Discussion
So after going around in circles I suddenly found a car. Not too many E90 manuals around and this one was at a dealer with BMW warranty. I booked the test drive and upon arrival the bloody car was just leaving with trade plates, this was confusing. Apparently another customer had called that morning and they'd let him drive it, bloody hell.
They came back and no mention if it was sold therefore off we headed. To be honest I was trying not to fall for the car too much only for the rug to be pulled out from underneath me. Everything conspired against the test drive, it had no fuel and the roads were full of traffic. The only chance I had a short go it felt quite adjustable, but way more refined than the 130. Tiny little steering wheel, power button was very obvious on the throttle, the rest of it attached to the I-drive and also the M button I never had the chance to explore, all in good time. During the drive it was impossible to fully extend it but it was surging along pretty merrily and I was chuffed that I had made the journey. Lovely noise and at idle you are never in much doubt what is under the bonnet, as per the last one I was in it's really a bundle of barely contained energy, feels quite unlike any other V8 I have driven. Things like Mustangs and Jags all have a huge shove of torque but this is actually quite soft, dare I say 'ordinary' below 3K (for a 4.0 V8) it fools you into changing up early as it feels so urgent. But it just keeps going. At the top it's just a different character, which is what I think I want, only time will tell?
The only thing it is missing is folding rear seats, but I could spend forever looking for the perfect car, sometimes you have to make a compromise here and there. I was asked to make sure it had four doors, four seats and that it wasn't a 'boys car'
When we arrived back at the dealership I was left looking around the car for a few moments then got the good news that the previous chap was in the 'initial phase of purchasing'
That was that, put the deposit down and should be good for picking it up this weekend. As we were going through the paperwork another couple of calls had been taken for potential viewings and a guy from downstairs asked if it was still for sale as someone who's car was in for a service wanted to px against it. I don't think it would have been around much longer anyway....
The drive back in the Polo was the normal affair, beige, soulless and full of self loathing but all of a sudden the crappy seats, awful gearbox and rubber band power delivery didn't seem quite so bad
Roll on the weekend.
They came back and no mention if it was sold therefore off we headed. To be honest I was trying not to fall for the car too much only for the rug to be pulled out from underneath me. Everything conspired against the test drive, it had no fuel and the roads were full of traffic. The only chance I had a short go it felt quite adjustable, but way more refined than the 130. Tiny little steering wheel, power button was very obvious on the throttle, the rest of it attached to the I-drive and also the M button I never had the chance to explore, all in good time. During the drive it was impossible to fully extend it but it was surging along pretty merrily and I was chuffed that I had made the journey. Lovely noise and at idle you are never in much doubt what is under the bonnet, as per the last one I was in it's really a bundle of barely contained energy, feels quite unlike any other V8 I have driven. Things like Mustangs and Jags all have a huge shove of torque but this is actually quite soft, dare I say 'ordinary' below 3K (for a 4.0 V8) it fools you into changing up early as it feels so urgent. But it just keeps going. At the top it's just a different character, which is what I think I want, only time will tell?
The only thing it is missing is folding rear seats, but I could spend forever looking for the perfect car, sometimes you have to make a compromise here and there. I was asked to make sure it had four doors, four seats and that it wasn't a 'boys car'
When we arrived back at the dealership I was left looking around the car for a few moments then got the good news that the previous chap was in the 'initial phase of purchasing'
That was that, put the deposit down and should be good for picking it up this weekend. As we were going through the paperwork another couple of calls had been taken for potential viewings and a guy from downstairs asked if it was still for sale as someone who's car was in for a service wanted to px against it. I don't think it would have been around much longer anyway....The drive back in the Polo was the normal affair, beige, soulless and full of self loathing but all of a sudden the crappy seats, awful gearbox and rubber band power delivery didn't seem quite so bad
Roll on the weekend.
