M140i questions?
Discussion
Smuler said:
I thought this was a Golf R or M Lite thread 
I must have been asleep.
Whoever suggested E92 M3 I support.
I did drive a M135i back to back with one and the M3 is a totally different league.
I appreciate points on lower torque, but I’d opt for much better throttle response which you get with a N/A car on any day.
And the seats are so much better than ordinary M Sport seats , plus the view over the bonnet bulge. I had a 335i and find the M3 distinctive.
The OP mentioned it in the first post, saying he disregarded the M3?I must have been asleep.
Whoever suggested E92 M3 I support.
I did drive a M135i back to back with one and the M3 is a totally different league.
I appreciate points on lower torque, but I’d opt for much better throttle response which you get with a N/A car on any day.
And the seats are so much better than ordinary M Sport seats , plus the view over the bonnet bulge. I had a 335i and find the M3 distinctive.
I’m saying he should reconsider.
The 140i is a great all round package, however £23k will buy you a nice LCI e92 M3 which I’d have all day long over the 1 series.
I went from 435i to M4 CP, the 4 series was a great car, good daily all rounder and on the way to collect the M4 I was wondering if I was doing the right thing in swapping...all forgotton within 20 secs in the M. An occasion every drive, as wil be an e92 M3. My mate has a frozen silver e92 M3 it’s fantastic
I went from 435i to M4 CP, the 4 series was a great car, good daily all rounder and on the way to collect the M4 I was wondering if I was doing the right thing in swapping...all forgotton within 20 secs in the M. An occasion every drive, as wil be an e92 M3. My mate has a frozen silver e92 M3 it’s fantastic
Smuler said:
Whoever suggested E92 M3 I support.
Run one as a daily and I guarantee that you would change your mind about them. I adored them until I purchased one and as a daily I would steer well clear. As a second/occasional car though...I would consider one for sure. I'd much prefer a 335i or a 135i as a daily, but I guess it depends how you like your power delivered. The M3 has nothing low down but everything high up, whereas it is the complete opposite in the 335i/135i which I personally prefer.
F355GTS said:
chan61922 said:
Is the older m135/235i a decent shout, seems a fair a bit cheaper, or is the 40i version miles ahead
I had an M135i for 2.5 Years and now an M140i for 6 Months, tbh I think the M135i was the more resolved fun car, many of the 'improvements' on the M140i seem to be changes for changes sake.Definitely choose a car with adaptive suspension and both seem to be better suited to the autobox which is excellent
It’s all kicking off now, M fans are in the building haha! Whatever I purchase it will be my daily driver, not lived with anything as thirsty as a m before so don’t actually know how deep I will have to dig into my pockets. I typically do a full tank a week in my current car, costs me 60/65odd quid and I get a staggering 300miles from that lol not too bad considering it’s a 3 litre petrol auto. How would a m compare? Obviously I’m in a convertible so the tank is smaller. On the other hand how does the 1/240i compare, I know people have mentioned mpg, but what are we looking at from full- empty tank and obviously fill up cost. I average about 26/27 mpg I’d say, again mixed driving. But that’s just going by what the computer says, which I doubt is 100% accurate. It’s obvious the 140 would be better on fuel as it’s newer, so maybe a lot of you guys are right as a daily it may be a better option. As far as I’m aware the 1/240i are still in production I have my current car booked in for some work at my Local stealer in a few weeks, and I’ve managed to arrange a meet with trl (tony) don’t know if any of you guys heard about him. But yeah it’s his colleage who is going to run over some figures for me on new cars, figured I’d kill 2 birds with one stone, well actually 3, I can finally get behind the wheel off one and see what it’s about! I’ll just close my eyes if I see a m car on the forecourt 
haha.
