Feodorovna - gogm) Ekaterina met Georges-Charles d'Anthes in the fall of 1834, shortly after moving to St. Petersburg. Their wedding took place January 10, 1837, in two ceremonies: one Catholic and one Orthodox. The couple had four children.She died Oct. 15, 1843, due to puerperal fever after giving birth to her son."

According to his Wikipedia article, George Charles d'Anthes was an Alsatian aristocrat and military officer who supported the Bourbons and not the Orléanists in 1830 so he went back to Alsace and then was allowed to serve abroad. He ended up in St. Petersburg. There he joined the Knights Guards and also met and married Ekaterina.He also met the Dutch plenipotentiary to the court, Baron Heeckeren. Baron van Heeckeren was childless and did not want his title to become extinct. "After a lengthy correspondence and a journey to Alsace, the latter (Baron Heeckeren - gogm) proposed to d'Anthès's father to adopt the son as his heir. After the agreement of the King of the Netherlands, Georges-Charles d'Anthès took the name of Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d'Anthès."

"D'Anthès met Pushkin and his wife, Natalia ("Natasha"), a beautiful and flirtatious young woman who had many admirers. D'Anthès courted her in such a way that Pushkin threatened him. D'Anthès then married Natalia's own sister, Yekaterina Goncharova, on 10 January 1837. It has been suggested that d'Anthès's engagement and marriage to Natalia's sister was devised to contradict society gossip that he was in pursuit of Natalia. In any event, this was not enough to soothe the conflict between the two new brothers-in-law, especially since an anonymous letter nominated Pushkin Deputy Grand Master and Historiograph of the Order of Cuckolds. Pushkin's jealousy made him write an insulting letter to d'Anthès's adoptive father. Pushkin having refused to withdraw these abuses, a duel became inevitable." Baron d'Anthes fired first, fatally wounding Pushkin.

[fictionalxlifexreality]

Inuyasha x Saiyuki

Trekking through the forest for quite sometime, Kagome could determine a couple of things.

One: She was officially lost. And this time, it wasn’t her lack of sense of direction that got her lost for once, more like she doesn’t know where or when she was. The forest she was currently lost in did not look one bit like Inuyasha’s Forest, and she knows that forest like the back of her hand.

Two: The fact that she does not even remotely recognize anything was a big indicator that she could possibly be in a whole, different world altogether.

Forget about being displaced through time, a different world is a whole different matter and an even bigger problem besides time! 

The feel of this world was just too different from what she was used to, which told her all that she needed to know: She wasn’t in her own world anymore, not even the feudal era of Japan. 

In fact, this new world felt like a mesh of the feudal era of Japan with a healthy dose of her present time. It didn’t feel as polluted as her time and as far as she could tell, nature is as abundant as it was back in the feudal era.

Kagome winced at the oncoming headache and rubbed at her temples to stave it off. Contemplating about time and different worlds only made her head spin, so Kagome decided to make the best of the situation and just wing it. 

After all, ever since Naraku’s defeat and the completion of the Shikon no Tama, she has been restless.

Her time in the future was brought to a halt ever since she fell down that damn well on her fifteenth birthday, and was evidently pulled through time by Mistress Centipede, but she did managed to finish her education. It was the least she could do for her mother who wanted her to graduate high school, however, math was still her worst enemy.

She sighed heavily at the mess her life has become. It was too depressing to even think about it, but she didn’t regret a thing. She couldn’t even think of a life without all this craziness, otherwise she would have lived a dull and boring existence, probably as Hojo’s wife, or something...

She shuddered at the mere thought of being Hojo’s wife. It took three, long years for his infatuation to fade and move on to some other poor girl. She was finally freed of Hojo’s attention during her last year of high school!

Now, don’t get her wrong, Hojo’s a nice boy, but he’s just too nice and boring. Plainly attractive with a bright future ahead of him, but after being exposed to the unearthly beauty of the past, Hojo just couldn’t compare.

Sometimes she wondered why all the men she met in the past are so beautiful without undermining their masculinity. The men of her time just looked so plastic, like they’re trying too hard to look perfect. Even her enemies looked very attractive minus a few. 

Naraku, Bankotsu, heck even Jakotsu, to name a few. 

Muso... Well, technically he didn’t have a face, but he was a creep like Mukotsu... Now Mukotsu, he was just one nasty piece of work, and Kagome still hasn’t thanked Sesshoumaru, a reluctant ally, for stopping Mukotsu from marrying her right then and there, despite it not being his intention. 

She probably wouldn’t see the Western Lord if ever again, much less thank him for what he’s done for her, now that she’s in this new world.

Coming to a stop before a large tree, Kagome sat down on its roots, and brought out an old antique. It was a beautiful, golden pocket watch that belonged to her late-father. She always had it with her and for as long as she could remember, it was always accurate when it comes to telling time. 

It also doubled as a compass. It was something her father had taught her when she was younger, and it helped her a lot when she got lost.

“It’s as old as time itself,” her father had once told her when she was younger. She didn’t it believe it at first, but then her adventures through time happened. Back when she was a little girl, she always thought the watch to be a little creepy because she always got a weird feeling from it. 

Now that she was older, Kagome could understand what her father had said about the watch. Although she couldn’t actually prove it, she could feel an aura surrounding the watch, very ancient and powerful. She could hazard a guess that it was related to time since she always felt it resonate when she passed through the time portal in the well. 

There’s also a bit of sentience, how much? She doesn’t know. After all, with enough time, even an inanimate object can obtain a soul, almost like a tsukumogami.

Kyuu~

A high, keening sound pulled her out of her thoughts and Kagome snapped her watch close before putting it away. She stood up and carefully scanned her surroundings. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but she was sure that she heard something.

Kyuu~

There! Looking towards the direction of the sound, Kagome slowly made her way through the green foliage before spotting something small and white under a bush. Looking closer, she could tell right away that it was injured from the blood splotches on its body.

Kagome didn’t know what it was, but she wasn’t going to leave it to suffer from its pain, so she carefully extracted the creature from underneath the bush, mindful of its injuries. Once she held the creature in her arms, Kagome was mildly surprised to see that it was a small, white dragon. 

It didn’t feel like a youkai, but it was definitely a magical creature of some sort. Though she wondered at the golden aura surrounding the dragon, almost outlining its predominant white aura.

The dragon was about the size of a house-cat, but it’s body was almost bird-like with a long serpentine neck and two legs. It’s wings more mammalian, like a bat instead of a bird. 

He, assuming the dragon’s a ‘he,’ since Kagome didn’t want to keep calling the dragon ‘it,’ had a mane of white hair that ran from his head all the way down to his tail with equally white scales. His eyes are a ruby red and he also had a pair of horns protruding from in between his ears.

Hearing the painful keening from the dragon, Kagome shook her head from her distracting thoughts and focused her attention back to the situation at hand. She carefully looked over the dragon’s injuries and noticed that one of its wings appeared to be broken. Other than a few minor injuries, the dragon will be fine.

“Alright there little guy, let’s get you fixed up.” Kagome said, as she carefully maneuvered the little dragon more comfortably in her arms.

“Kyuu~?” Looking down at the questioning sound, Kagome was met with red orbs staring into her own blue eyes. She could see the intelligence in the dragon’s wary eyes and knew that he could understand her.

“Yes, I may not look like it, but I’m an accomplished healer, if I do say so myself,” she said to the little dragon with a little grin. “But first, let’s go find a body of water. I’m sure there’s a lake or a river somewhere in this forest.”

“Kyu, kyuu~?”

“Hmm? You doubt me, don’t you, Ryu-chan? Just you wait, you’ll be healed in no time!”

“Kyuu~?” 

“Yes, it’s a cute name right? I don’t know your name yet, so I’ll call you Ryu-chan for the time being.” Kagome couldn’t help but smile at the adorable dragon she dubbed, Ryu-chan. If he wasn’t as injured as he is, she wouldn’t have been able to stop herself from hugging him to death.

“Nee, Ryu-chan, you wouldn’t happen to know where I could find water, would you? I’m completely lost here.” she said, grinning sheepishly.

“Kyuu? Kyu, Kyuu! Kyu, kyuu, kyuu~!”

Kagome just laughed at Ryu-chan’s excited response. He was nodding and pointed his head towards her left and what looked to be beyond the treeline.

