RE: BMW 340i manual (F30) | Spotted
Discussion
BFleming said:
OldSkoolRS said:
The talk of 'flat red' makes me think it's matt/satin...whereas it's glossy red, just not metallic.
Eh? The colour is Melbourne Red Metallic, BMW code A75. I agree it might be a subtle metallic, but it is definitely metallic.
to3m said:
A more serious issue with this car in my view is that it probably doesn't have HID bulbs (the little dial thing next to the light switch is usually a sign). Having had 2 BMWs with halogen bulbs I just wouldn't have another. Maybe they're better nowadays though? Or maybe they have LED bulbs?
This is an LCI (facelift) car and so has LED headlights. The pre-facelift with halogen headlights would have looked like this one:
Mr Whippy said:
You’re not going to be messing with anywhere near as much though vs this base-spec model.
And it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
We dont all think about this like youAnd it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
The 340i is not a substitute for an M3 for lots of us......its more of a ballistic 320 and not a path on the aspiration to an M3
I welcome the red and the smaller wheels. not keen on the manual given my views on BMW manuals over the years.
A trip to Birds with that and it would be a joy to own and rack up the daily miles (fuel prices not withstanding)
pb8g09 said:
This. Finally someone has said it.
Nobody in the market for these wants a poverty spec one. Many don’t want a manual, hence so few are selected from new. All these commenters frothing over a 90s spec manual car, mugging off others for liking heated seats, yet they don’t actually buy them. It’s like some kind of weird reverse snobbery/anoraking.
I am the guy that puts his money where his mouth is. It took me almost 2 years to find my current M140i (after my circumstances changed just after production of them ceased, otherwise I'd have bought new again Nobody in the market for these wants a poverty spec one. Many don’t want a manual, hence so few are selected from new. All these commenters frothing over a 90s spec manual car, mugging off others for liking heated seats, yet they don’t actually buy them. It’s like some kind of weird reverse snobbery/anoraking.
) because I wanted a 3-door, LCI2 manual in Sunset Orange, with a good spec and low mileage. The 13k mile example I eventually found doesn't have Professional Navigation or a couple of other bits I'd like but they're a relatively easy retrofit. It is a Shadow Eidtion with HK audio, heated seats and a heated steering wheel though. 
If I needed a larger car, I'd rather buy this 340i and retrofit the bits I want rather than just resigning myself to settling for an auto.
What The Deuces said:
Mr Whippy said:
You’re not going to be messing with anywhere near as much though vs this base-spec model.
And it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
We dont all think about this like youAnd it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
The 340i is not a substitute for an M3 for lots of us......its more of a ballistic 320 and not a path on the aspiration to an M3
I welcome the red and the smaller wheels. not keen on the manual given my views on BMW manuals over the years.
A trip to Birds with that and it would be a joy to own and rack up the daily miles (fuel prices not withstanding)
It just doesn’t stack up vs all the other options.
Notably buying one of these not in bargain basement spec.
To note, I looked for a touring 340i manual with decent spec.
I get the appeal… but not at that price.
Mr Whippy said:
What The Deuces said:
Mr Whippy said:
You’re not going to be messing with anywhere near as much though vs this base-spec model.
And it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
We dont all think about this like youAnd it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
The 340i is not a substitute for an M3 for lots of us......its more of a ballistic 320 and not a path on the aspiration to an M3
I welcome the red and the smaller wheels. not keen on the manual given my views on BMW manuals over the years.
A trip to Birds with that and it would be a joy to own and rack up the daily miles (fuel prices not withstanding)
It just doesn’t stack up vs all the other options.
Notably buying one of these not in bargain basement spec.
To note, I looked for a touring 340i manual with decent spec.
I get the appeal… but not at that price.
Mr Whippy said:
What The Deuces said:
Mr Whippy said:
You’re not going to be messing with anywhere near as much though vs this base-spec model.
And it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
We dont all think about this like youAnd it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
The 340i is not a substitute for an M3 for lots of us......its more of a ballistic 320 and not a path on the aspiration to an M3
I welcome the red and the smaller wheels. not keen on the manual given my views on BMW manuals over the years.
A trip to Birds with that and it would be a joy to own and rack up the daily miles (fuel prices not withstanding)
It just doesn’t stack up vs all the other options.
Notably buying one of these not in bargain basement spec.
To note, I looked for a touring 340i manual with decent spec.
I get the appeal… but not at that price.
At £17.9k why doesnt it stack up price wise? You keep changing your mind, first its not an M3, then its not the right price etc etc
Not sure why you cant accept that its an attractive option to some people who prefer a simpler car. It may not be the majority but it is pretty interesting for under 18k
Are you also telling me that if I then go to Birds and Spend £5-6k on it id be better off buying an M3? I wasn't aware 2015 M3's were £24k? Any links to these unicorns?
Edited by What The Deuces on Thursday 11th August 12:21
Pistonheader101 said:
Mr Whippy said:
What The Deuces said:
Mr Whippy said:
You’re not going to be messing with anywhere near as much though vs this base-spec model.
And it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
We dont all think about this like youAnd it’ll hold value better over time.
I’d have a high spec manual touring 340i.
Or an M3.
A rubbish spec 340i manual, which from what I hear were all just BMW company cars (hence base spec)… no thanks.
The 340i is not a substitute for an M3 for lots of us......its more of a ballistic 320 and not a path on the aspiration to an M3
I welcome the red and the smaller wheels. not keen on the manual given my views on BMW manuals over the years.
A trip to Birds with that and it would be a joy to own and rack up the daily miles (fuel prices not withstanding)
It just doesn’t stack up vs all the other options.
Notably buying one of these not in bargain basement spec.
To note, I looked for a touring 340i manual with decent spec.
I get the appeal… but not at that price.
The dealer where I bought my 335Xd said the M3 didn’t come in manual… but they’re just rare.
Did they genuinely not come in manual from BMW, or just no one bought them?
In any case.
This red model is over-priced rubbish.
Maybe in the current car climate it’s competitively priced, but when prices correct it’ll be worth £5,000.
Running it as is, over-priced.
Buying to mod. Just buy one with better spec.
Buying to make a fast runabout. M3.
It’s too much money.
Mr Whippy said:
Well, doesn’t exist and doesn’t exist.
The dealer where I bought my 335Xd said the M3 didn’t come in manual… but they’re just rare.
Did they genuinely not come in manual from BMW, or just no one bought them?
In any case.
This red model is over-priced rubbish.
Maybe in the current car climate it’s competitively priced, but when prices correct it’ll be worth £5,000.
Running it as is, over-priced.
Buying to mod. Just buy one with better spec.
Buying to make a fast runabout. M3.
It’s too much money.
Utter nonsenseThe dealer where I bought my 335Xd said the M3 didn’t come in manual… but they’re just rare.
Did they genuinely not come in manual from BMW, or just no one bought them?
In any case.
This red model is over-priced rubbish.
Maybe in the current car climate it’s competitively priced, but when prices correct it’ll be worth £5,000.
Running it as is, over-priced.
Buying to mod. Just buy one with better spec.
Buying to make a fast runabout. M3.
It’s too much money.
The colour and interior trip isn't my taste, but I have a 2015 340i with the loud exhaust and power upgrade (MPPSK) - it's such a great car that I've hung onto it for 7 years rather than the planned 3! And it's still worth virtually half what I paid.
That is very much about the state of the car market but with big petrols having been out of favour when I bought it (which got me a big discount) their fortunes have improved now that the world has accepted that diesel is the devil's fuel, as I've been saying for years!
I have the default ZF auto, which is actually brilliant, but there's part of me that wishes I'd been braver and gone for the manual - hats off to whoever ordered this, ultimate sleeper, as the article says
That is very much about the state of the car market but with big petrols having been out of favour when I bought it (which got me a big discount) their fortunes have improved now that the world has accepted that diesel is the devil's fuel, as I've been saying for years!
