Harry's Garage - YouTube

[Bas Jaski]

Dangerously closely priced to a Panamera Sport Turismo, or a GTS version if you go all out on M3 option.


Admittedly, you'll get very few options ticked for the same money but...yeah.

[DuncanM]

I couldn't buy a car with that horrific slab of tablet as an excuse for a dashboard, it's criminal imo, and I know BMW aren't the only ones doing this.

I love the car otherwise, it looks serious, and from Harry's test drive, it appears very capable, and exciting to drive.

Against general opinion, I even like the grill!

[DonkeyApple]

ChocolateFrog said:

I agree but it'll still go as far offroad as the average Range Rover will.

Given the speed at which it can approach a corner, one may be of the view that it will travel much further across fields than the average Rangie.

[Jonny TVR]

Once the model has been out a while there will be the usual big discounts on list that BMW give.

It is a pretty awful looking car though. OK from behind. That wraparound display look awful.

I did like the look of that Alpina though.

[liner33]

Those Alpina wheels are awful imo , never liked them , they remind me of the chinese Merc clones

I can see the logic of the M340i or D if you don't want the full fat and pricey M3T but cant see the logic of comparing the B3 and M3 totally different markets imo

[LeighW]

DuncanM said:

I couldn't buy a car with that horrific slab of tablet as an excuse for a dashboard, it's criminal imo, and I know BMW aren't the only ones doing this.

It just seems like the use of tech for the sake of it to me putting everything on a screen. One of the things I like about my M240 is that I can adjust the heating etc by turning a knob or pressing a button, hardly having to take my eye off the road. Having to look at a screen and go through menus for such things is daft, bordering downright dangerous IMO.

[DonkeyApple]

Big selling point of BMWs up until recently was that they still had zero concentration controls for the stuff you might want to change in the move. They also had an old fashioned handbrake, essential for fast parking

[DanL]

LeighW said:

DuncanM said:

I couldn't buy a car with that horrific slab of tablet as an excuse for a dashboard, it's criminal imo, and I know BMW aren't the only ones doing this.

It just seems like the use of tech for the sake of it to me putting everything on a screen. One of the things I like about my M240 is that I can adjust the heating etc by turning a knob or pressing a button, hardly having to take my eye off the road. Having to look at a screen and go through menus for such things is daft, bordering downright dangerous IMO.

But also - “hey BMW, set the temperature to 20 degrees” solves this. Does it need to be solved this way? No. Is it neat? Maybe.

[epom]

DonkeyApple said:

ChocolateFrog said:

I agree but it'll still go as far offroad as the average Range Rover will.

Given the speed at which it can approach a corner, one may be of the view that it will travel much further across fields than the average Rangie.

[LeighW]

DanL said:

But also - “hey BMW, set the temperature to 20 degrees” solves this. Does it need to be solved this way? No. Is it neat? Maybe.

Haven't tried this, but unless it also works with 'hey BMW, set the temperature to 20 degrees for me and 24 for the wife's side', it's a moot point.

[DanL]

LeighW said:

DanL said:

But also - “hey BMW, set the temperature to 20 degrees” solves this. Does it need to be solved this way? No. Is it neat? Maybe.

Haven't tried this, but unless it also works with 'hey BMW, set the temperature to 20 degrees for me and 24 for the wife's side', it's a moot point.

Ha. You might be surprised - certainly with “turn on my heated seat” it knows which side of the car is asking…

[LeighW]

DanL said:

Ha. You might be surprised - certainly with “turn on my heated seat” it knows which side of the car is asking…

Well colour me surprised! I'll try it on the way home and report back. Sorry, wandering off topic.

[wolfracesonic]

LeighW said:

Haven't tried this, but unless it also works with 'hey BMW, set the temperature to 20 degrees for me and 24 for the wife's side', it's a moot point.

If your Mrs is driving the car alone in winter, you could ring her up and shout ‘Hey BMW, set temperature to minimum’, but let us know how you get on

[ChocolateFrog]

liner33 said:

Those Alpina wheels are awful imo , never liked them , they remind me of the chinese Merc clones

I can see the logic of the M340i or D if you don't want the full fat and pricey M3T but cant see the logic of comparing the B3 and M3 totally different markets imo

I like them but you'd be a nutter to run them through winter, they look like a nightmare to keep clean.

[ChocolateFrog]

wolfracesonic said:

LeighW said:

Haven't tried this, but unless it also works with 'hey BMW, set the temperature to 20 degrees for me and 24 for the wife's side', it's a moot point.

If your Mrs is driving the car alone in winter, you could ring her up and shout ‘Hey BMW, set temperature to minimum’, but let us know how you get on

Slightly off topic but adding about a hundred different emoji's to the end of a WhatsApp message knowing my OHs car will read out every single one individually tickles me way more than it should.

[Dracoro]

Hey car, turn the temp up by a few degrees.

All of the sudden “When will I see you again” is blasting out the stereo at full volume

[lipadier]

DanL said:

But also - “hey BMW, set the temperature to 20 degrees” solves this. Does it need to be solved this way? No. Is it neat? Maybe.

Not when the kids are sleeping in the back.

[DonkeyApple]

The reality is that turning a tactile, suitably sized and positioned dial without needing to take one's eyes off the road was the best solution. It was safe, easy, foolproof and non intrusive. Everything since is just fannying for the sake of fannying. There's good tech and bad tech. Moving competent functionality onto touch screens while operating a vehicle is not good tech. Having to speak when a dial could just be turned is not good tech. Lots of really good tech in modern cars but lots of really bad tech.

[500TORQUES]

DonkeyApple said:

The reality is that turning a tactile, suitably sized and positioned dial without needing to take one's eyes off the road was the best solution. It was safe, easy, foolproof and non intrusive. Everything since is just fannying for the sake of fannying. There's good tech and bad tech. Moving competent functionality onto touch screens while operating a vehicle is not good tech. Having to speak when a dial could just be turned is not good tech. Lots of really good tech in modern cars but lots of really bad tech.

It's amazing these cars are allowed on the road. We have bans on using your phone whilst you have drivers distracted by on screen functionality.

[otolith]

ChocolateFrog said:

Slightly off topic but adding about a hundred different emoji's to the end of a WhatsApp message knowing my OHs car will read out every single one individually tickles me way more than it should.

SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP SMILING PILE OF POOP