Those first pictures I posted were of the car when it had just come off the transporter at the dealers and it was covered in protective wax & dirt. Also, I took those pix witha simple pocket size digital camera.
Since then the car has been thoroughly cleaned & waxed by both the dealer and me (I use Autoglym), but to be fair, I think the main reason why the paintwork looks so shiny now is down to the camera: a reflex fitted with a polarizing filter

Anyway, thanks for all your positive feedback, I am really enjoying the car. It's probably the nicest car to drive I have ever owned, along with my sorely missed 330d.