I have the default ZF auto, which is actually brilliant, but there's part of me that wishes I'd been braver and gone for the manual - hats off to whoever ordered this, ultimate sleeper, as the article says
Mr Whippy said:
Well, doesn’t exist and doesn’t exist.
The dealer where I bought my 335Xd said the M3 didn’t come in manual… but they’re just rare.
Did they genuinely not come in manual from BMW, or just no one bought them?
In any case.
This red model is over-priced rubbish.
Maybe in the current car climate it’s competitively priced, but when prices correct it’ll be worth £5,000.
Running it as is, over-priced.
Buying to mod. Just buy one with better spec.
Buying to make a fast runabout. M3.
It’s too much money.
It's worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If it's been for sale for ages, it's probably too expensive, but it's also a limited market as most will want an auto.The dealer where I bought my 335Xd said the M3 didn’t come in manual… but they’re just rare.
Did they genuinely not come in manual from BMW, or just no one bought them?
In any case.
This red model is over-priced rubbish.
Maybe in the current car climate it’s competitively priced, but when prices correct it’ll be worth £5,000.
Running it as is, over-priced.
Buying to mod. Just buy one with better spec.
Buying to make a fast runabout. M3.
It’s too much money.
As for buying it to modify, it's easy to say "just buy one with better spec" but if you specifically want a manual 340i, you're not going to have loads of choice, and it's easy to add sat nav or whatever else than it is to buy a high spec 3-Series with the wrong gearbox or engine. And a lot of people actually enjoy modifying cars, so might enjoy the process of buying this, and finding and fitting the bits.
Not everything about cars is how the costs look on a spreadsheet.
Obviously an interesting debate given the amount of comments. Not sure about all the 'at the limit this...' and 'when I was dicing with death at Castle Combe....' ones though. Personally I think it is refreshing to see a powerful, manual car that doesn't look like a bling thing. IMO it looks far better than a jet black, massive wheeled thing with a load of to my mind options that of more use to the manufacturers' marketing and accounting departments than they are to the driver. This is in part due to the fact that it is rarer and unusual as well as 'cleaner' I feel. Agree with the PHer who thinks it has retained too much value though, but if that is what the market will pay.... Finally, many posts seem to come from the basis that money for options is no object - if it is then fine but wouldn't true petrol-heads opt for a 340i with no options than say a 320d fully loaded, even for every day use? It's not like base cars are truly basic these days is it?
ian332isport said:
BFleming said:
The Jan 2018 price list states that the 340i M Sport Touring came as auto-only. The saloon came with a manual gearbox as standard, and the Sport Auto (option 2TB) was £1690.
I'm not 100% on this, but I thought it was on option on earlier cars.By the way is also lists the X Drive variants, but the 340i was never offered with X Drive in RHD.
Leeg44 said:
Obviously an interesting debate given the amount of comments. Not sure about all the 'at the limit this...' and 'when I was dicing with death at Castle Combe....' ones though. Personally I think it is refreshing to see a powerful, manual car that doesn't look like a bling thing. IMO it looks far better than a jet black, massive wheeled thing with a load of to my mind options that of more use to the manufacturers' marketing and accounting departments than they are to the driver. This is in part due to the fact that it is rarer and unusual as well as 'cleaner' I feel. Agree with the PHer who thinks it has retained too much value though, but if that is what the market will pay.... Finally, many posts seem to come from the basis that money for options is no object - if it is then fine but wouldn't true petrol-heads opt for a 340i with no options than say a 320d fully loaded, even for every day use? It's not like base cars are truly basic these days is it?
Given its on Auto trader at £17,900 I don't think its far out on value in todays market. BFleming said:
ian332isport said:
BFleming said:
The Jan 2018 price list states that the 340i M Sport Touring came as auto-only. The saloon came with a manual gearbox as standard, and the Sport Auto (option 2TB) was £1690.
I'm not 100% on this, but I thought it was on option on earlier cars.By the way is also lists the X Drive variants, but the 340i was never offered with X Drive in RHD.
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