“Well, aren’t you just a smart dragon!” She could faintly hear rushing water, meaning a river was just beyond the treeline.

“Kyuu!”

It wasn’t long until Kagome found herself before a river with crystal clear waters. She walked a little closer to the river bank and noted that it was quite shallow, the deepest part would probably reach her waistline. Moving towards a tree still close to the water, she sat down and set to cleaning the dragon’s injuries first before moved on to his broken wing.

Sitting Ryu-chan on her lap, Kagome tore the bottom portion of her shirt into strips leaving her with a crop top. She was just thankful she was wearing wraps under her shirt and a tank top, so she wasn’t exposing anything indecent. 

She dipped the cloth into the water when she spotted a couple medicinal herbs growing along the river bank and grabbed those as well. She ground the herbs into a green paste with water before she cleaned Ryu-chan’s injuries and carefully applied the herbal paste, it would help prevent scarring when she began healing the dragon.Then she moved onto the dragon’s broken wing.

“Ok, Ryu-chan, you might want to brace yourself. Since your wing is broken, I have to set the bones back into place before I start healing you.”

“Kyuu~?”

“Don’t worry, Ryu-chan. The pain will only be a moment. Are you ready?” Kagome looked at Ryu-chan and was glad to see that he was listening to her instructions.

“Alright, Ryu-chan. On my count. One, two, three–!” Kagome quickly snapped the bone back into place, gently cooing at the dragon whimpering in pain. She placed her hand a hair's breadth away from the broken wing and focused on her healing ki. 

Her hand began glowing a soft lavender as opposed to the hard violet her miko-ki usually is, and began to mend the broken bone, then all the minor injuries. After she was finished with the healing, she suddenly had her hands full with a happy, fully healed dragon.

“Hahahaha~ That tickles, Ryu-chan~!”

“Kyuu~!”

“You’re very welcome, Ryu-chan! I’m glad to help!” Kagome giggled at the ticklish feeling as Ryu-chan, who was perched on her shoulders, rubbed against her cheek, emitting a purr-like sound.

Now that Kagome’s healed her new friend, she’s unsure of what to do next. She might be capable of surviving on her own, but she’s in completely unfamiliar lands. Even if she comes across civilization, she knows firsthand how untrusting people are of foreigners, no matter how kind they may seem.

Absentmindedly petting her dragon companion, Kagome contemplated on her next move. First things first, she has to get out of this forest. She’s been lost in this forest for quite awhile and she doesn’t even want to know what kind of danger will flock to her like bees to pollen when night falls. It’s like she has a bright, neon target painted on her back that says: “Easy prey, come get me!”

Looking up at the sky, she calculated that she has about five more hours until sunset, seeing that it’s probably high noon right now. She didn’t even have to look at her clock to check the time to see if she’s right because she knows she’s always correct when it concerns time.

Getting up from her sitting position, Kagome patted off any dirt and debris that might have gotten stuck on her backside. For a moment, she eyed the dragon who was perched on her shoulders, watching her curiously. She wondered whether or not there was someone looking for Ryu-chan. She didn’t mind a bit of company, but for such a well-behaved and intelligent creature, Kagome’s positive that Ryu-chan has friends looking for him.

“Kyuu~?”

Kagome looked towards the questioning sound and was met with Ryu-chan’s inquisitive red orbs. Just as she was about to reassure the dragon that there was nothing wrong, she was interrupted by a noise coming from a distance that was slowly getting closer.

—ryuu!

Hak— ryuu!!    

Where— you— Hakuryuu?!

“Hakuryuu? Is that your name, Ryu-chan?” she asked Ryu-chan, who was looking towards the noise.

“Kyu, kyuu~!”

Hearing the positive response, Kagome couldn’t help but giggle, it seems that she was right in thinking that there was someone looking for Ryu-chan, or rather Hakuryuu. 

Just on the edge of her senses, she could subtly feel four distinct auras and a powerful object. Each individual was quite powerful if she could barely get a reading of their auras because she could tell that their auras are tightly concealed. If she wasn’t trained as she was she wouldn’t even be able to tell that there was four people out there, let alone how powerful they are.

“Should we wait here for your friends or should we meet up with them?”