That’s the main thing I fear about not going with a m, it is garanteed to put a smile on your face, and it is indeed an event getting behind the wheel of one and giving it some. As mentioned though it will look no different inside to my current car, even the exterior is very similar if you squint your eyes lol. They are holding there value extremely well, I remember when the e46 m3 where 10/11 years old they wasn’t quite fetching what the e92/e93 are. It’s actually suprising seeing as it’s a big juicy 4.0 v8, I would’ve thought they would drop right down in price but there just not. Crazy thing is I webuyedanycar a 2008 m3 just as a rough idea, I know they offer a fair bit lower but a car up for 16.5k with a dealer was valued 13k from we buy any car. That is what scares me about a pre lci most. Saying that a nice lci would be right up my street but again for the money I can have a model in the 1/2 which is still in production and still a new shape. F it I’m buying an e46 m3 and an old remapped 123d 125d , done with this palava lol
haha. That’s the main thing I fear about not going with a m, it is garanteed to put a smile on your face, and it is indeed an event getting behind the wheel of one and giving it some. As mentioned though it will look no different inside to my current car, even the exterior is very similar if you squint your eyes lol. They are holding there value extremely well, I remember when the e46 m3 where 10/11 years old they wasn’t quite fetching what the e92/e93 are. It’s actually suprising seeing as it’s a big juicy 4.0 v8, I would’ve thought they would drop right down in price but there just not. Crazy thing is I webuyedanycar a 2008 m3 just as a rough idea, I know they offer a fair bit lower but a car up for 16.5k with a dealer was valued 13k from we buy any car. That is what scares me about a pre lci most. Saying that a nice lci would be right up my street but again for the money I can have a model in the 1/2 which is still in production and still a new shape. F it I’m buying an e46 m3 and an old remapped 123d 125d , done with this palava lol
I think in the 140 I would have to go auto though, and for me adaptive suspension is a must. Not that I know anything about it, but surely it’s bettwe then my current set up of standard m sport suspension? In a m3 I don’t know whether I’d go manual or dct. I hear great things about dct but apparently it’s pants in stop start traffic?
Suddenly the golf seems a distant memory....
Suddenly the golf seems a distant memory....
The m240i does make a decent daily, I like mine and it's suited to the 16k miles I do a year commuting, but I don't find it especially fun to drive, the straight line pace is amusing but limited opportunities to use it. It falls to pieces above 8/10th on a good road. It's a good allrounder though. I'm sure a V8 M3 is a more interesting choice if you don't do a lot of miles, but in which case I'd rather a 987 Cayman for the same money, a much better sports car and not just a 4 seat coupe with a big engine.
As someone else said, I think there is a better car lurking inside the m240, decent suspension, an LSD and maybe a slightly more fruity exhaust would benefit it massively, but that's probably £5k worth of mods.
As someone else said, I think there is a better car lurking inside the m240, decent suspension, an LSD and maybe a slightly more fruity exhaust would benefit it massively, but that's probably £5k worth of mods.
cerb4.5lee said:
Run one as a daily and I guarantee that you would change your mind about them. I adored them until I purchased one and as a daily I would steer well clear. As a second/occasional car though...I would consider one for sure.
I'd much prefer a 335i or a 135i as a daily, but I guess it depends how you like your power delivered. The M3 has nothing low down but everything high up, whereas it is the complete opposite in the 335i/135i which I personally prefer.
I don't think I adore them and I'm not sure they'd sit right with me as a "weekend car," but if take my E46 M3 on the daily commute I don't feel in anyway underpowered and when I need power, I just floor it. Granted there's the need to work harder than the 335i but as said I'm happier with the better throttle response. I'd much prefer a 335i or a 135i as a daily, but I guess it depends how you like your power delivered. The M3 has nothing low down but everything high up, whereas it is the complete opposite in the 335i/135i which I personally prefer.
The M Lites are a great prospect but my view for the OP is that if feasible in respect of the downsides of an older car / running costs, a M3 is a better overall package and with N/a being a thing of the past, now or never.
If going M lite Auto boxes I think suit any turbo car. Just be aware, OP, if you are a manual fan you may miss that interaction. I did when I had a DCT.
I had a pre-facelift M135i Manual with passive dampers and now have a M140 auto with adaptive. Neither are the ultimate driving machine, both feel rather synthetic and a bit too detached from the pure driving experience of something genuinely focussed..
... BUT for comfortable daily transport with great modern tech, performance which is quite unbelievable for the price tag, low running costs and a hooligan side when you want it, there's simply nothing out there which comes close to the M135/140.
The M135i engine always felt a bit more rewarding to rev out, whereas the M140 is much stronger in the mid range, which actually makes it better as a daily driver but a bit less exciting when you're having fun. Both cars respond incredibly well to remapping (Litchfield quoting 435hp for the stage 1 m140), in reality though they've got more than enough power for the chassis to cope with.
