"2005 BMW 330Ci Clubsport, 911 (996) C4, 911 (993) Targa (part-owned!), 2005 Peugeot 407 SW 1.6 HDI (we all start somewhere!)"
'Everyone should own a V8' says our man
"I am a freelance cameraman, which means I travel a hell of a lot and often with a lot of things in the car. I have recently sold a 911 which I had a part-share in, after considering an E46 M3, I decided against it because I didn't fancy some of the parts prices and it is no more practical than the car I already have. Seeing as I rarely travel with people in the back and I am a sucker for coupes, the big six seems like it was made for me!"
What I wish I'd known:
"Not much really, I did a fair bit of research in advance but I found that information on the 6 is relatively thin on the ground compared with the 1, 3 and 5 series. Fortunately a lot of information applicable to the 5 Series translates."
Things I love:
"It is maybe the last naturally aspirated V8 BMW is going to put in a car, so that was a big motivation for me. It is said every petrolhead must own an Alfa and a V8, I suppose I thought the V8 would probably be less ruinous! The car is extremely luxurious compared with my E46, it feels like it comes from a completely different time even though they are both actually 05 reg cars. The styling is really growing on me and the front end in particular I find really good looking - the wide arches over the front make it seem very purposeful. The spec on this car is very generous too, highlights being the HUD and the Logic 7 sound system."
Luxury and tech still up there despite age
"Not a hate per se, but the rear styling of the car could definitely use some improvement! I appreciate the practical advantage of the 'Bangle butt' but I think they could have done *something* with it - answers on a postcard! I also find the sound of the thing is perhaps a little muted for a 4.4-litre V8, but haven't made my mind up yet what I want to do with regards to that."
Costs:
"The most difficult bit of estimating costs was getting my head around the conditional servicing bit. Fortunately the previous owner had looked after the car, including tending to its known weak spots (new gearbox sump, new rocker covers). I have mostly been spending on fuel, I see anywhere between 23 and 37mpg - although I admit that last one was stuck behind a lorry doing 40! Parts prices seem fairly reasonable, with discs, pads etc... being somewhere between my regular E46 and E46 M3 pricing. Perhaps most frustrating was getting the reversing light bulb changed - the rear bumper has to come off! Fortunately my friendly indie, Paul King at Brent Eleigh Vehicle Repairs near Lavenham, helped out and sorted it for me."
Where I've been:
"Well this car is pretty new to me still so the furthest it has been is from Chesterfield down to Suffolk where I live. My last BMW, however, went to (among others) Edinburgh, Wales, Cornwall, Copenhagen, Austria, Munich (via the factory, of course), southern France and Barcelona - so I have very high hopes for this one. I am already planning a trip to the factory."
What next?
"The car came with an aftermarket front splitter (that I rather like) and I have been thinking about putting a little spoiler on the boot of the car to balance it out - nothing extreme, just a little "flick" like a lot of other cars have (Jag XKR, Aston Vantage, Ferrari 355). The current thing is nearly invisible. Unfortunately a badger decided the other night that it didn't like the splitter as much as I do so decided to remove it for me! So that's the next thing to be sorted I suppose! I am also undecided how much I like the wheels but sadly they are nowhere near as cheap to replace."
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