No to the dampers, EDC, it is what it is and I always tend to mess with things anyway so it's not a problem. A manual for me was a given, the DCT is a technical marvel for sure but I like the interaction and something that makes me drive, rev matching and heal and toe is all part of the fun. The pedal feel was long and I don't need much of an excuse to fit RS19/29's to things
After the 1 series the Storm gearknob is a first choice upgrade and i'll more than likely fit the complimentary i-drive knob. After that the stereo is the planned spend. This one has DAB but with the standard paper speakers etc is, frankly, poor. Why would you spec DAB without a decent stereo, it's beyond me. Finally a trip to Evolve to remap, given that this is the last NA M car it would be criminal not to optimize it as best we can.
After the 1 series the Storm gearknob is a first choice upgrade and i'll more than likely fit the complimentary i-drive knob. After that the stereo is the planned spend. This one has DAB but with the standard paper speakers etc is, frankly, poor. Why would you spec DAB without a decent stereo, it's beyond me. Finally a trip to Evolve to remap, given that this is the last NA M car it would be criminal not to optimize it as best we can.
enjoy picking it up and I genuinely didn't sleep a wink the night before I picked mine up I was so excited, pleased you went the three pedal route too 
Mr Tidy said:
Lovely looking car - N/A V8 and manual, what's not to like!
I guess that means the 130i has gone though, but I doubt you'll mind with an M3 on the way!
Yes the 130i went two or so weeks ago now, I have really missed that car but it woke me up to driving again. The standard suspension was a compromise and I felt the straight 6 engine just needed a bit more of a hit at the top, fantastic powerplant though and brilliant on fuel for what it is. I'd have another for sure. I guess that means the 130i has gone though, but I doubt you'll mind with an M3 on the way!
So we're back home. Easy drive just listening to it all it's an amazing engine, full of character and brutally fast when poked with a stick. The chassis is a surprise, pretty compliant on back roads and like all good cars masks it's size. Grip is huge but it's easy to get the back mobile, I like how they've set it up. It's definitely a notch above most things I have driven, I'm impressed with the front end, it turns in beautifully.
I-Drive is ok, I'd prefer not to have any of it but its there so I have to use it. Menus for all sorts of utter drivel. The day I read the manual is the day I sell it!
The other half likes it and was surprised how dosile it is, she was further surprised when she floored it in second gear and shifted at 6.5K.That provoked a fair bit of nervous laughing. You're going to ask so it's averaging 26mpg being driven easily. I expect less as time goes on and it is what is, if I was worried then it definitely wouldnt have been my pick
Manual box has a longish throw and it needs a Storm knob to smooth the shifts out.
Standard pads are ok, but they're going as soon as some RS19's come my way, the pedal is also too long right now. I figured BMW would have got this right by now but both the 130 and this have dead feeling brakes, I knew about it and it's a pet hate.
It's quite a lazy thing to smooch around in but requires some effort to get it going, nobody else will make the link but it's similar to a cammy 4 pot DC2, it has to worked hard to make it sparkle. Tank range is a bit laughable, similar to the 1 series which for a car that can cover huge distances really easily is an oversight IMO. I should tell you about the stereo but it has remained off and the windows down I know it's just 'another bloody M3' but for £20K the depth and range of ability IMO is fantastic value, amusingly it only costs £120 more a year to insure than an automatic Polo
More pics later.
it's an amazing engine, full of character and brutally fast when poked with a stick. The chassis is a surprise, pretty compliant on back roads and like all good cars masks it's size. Grip is huge but it's easy to get the back mobile, I like how they've set it up. It's definitely a notch above most things I have driven, I'm impressed with the front end, it turns in beautifully. I-Drive is ok, I'd prefer not to have any of it but its there so I have to use it. Menus for all sorts of utter drivel. The day I read the manual is the day I sell it!
The other half likes it and was surprised how dosile it is, she was further surprised when she floored it in second gear and shifted at 6.5K.That provoked a fair bit of nervous laughing. You're going to ask so it's averaging 26mpg being driven easily. I expect less as time goes on and it is what is, if I was worried then it definitely wouldnt have been my pick
Manual box has a longish throw and it needs a Storm knob to smooth the shifts out.
Standard pads are ok, but they're going as soon as some RS19's come my way, the pedal is also too long right now. I figured BMW would have got this right by now but both the 130 and this have dead feeling brakes, I knew about it and it's a pet hate.
It's quite a lazy thing to smooch around in but requires some effort to get it going, nobody else will make the link but it's similar to a cammy 4 pot DC2, it has to worked hard to make it sparkle. Tank range is a bit laughable, similar to the 1 series which for a car that can cover huge distances really easily is an oversight IMO. I should tell you about the stereo but it has remained off and the windows down
I know it's just 'another bloody M3' but for £20K the depth and range of ability IMO is fantastic value, amusingly it only costs £120 more a year to insure than an automatic Polo More pics later.
ORD said:
Excellent value at the moment, these. Sure, just a 3 series with better suspension EXCEPT for that genuinely remarkable engine!
The engine defines it but the chassis is genuinely very good. I read somewhere the car was 80% different as an M car. I had the opportunity for a spin on my local roads tonight and it was bloody good. Switching it into the dynamic mode makes it so much more fun. It'd be nice to hear more of that engine though, I wonder if there's a mod......so it begins
Nice car, very nice.
Get the back boxes swapped for straight through pipes, that'll help the V8 sing better!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbetmj6tAWw
Get the back boxes swapped for straight through pipes, that'll help the V8 sing better!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbetmj6tAWw
I'm going to speak to 'Paul the welder' about the exhaust, he seems very highly regarded and tbh by the time I have looked at doing it the £200 will have seen it completed and to a better standard. If I go this route second hand OEM boxes are around £150 on the web come sale time. I think this car brings out the worst in people. I had a Bentley something or other make very un-Bentley noises trying to drop me and a collection of random hot hatches all of which seemed keen to prove a point! The EDC on the softest setting feels very odd, with one LED on it's great. Following that Bentley through town highlighted the lack of attention that an M3 draws, it might as well be a 320d for all people care, not as anonymous as the 130 but still bland enough to go underneath the radar. When you select cruise a little pointer rips around the speedometer and sticks at the selected speed, one mistake was hitting the resume button in a 50 limit, these things happen officer Got to get the pads changed and the system bled. They're at odds with the rest of the car. Oh, and it has a rear blind, which is odd.
Still haven't bothered with the stereo...I'll try the DAB tomorrow on the commute.
Edit added the other half to the policy...refund of £3.46
Got to get the pads changed and the system bled. They're at odds with the rest of the car. Oh, and it has a rear blind, which is odd. Still haven't bothered with the stereo...I'll try the DAB tomorrow on the commute.
Edit added the other half to the policy...refund of £3.46
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 5th July 20:04
ORD said:
In my fairly limited experience, BMW brakes are generally s
t. I think they are seriously under braked. How are the brakes for fade and stopping power?
I agree and I am yet to have a BMW with decent brakes, I believe the current M cars brakes are a fair bit better though. t. I think they are seriously under braked. How are the brakes for fade and stopping power?I experienced fade on my M3 a few times but the fanboys suggest a change of pad does the trick because they claim the actual standard disc/caliper set up is fine.
yonex said:
Following that Bentley through town highlighted the lack of attention that an M3 draws, it might as well be a 320d for all people care, not as anonymous as the 130 but still bland enough to go underneath the radar.
When I had mine hardly anyone knew what engine was under the bonnet unless they were into cars and in some respects it was a good thing because it was almost a little bit Q car in appeal, I have always said when you see a M3 out on the road you are hard pushed to tell the difference from a 320d.Obviously if you are stood next to the M3 it is far easier to pick out the extra details and nice touches and I did really like glancing at the powerdome when you were behind the wheel.
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