“Kyu, Kyuu! Kyu, kyuu, kyuu~!” Seeing that Hakuryuu was all but ready to go, Kagome laughed as he floated right in front of her waiting in anticipation.

“Well then, lead the way Hakuryuu! No need for your friends to tear the forest apart in their search for you!”

“Kyuu~”

Kagome held back her laughter as Hakuryuu agreed with her statement and she couldn’t wait to see what kind of people Hakuryuu’s friends are for them to garner such respect from a dragon like Hakuryuu.

Dragons, no matter what type, are proud and highly intelligent creatures. To earn one’s loyalty is no easy feat unless one is raised from their egg like Ah-Un was to Seeshoumaru, but even then, to earn Ah-Un’s trust was to earn Sesshoumaru’s trust, which was already difficult as earning his respect.

It took Kagome four long years to earn the Western Lord’s respect and that was earned when she survived and completed his demonic training. Then it took her another two years to earn his trust, therefore his loyalty, when she risked her life for his ward Rin from danger, and he was otherwise preoccupied. She wouldn’t even dream of breaking his trust because that would mean her certain death.

As she followed Hakuryuu through the forest, she rubbed the purple crescent moon tattooed on her inner left wrist, she has a larger, more elaborate one tattooed over her heart. It was a mark that connected her to Sesshoumaru’s clan. Once she completed her training under the Western Lord, she was honored to accept his offer of joining his pack through a powerful pact of blood and soul.

The blood pact was so that others would recognize or acknowledge that she belongs to a powerful clan should they not know who Sesshoumaru was, and to ensure that she was not to be messed with.

The soul pact was a double-edged sword. The pact connects the soul to the Western Lands and ensures one’s loyalty to the clan, but Kagome would never in her life, ever compromise her loyalty because the pact actually saved her life in more ways than one. 

It actually filled the void in her fractured soul that Kikyo left behind when the vengeful doll took with her a part of Kagome’s soul into the afterlife. Despite how abnormally large her soul is, Kagome still suffered from phantom pains that was caused be her incomplete soul, and due to that, she struggled with controlling her powers. 

She was grateful for the pact because it helped complete her soul and stabilize her powers. If she should ever break her pact, the blood in her veins would burn her from the inside out and her soul would be destroyed and never have the chance to join the cycle of reincarnation. 

As long as she was connected to Sesshoumaru and the House of Moon, the Western Clan, she would never have the reason to betray Sesshoumaru’s trust and loyalty.

Kagome was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Hakuryuu perch on her shoulders and nuzzle into her cheek. She smiled and indulgently gave the dragon her attention, gently scratching under his chin, earning a pleased chirp-like sound. 

Seeing that Hakuryuu was making himself comfortable on her shoulder, she guessed that they were nearing his companions and by the voices she could hear getting closer, it wouldn’t take long for them to intercept one another.

Sedately walking towards the noise, she could tell that the voices are male. One of them sounded worried, two were arguing about something she couldn’t catch and the last one sounded angry and annoyed. 

Just from their voices alone, Kagome could already tell they were a bunch of interesting characters. She stopped when the voices were getting louder and closer.

“Oh Hakuryuu, I hope you’re okay.”

“Uugh~ Nee, Gojyo, Hakkai~ I’m hungry~ Feed mee~!”

“Feed yourself, you bakazaru.”

“What was that you ero-kappa that can’t swim?!”

“Uruze!! Or I’ll put a bullet between both your eyes!”

Kagome raised a brow when she heard the cocking of a gun.

“Che, damn namagusa bouzo.”

“Sanzo~ I’m hungry~ Ack—!”

Kagome blinked at the sound of heavy paper whacking two heads and eyed her dragon friend who let out an amused snort. It seems like this happens all the time if Hakuryuu wasn’t even phased by it.

“You have such interesting friends, don’t you, Hakuryuu.”

“Kyuu~!”

[techgadgets365]

What is it?

The X5 was BMW’s first SUV, nee SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle in BMW speak) and it set the tone for models of the type. Genuinely sporty and surprisingly versatile, the X5 has been a favourite for keen drivers and luxury buyers for long. In India too, the X5 has had a good run over the three generations yet. The fourth-gen X5 is out and it marks a slight shift in focus for the model; there’s a greater emphasis on luxury than before. If that’s good news or bad and how the latest X5 fits into the India scheme of things is what we’re going to find out.

