BMW 130i: PH Carpool
Discreetly modded baby BM offers track toy and daily driver duality for this week's PH owner
Car: BMW 130i
Owned since: 2010
Previously owned: None - company car - Golf 1.9 TDI
Was going to get a diesel, glad he didn't
"When I returned my company car I wanted another five-door hatchback but with more power. I test drove a BMW 123d but although it was fast it felt bland and lacking in character. A bit of research later I found that for the same mileage a BMW 130i cost half as much as a 123d but had a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine. I reasoned I would just spend the money saved on petrol!"
What I wish I'd known:
"I wish I had known the car existed earlier. I bought the 130i with minimal research as I had run out of time and needed to buy a vehicle. If I had known how entertaining this little car was before owning one, it would have saved me a number of visits to dubious 123ds in the local classifieds."
Cost saving over diesel spent on fuel; man maths!
"The naturally aspirated engine has a delightful character which is happy to cruise on the motorway in top gear yet race to the limiter on B-roads and Alpine passes. The engine really makes the car. The sonorous straight-six sound never, ever gets old. Other than the engine I love how flexible the car is. In one year I have done 20,000 miles, five track days, used it to move house, driven to the Alps and lapped the 'ring."
Things I hate:
"The rear leg room is not adult friendly but as long as you're driving then this is not a problem! The standard M Sport suspension is just way too hard and spoils the car. Most British B-roads are just not smooth enough and the suspension can't keep up, making the car flighty with the traction control often cutting in. The standard brakes are just not up to heavy use and must be replaced to fully exploit the fun that can be had on track."
Sleeper looks conceal an effective track weapon
"The 130i is surprisingly cheap to run if you drive it normally and don't take it on track, it can even average 30-33mpg in daily driving. The only thing that has broken in 40,000 miles is a windscreen wiper relay.
"However I decided early on I was going to keep the car for some time and I was going to spend what was needed to make it 'my five-door naturally aspirated 1 M'. With the help of BMW specialists Birds Auto and Simpson Motorsport the car has been totally transformed with numerous upgrades. It has custom track and road geometry, adjustable top mounts, custom springs, Bilstein dampers built specifically for the 130i, stiffer front and rear anti roll bars, Quaife LSD, calipers from an M3, brakes discs from a 335i and lightweight OZ wheels saving 20kg off the stock wheels. With the cost of the modifications and the consumables used by track days, I am coming up to having spent the original purchase price of the car on running it over two years."
Scenic route back from Milan among adventures
"The car has to be a daily driver, B-road blaster and track tool all at the same time. I drove from the UK to a business meeting in Milan in one day, spent the following week driving Alpine passes such as the Grand St Bernard and returned to the UK via the 'ring. I have taken it to Snetterton, Donington, Brands Hatch and Bedford to name just a few circuits. Two particular moments stick in my mind. The first is the Col de la Forclaz from Martigny in Switzerland to Chamonix in France. The road is twisty yet wide with hairpins connected by flowing lines and stunning views. With the window down, foot to the floor, induction and exhaust sound ricocheting off the stone embankment back into the cabin it is a particularly vivid memory. The second was in the setting sun of a track day at Silverstone. With most attendees having gone home I spent the last 30 minutes with no other cars to be seen, it was if I had Silverstone to myself and my 130i."
What next?
"As I and the car both improve our track day competence even the improved brake setup is not coping with the demands. I will shortly be upgrading to Alcon monobloc callipers and discs to allow the brakes to keep up with the rest of the car. I have a hand-welded strut brace from BMW chassis specialists Mason Engineering to fit and I would like to replace most of the suspension components such as the wishbones with the aluminium versions from the E90 M3. The longer term goal is to reduce the overall weight of the car and I now have a garage stocked with bolts of carbon fibre waiting to become wings, bonnet, skirts, boot floor and other components."
 |
 |
Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at carpool@pistonheads.com!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff