Sunday 26th April 2020

BMW 340i (F30) manual | Spotted

Craving the six-cylinder, manual drivetrain modest BMW saloons no longer get? Here's just the thing...

---

As a car buying nation, we British tend to be quite overt in our spec choices. Even with the smallest engines, we tend to plump for the big wheels, sportier trims and fancier options. Look at how popular the M Sport, S Line, AMG Line and R-Design models are over here; in other markets the obsession with a sporty aesthetic is much less prevalent.

Which is what makes this 3 Series stand out. It's a flagship car, but in white with the standard, fairly small, 18-inch wheels. Not bad looking by any means, just not how you'd typically expect a £40k 3 Series - as it would once have been - to look.

There's further intrigue, too, as this is a manual 3 Series. A manual 340i, no less, flipping expectation completely on its head. Our motorways are full (it seems), with all manner of BMWs on big wheels and less potent engines, yet here's the black sheep (or white, really, but you get the point): the biggest engine, the smallest wheels possible, the standard manual gearbox. With around five per cent of facelifted F30s (from 2015 onwards) expected to be 340is, the proportion of manuals must be tiny.

This particular 340i is a nice reminder, too, of the classic 3 Series recipe. Just two years after this car was registered, buyers who now want a six-cylinder 3 Series have to have all-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox. But ever since the E30, there's always been a six-cylinder, rear-wheel drive, manual car at the top of the 3 Series range just below the M3, and this car represents the end of that line. For a few very dedicated BMW fanboys, that makes it quite significant.

In fact, this might be well one of the last manual, six-cylinders 3 Series there was. While there have been subsequent M2s and M3/M4s registered with three pedals, the regular models, from the 1 Series upwards, have gradually transitioned to automatic transmissions. Registered in 2018, this must be one of the final BMWs with six cylinders and six manual gears.

On top of this fact is just how good the F30 3 Series was. The 340i was introduced in 2015, replacing the 335i with a new, modular straight six (this 3.0-litre essentially being two of the 1.5s used in the 318i.) The PH review that July spoke highly of it (optional Variable Sport Steering notwithstanding): "digging down reveals the charisma that we know and love from a 3 Series", was the verdict, along with praise for new, lag-free, tuneful 3.0-litre.

Furthermore, there's a worthwhile saving on offer here, the 340is' list price of £38,125 now down to £21,679 after two years and 15,000 miles. There's surely a deal to be struck, too, given how undesirable (to most) the spec will be.

There's really nothing else like the 340i if it tickles your fancy; all the obvious rivals from Audi, Alfa, Jaguar and Mercedes will have automatic gearboxes, after all. Those wanting something from 2015 onwards with a manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive and more than 300hp for less than £30k that isn't a BMW will be looking at a Mustang or a 370Z - there just isn't anything else on the menu.

Of course, the fact that this 340i is so rare is indicative of the market and buying tastes, with big engines and manual gearboxes simply not in demand as they once would have been. So the decision of this car's first buyer to go against the grain deserves recognition, because for just a few this will look like the ideal compact exec express. And for those that don't, it's going to be just another 3 Series on the motorway...

---

SPECIFICATION | BMW 340i M SPORT
Engine: 2,998cc straight-six turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 326@5,500-6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 332@1,380-5,000rpm
CO2: 179g/km (NEDC)
MPG: 36.7
First registered: 2018
Recorded mileage: 14,925
Price new: £38,125
Yours for: £21,679

See the original advert here

[helix402]

It looks to be a good car, shame it’s white which highlights the terrible F30 panel gaps.

[helix402]

AC43 said:

I always notice that massive gap when I see one in the street. Even on the dark-coloured ones.

That’s the worst one. To be honest the other gaps look better than a lot of F30s. Try parking an E36 or E46 next to a F30 for a comparison. My old E46 has Taiwanese front wings and much better panel gaps than an F30.