The auto vs manual debate is very much down to personal preference. I've had both and for the all-round usability of the auto I'm happy with this choice. It makes for a more relaxing motorway car (70mph is around 1700rpm) yet has flexibility of full manual control with the paddles when you want to have fun. On the M135i I chose a manual thinking it would be better as a drivers car, but having a manual gearbox doesn't make a blind bit of difference - it's not a hot hatch in the traditional sense, more of a mini-super GT car.
I can't compare with an E9x M3 as I've never driven one but I have spent a lot of time behind the wheel of an E46 M3 and give me the keys to that or my M140 on for a weekend blast and I'd take the M3 every time. However, as an every day proposition with all the creature comforts of the modern BMWs but a Jekyll and Hyde personality to keep you entertained when the roads are quite, the M140 takes some beating.
If you don't need the practicality of a hatch then look at a lightly used M235i. Options considered by many as "must have" are adaptive dampers, Harman Kardon, ProNav and heated seats. Try all variants, see which you like!
If you're in the market for a new one TRL does excellent deals (I drove all the way from the North to buy mine from him).
Also check out BabyBMW.net if you've not already done so. Great advice on the M140 section (and I noticed a nicely specced (and rare red) 66 plate M140i for sale in the classifieds earlier this week which was a pretty good price)
... BUT for comfortable daily transport with great modern tech, performance which is quite unbelievable for the price tag, low running costs and a hooligan side when you want it, there's simply nothing out there which comes close to the M135/140.
The M135i engine always felt a bit more rewarding to rev out, whereas the M140 is much stronger in the mid range, which actually makes it better as a daily driver but a bit less exciting when you're having fun. Both cars respond incredibly well to remapping (Litchfield quoting 435hp for the stage 1 m140), in reality though they've got more than enough power for the chassis to cope with.
The auto vs manual debate is very much down to personal preference. I've had both and for the all-round usability of the auto I'm happy with this choice. It makes for a more relaxing motorway car (70mph is around 1700rpm) yet has flexibility of full manual control with the paddles when you want to have fun. On the M135i I chose a manual thinking it would be better as a drivers car, but having a manual gearbox doesn't make a blind bit of difference - it's not a hot hatch in the traditional sense, more of a mini-super GT car.
I can't compare with an E9x M3 as I've never driven one but I have spent a lot of time behind the wheel of an E46 M3 and give me the keys to that or my M140 on for a weekend blast and I'd take the M3 every time. However, as an every day proposition with all the creature comforts of the modern BMWs but a Jekyll and Hyde personality to keep you entertained when the roads are quite, the M140 takes some beating.
If you don't need the practicality of a hatch then look at a lightly used M235i. Options considered by many as "must have" are adaptive dampers, Harman Kardon, ProNav and heated seats. Try all variants, see which you like!
If you're in the market for a new one TRL does excellent deals (I drove all the way from the North to buy mine from him).
Also check out BabyBMW.net if you've not already done so. Great advice on the M140 section (and I noticed a nicely specced (and rare red) 66 plate M140i for sale in the classifieds earlier this week which was a pretty good price)
cerb4.5lee said:
Smuler said:
Whoever suggested E92 M3 I support.
Run one as a daily and I guarantee that you would change your mind about them. I adored them until I purchased one and as a daily I would steer well clear. As a second/occasional car though...I would consider one for sure. I'd much prefer a 335i or a 135i as a daily, but I guess it depends how you like your power delivered. The M3 has nothing low down but everything high up, whereas it is the complete opposite in the 335i/135i which I personally prefer.
Friend recently spent well over £5k on an engine rebuild.
So if you're struggling to stretch the budget... it is not the right choice.
I'd personally buy one that has had the actuators done (most have, with lifetime warranty) and then budget for AND DO the rod bearings before they fail. Much cheaper.
Get it carbon cleaned while you're at it for extra power.
Honestly though..... I was spending around £17k on a car and I bought the m135i after lots of deliberation about going for an E90 M3... found a few in price with my spec but I kept coming back to the m135i as a better car for what I wanted. It's a weekend / track / nice day car although I am using it daily at the moment as my other car has a broken window regulator..
There are loads of m135i/2/40 etc but decent spec ones are rare - so there are plenty of cars to choose from, so the M3 would hold their money better - but total cost of ownership will almost certainly be lower for the M1/2xx given the significant reduction in cost in terms of repairs, servicing and likelihood of failures.
The N55 is comparatively a very solid engine, with not really any major issues reported - they are used in many cars right back to 2011/2012 in some cases so plenty of parts and still can get over 400hp with a later model EWG....