What’s it like on the outside?

The new X5 is bigger than you think. Unlike the X3, which looks visually larger than its predecessor, this new ‘G05’ X5, from a distance at least, looks much smaller than the outgoing ‘F15’ X5, despite it being 36mm longer, 19mm taller and a solid 66mm wider. In fact, you might mistake the X5 for an X3 or even an X1, up until the point it pulls up next to you.

This is because of its design, which features sharper lines, tighter skinning and some exaggerated details. The most controversial of these is the enormous chrome-heavy, single-piece kidney grille, which absolutely dominates the front end. From this sprouts a pair of slimmer, more angular headlamps – now with the electric-blue signature of BMW’s Laserlight high-beam system (which gives a throw of 600m) – and, of course, the new-age, C-shaped take on BMW’s LED corona ring DRL signature. The waistline crease flows into a pronounced haunch over the rear wheel, adding some muscle, and this xLine trim looks far more elegant than the M Sport version, which is currently only available with the petrol engine.

Some of us aren’t fans of the way BMW has abandoned the classic L-shaped tail-lamp signature for a more generic, rectangular look, but we like that they’ve stuck with the trademark split tailgate. As for some perspective on just how big this car has gotten, look at the wheels – they have a decent amount of tyre sidewall and don’t look that big, but they’re 20 inches in diameter. A few years ago, this would have been the largest size; now it goes up to 22 inches. And as for the stance, you can go from jacked-up off-roader to hunkered-down M car at the flick of a switch, thanks to the two-axle air suspension new to the X5 (previous cars only had it on the rear axle, so you couldn’t vary the ride height). As ever, you get different-sized front and rear tyres, with the ones at the rear being almost comically wide, with a 305 section – the same as a Lamborghini Huracán!

What’s it like on the inside?

The latest BMW X5’s greater dimensions have, naturally, translated into more interior space. The 42mm increase in the wheelbase to 2,975mm can be easily felt as soon as you slip into the back seat and stretch out, but the even greater sense is of width. The previous X5 was not a narrow car, but in the new one, it feels like there’s a chasm between you and your fellow passenger. It’s a comfortable back seat too, but some might find the backrest a bit too upright, and it’s not adjustable. You can flip it down to free luggage space of course, and if you do, you’ll find the already vast 650-litre space expanding to 1,860 litres, and a really cool motorised luggage cover that whirrs out from its deployed position to under the floor when not needed. What you won’t find anymore are the pair of tiny rear jump seats – they have been left out of the India-spec car this time, likely to differentiate it from the upcoming, three-row X7. What you do get, happily, is a space-saver spare tyre.

Back to the cabin, and more than the outright comfort, it’s the ambience that’s taken a quantum leap. It’s not a stretch to say this xLine variant is approaching 7 Series levels of luxury. Thick bars of dull, unvarnished wood veneer sit on the dashboard, central console and doors, and these are framed in brushed aluminium, which you’ll also find the door handles are fashioned from. The ‘Vernasca’ leather upholstery, available in this cream colour, as well as tan, brown, or black, is wonderfully soft, and there’s even double-stitched leather on the dashboard. The front seats (powered, with a memory function, of course) are big and plush, with a wide array of adjustments, including shoulder support. There are 12 choices of colour combinations for the LED ambient lighting, which even extends to a panoramic sunroof – Sky Lounge, as BMW calls it – and it looks incredible at night.

There are some things that stand out for the wrong reasons in the otherwise high-quality cabin. Those chrome central AC vents, though incredibly well-finished, appear as an uninspired piece of design in this classy BMW cabin. The mode select buttons feel a little flimsy and are tricky to click properly, especially on the move. Then there’s the cut-glass effect on the gear lever, iDrive click-wheel and start button, which has been very polarising. Some find it cool, others find it gaudy, and while on one hand it doesn’t smudge with fingerprints like the standard plastic lever, on the other, in bright sunlight, the reflections off it can hit you right in the eye.

Speaking of points of contention – there’s the new all-digital dial system. While the previous generation of this system (in the 5 Series, for example) mirrored BMW’s classic twin round dials, this new one, which you’ll find on all upcoming Bimmers, adopts a more sci-fi-feeling angular look. This would be fine if it functioned well, but the numbers aren’t as clear to read, the tachometer spins counterclockwise, and when you switch to Sport mode – the tacho needle disappears entirely! Plus, being a screen, they’ve tried to cram it with as much info as possible, which would be helpful, but it’s small and hard to read, which means it’s more distracting to try and find it. The navigation map between the dials, for instance, is monochrome, not full colour, so it blends in rather than standing out. It just seems unintuitive; I wish there was at least the option of returning to the classic dial layout.

We can’t talk tech without mentioning the latest version of BMW’s class-leading iDrive infotainment system, which is presented here on a crisp 12.3-inch touchscreen. Apart from touch, it can be operated by the traditional click-wheel, the touch pad, voice commands and gesture control as well. The tile-based home screen has been replaced with a more tablet-computer-like clustered system, which takes a little getting used to, but ultimately works better at giving you all your vital data at once; and it’s customisable. You also get readouts for real-time power and torque usage, G-force, pitch and yaw angle, and other off-road parameters. There’s also the 360-degree camera with the fun ‘augmented reality’ system that puts a 3D model of the car in a camera-generated depiction of your surroundings. And if you opt for the M Sport trim, you’ll get a head-up display too.

The equipment list on the whole, in fact, is vast and impressive. Apart from what we’ve already discussed already, you’ll find the likes of wireless mobile charging, hands-free parking, four-zone climate control, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon hi-fi, soft-close doors, paddleshifters, adaptive dampers, a powered tailgate with remote opening, auto stop-start, Apple CarPlay (but no Android Auto) and eight airbags. Interestingly, there is only one conventional USB port, but there are three of the new-generation USB-C ports – one at the front, two at the rear – so chances are you’ll have to buy a new cable to make the most of them.

What’s it like to drive?

As we’ve said already, the new X5 is bigger than you think, and while that may apply to its appearance, it isn’t quite as true from behind the wheel, as it was with previous X5s. It’s a trend we’re seeing in most new BMWs – a general ‘softening’ of the driving experience to cater to a wider audience and offer a more luxurious experience, but here, much of the change can be attributed to one mechanical difference – two-axle rear suspension. Previously, X5s only offered air suspension at the rear to aid comfort, but now that it’s at all four wheels, it’s allowed for much more. For one, the ride height can be raised or lowered (in five steps) for varying situations, but the main benefit is a far more luxurious ride. Sure, the massive wheels and tyres can cause a bit of lumpiness over bumps, but overall, the ride is incredibly plush. If you find it too floaty in Comfort mode, switching to Sport gives it a good balance.

Sound insulation, too, is far improved, but again, it’s those big tyres that play spoilsport a bit over expansion joints. The steering has been blunted and softened too, to the point that it is incredibly light at low speeds. It’s almost enough to make you forget this car’s mammoth dimensions; almost.

So it’s great at low speeds, but the contention arises when you’re driving for enjoyment, and here’s where some of the razor-sharp agility of previous X5s is missing. The steering does feel a little mushier, and even in Sport mode there is noticeably more body roll; you really do feel the X5’s size in the corners. But perhaps I’m being a bit harsh because it still handles better than most 2.1-tonne SUVs, with perhaps only a Porsche Cayenne being able to break the laws of physics better. Those massive tyres also afford it prodigious grip, and, despite the AWD, it always has a distinctly rear-biased feel.

Whether you’re barrelling up a mountain road or weaving through traffic, you’ll love the straight-six diesel engine (there’s a straight-six petrol too) and its 8-speed automatic gearbox. With 265hp and 620Nm of torque, it’s got more than enough pulling power to compensate for the X5’s size and weight. It’s not just effortless, it’s downright quick, with 0-100kph coming up in only 6.55sec. And with the quick-acting ZF gearbox (it seems to get better with every new car launched) doing its thing, kickdown acceleration is equally brisk. The good news is the characteristic (and quite thrilling) shove in the guts typical of BMW’s diesel engines is still there. Take it out of Sport mode and – apart from a little bit of hesitation if you catch the gearbox off guard – it is smooth and refined, as is befitting this new, more luxurious X5.