With a few mods it will handle, stop, turn and sound much much better , arguably as nice as the M3.... can get the LSD , and some camber up front with better matched damper setup are not REALLLLYYY that expensive and make a huge difference - you will also be able to sell the parts back to the user groups etc when you've finished with them as there is a lot of demand for these types of parts.
For £17/£18k you can comfortably buy a 1 or 2 series (x35i) with good miles. If you don't mind a higher miler then you will be able to get one for £14-£15k.
You want a 2013 July build on car for EWG , with Harmon Kardon audio, pro nav at the least - for this spec around £17k is the money at the moment with around 40k on .
You can use the last 6 or 7 vin digits to get full car spec list.
PS - One tip, stay away from Birds - their prices are RIDICULOUS for what you are getting , for the price of their damper kit fitted I was able to buy brand new B14 coilovers, brand new Milway motorsport top mounts and get it fitted and aligned... I'm sure someone will say "well it's not been specifically tuned to UK roads".... well it rides better than stock and doesn't fall apart when you start hooning about like the birds kit which is crap above 7/10th.
Edited by xjay1337 on Wednesday 6th February 22:32
xjay1337 said:
PS - One tip, stay away from Birds - their prices are RIDICULOUS for what you are getting , for the price of their damper kit fitted I was able to buy brand new B14 coilovers, brand new Milway motorsport top mounts and get it fitted and aligned... I'm sure someone will say "well it's not been specifically tuned to UK roads".... well it rides better than stock and doesn't fall apart when you start hooning about like the birds kit which is crap above 7/10th.
I agree they are expensive, but can I ask how you know the suspension falls to pieces above 7/10th? I've never heard that in any review, either by sponsored press or actual owners. I had a ride in their demo car and it certainly didn't seem to fall apart when pushed, far from it. Probably not the best option for serious track use I'd agree. However, they don't let you drive the demo car and therefore they won't get my money. I'll go B12 or b16 I think.Edited by xjay1337 on Wednesday 6th February 22:32
The comment that HK and pro nav are "must haves" come up in virtually every thread about these cars. Well they were not must haves for me, and I find the business nav and advanced audio in my LCI very good. Personal preference I guess. If I was buying used I'd take a better lower mileage example without them than one with, and spend the difference on better suspension.
I've owned an M135i and have an E92 M3 as a fun car. It's my second one in 5 months, which tells a story in itself.
They're not really analogous, other than in terms of budget and being modes of transport.
Both have significant flaws as well as their merits. There are several better hot hatches than the M-lites, but no better V8 performance coupes than the E92 around the £18k mark.
But E92s of that price are 7+ years old now and even the best ones need a LOT of looking after. The engine is a masterpiece but as a package they are very temperamental.
Personally, if you need a reliable, fun car with a bit of character then the M140i is the way to go. However, be prepared for its composure to unravel pretty quickly on a back road if you use a lot of its performance.
If you want the last word in razor edged hot hatchdes then save yourself a bit of cash and get a good Megane 265 / 275. As a lifelong Beemer fan, hand on heart I think they are a class above the M-lite as a driver's car.
They're not really analogous, other than in terms of budget and being modes of transport.
Both have significant flaws as well as their merits. There are several better hot hatches than the M-lites, but no better V8 performance coupes than the E92 around the £18k mark.
But E92s of that price are 7+ years old now and even the best ones need a LOT of looking after. The engine is a masterpiece but as a package they are very temperamental.
Personally, if you need a reliable, fun car with a bit of character then the M140i is the way to go. However, be prepared for its composure to unravel pretty quickly on a back road if you use a lot of its performance.
If you want the last word in razor edged hot hatchdes then save yourself a bit of cash and get a good Megane 265 / 275. As a lifelong Beemer fan, hand on heart I think they are a class above the M-lite as a driver's car.
JackReacher said:
I agree they are expensive, but can I ask how you know the suspension falls to pieces above 7/10th? I've never heard that in any review, either by sponsored press or actual owners. I had a ride in their demo car and it certainly didn't seem to fall apart when pushed, far from it. Probably not the best option for serious track use I'd agree. However, they don't let you drive the demo car and therefore they won't get my money. I'll go B12 or b16 I think.