Should I buy one?

The X5 starts at Rs 72.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India). This xLine variant, though, will set you back Rs 82.40 lakh, putting it dangerously close to seven-seat luxury SUVs like the Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and even the Mercedes-Benz GLS. It stings even more when you realise this isn’t a full CBU import; it’s assembled in India. However, you have to consider a few things, like how much more this car gets you. Not only is it more spacious, it’s more comfortable, thanks to the air suspension, and far better appointed and better equipped now. Then there’s BMW’s updated SU – sorry, SAV – range. The X3 has grown, you also have an X4 now, there will soon be an X7 and below that a new X6; all the models have been moved up the ladder. Sure, it’s not quite the ultimate driving machine that its forebears were, but it’s still pretty damn good to drive – and that can be forgiven for how much better a luxury SUV it is. It’s gotten more expensive, but it’s also a lot more car for the money.

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[edocherokee-blog]

10 Mile

On 178 set'tripping about all of my equations factored with undying specifics plus i hawks from above to see all my differences plus you ain't fading me one bit plus i have a digit fore every bite as tonight is the tonight commencing the boogie slide slid crossed out spelled out by the miles artistically mathematically upbeat controlling my metronome at 98.7 temperature constantly without arising any bothering problems up out of this headstrong el eh ar ee nee ee gee capitalized sow at one point five zero per order charging my loyal customer the same service fee from most restaurants to your doorstep or designated location then again or you need groceries to be at any location you wish while hard at work i got you dearly seriously like an assisting changeup pitch slowing down speed only for you batter keeping our relationship true and we are a fact as statistics rise to be a positive incline of hundreds to thousands so at three point zero cero for a service fee of the grocery side of my delivery we can do greater workings for any community once the collective members of several neighborhoods come together inside that council meeting for the first time they watching me bee me according to my higher intelligence by myself affiliated to know organization without no suspicion and conspiracy my type of feeling charmingly fused lighting bulbs brighter smiles are highlighter floating attentively on their something else with my Queens in my rite hand and they bee protecting me who are they around i be Nyakasikana Ranavalona Nzingha Nyabinghi and Tubman underground theorem enlighten packed with do or die serum sear em the marinated pork ribs on the smoky grill to be flipped seasoned i am licensed to grill plus enabled to bring the mallet down on your prejudice blackballing bias crumbled appeal divided by three companies as dbas within the whole conglomerate this silent multimillionaire got richer within three years plus i keeps mine stuffed behind spandex waistline cotton-down two button boxer i am fighting to beat the negative powers-to-be as i got deals that give you my all insider trade red hot special plus thrilled to be sewn real i reaps no ill approaches nor endorse suspecting encroachments X styles the atmosphere i live and breathe in and out everyday and night looking up entertained by starry heights faintly they glow beam just to play dim playing with my Dogon of Mali foresight creating employment for many have-nots rolling convoy as landscapers relentless endurance pushed by honor and duty with plenty of curry lentils and candied yams drizzled honey fried neptune pork chops dayum i wanna go vegan like purple cabbage brussel sprouts steamed along with broccoli olive oil freaking leaked on the tiny green buds clumped fluffy sultry in between crevices caressing curves engulfed dripping into a puddle slowly pooling off into a nice grooving stream of forward esteem encircling the mighty photosynthesized veggie team plated turnt spinning plastic frisbee out of my mindset set'tripping(echoing) calculating all about my equations factored with undying specifics best believe i am alpha conscious like ant after ant we keeps alert and be the strongest at uplifting the weight of heavy pressures off our shoulders from the youngest to the older hold up let me pull over to represent i got that mu omicron beta feeling of our truer ancestral bliss stalk we gon walk to this clapping everytime you experienced our first round draft you picked(echoing)....

[gogmstuff]

1838 Madame de Villeneuve Bargemon et sa fille by Joseph-Gésiré Court (Château de Marvejols - Marvejols, Lozère, Occitaine, France). From mutualart.com-Artwork-Portrait-de-Madame-de-Villeneuve-Bargemo-A46C406C8D8FDE14 1926X2705 @72 396kj.