The comment that HK and pro nav are "must haves" come up in virtually every thread about these cars. Well they were not must haves for me, and I find the business nav and advanced audio in my LCI very good. Personal preference I guess. If I was buying used I'd take a better lower mileage example without them than one with, and spend the difference on better suspension.
No owners actually drive their cars "hard" though... not properly hard ;-)The comment that HK and pro nav are "must haves" come up in virtually every thread about these cars. Well they were not must haves for me, and I find the business nav and advanced audio in my LCI very good. Personal preference I guess. If I was buying used I'd take a better lower mileage example without them than one with, and spend the difference on better suspension.
I just think the full width screen not only looks significantly better but having the split screen option, is more useful, and hearing back to back the normal audio and the HK is a night and day difference - although that being said, the HK in the 1 series isn't the full pro-logic setup you get in the larger cars.
Go for B14 if you don't need the adjustability.
B12 is Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs (fixed height).
B14 is fixed rate , height adjustable coilovers. (I have these and they ride really nicely IMO).
B16 is adjustable damping version of the B14. (I had these on my Scirocco and they were HARDDDDD, great for track, quite stiff on road).
I'm also considering an M140i at around £20,000 which gets me a 16/17 plate with <30k miles on.
What I can't seem to find is what trim/options are a must. Is the Shadow Edition is the one to be looking for or is there a better spec?
Never bought a car this new before so not familiar with how the specs/options work.
What I can't seem to find is what trim/options are a must. Is the Shadow Edition is the one to be looking for or is there a better spec?
Never bought a car this new before so not familiar with how the specs/options work.
chan61922 said:
Crazy thing is I webuyedanycar a 2008 m3 just as a rough idea, I know they offer a fair bit lower but a car up for 16.5k with a dealer was valued 13k from we buy any car. That is what scares me about a pre lci most.
I think you need to be realistic. If losing £3k to get out of a car you don't like worries you, maybe these cars are not for you?
DaveH23 said:
I'm also considering an M140i at around £20,000 which gets me a 16/17 plate with <30k miles on.
What I can't seem to find is what trim/options are a must. Is the Shadow Edition is the one to be looking for or is there a better spec?
Never bought a car this new before so not familiar with how the specs/options work.
It's pretty open to debate, really.What I can't seem to find is what trim/options are a must. Is the Shadow Edition is the one to be looking for or is there a better spec?
Never bought a car this new before so not familiar with how the specs/options work.
The options "most" people claim are mandatory are:
> HK Sound
> Professional Nav + 8.8" display
My car has neither, but I don't care. The HK isn't that good, especially given its whopping new price, and the Pro Nav display, though nicer, isn't that different.
View are mixed on Adaptive. Some people prefer it, some don't. I'm in the latter camp, I didn't think Adaptive was that well resolved compared to the fixed setup, plus I might end up with either KWs or Birds when my warranty is up and its much cheaper and easier to fit to a non-adaptive car. The only thing I really miss in mine are electric memory seats and the electric folding mirrors.
Shadow Edition gets you the HK, Pro Nav and (IIRC) black panel display. Think that's right? But also usually comes with black wheels, which look awful IMO, especially on darker coloured cars. Shadow cars tend to be newer (late-17 through to 19) and therefore demand a bit of a premium.
DaveH23 said:
I'm also considering an M140i at around £20,000 which gets me a 16/17 plate with <30k miles on.
What I can't seem to find is what trim/options are a must. Is the Shadow Edition is the one to be looking for or is there a better spec?
Never bought a car this new before so not familiar with how the specs/options work.
The ones that most seem to be looking for when looking at wanted ads on the FB groups or babybmw:What I can't seem to find is what trim/options are a must. Is the Shadow Edition is the one to be looking for or is there a better spec?
Never bought a car this new before so not familiar with how the specs/options work.
Professional Nav - gives the wide screen on the dash without the black blanked out sections either side of the screen.
Harman Kardon - the standard hi-fi is quite poor so many look for this.
Adaptive Suspension - makes the standard setting in comfort softer and the sport setting harder.
Shadow edition comes standard with Harman Kardon and a few other bits such as tinted lights, it doesn't include Pro Nav or Adaptive as standard. Shadow Ed cars will be the LCI2, so will have the revised dials and dash layout. When I was looking for mine I noticed that most of the Shadow Ed cars had no additional options, the ones that did were a decent jump up in cost. I ended up in a nicely specced LCI1, so an m140 but with the analogue dials and the original dash layout - seemed the fairest for me price-wise.
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