RE: BMW 340i manual (F30) | Spotted
Discussion
J4CKO said:
Does the 3 series suffer the same poor steering and easily confused suspension as the M140i ?
I am not set on the colour scheme but as a manual with the 3 litre six I bet that is actually a superb car, the ZF8 is fantastic as an auto box and I like auto boxes but I dont want one give the amount and type of driving I do, manual all the way.
Thats the kind of car, with maybe a few modifications could be a keeper, maybe a little more power, and LSD and upgrade the suspension if its as poor as the one series. Could kind of create a low key, modern Lotus Carlton type thing, turbo six with 400 ish bhp, manual and RWD.
The steering varies to a greater degree than a 1er between comfort and sport, but not necessarily in a good way. I am not set on the colour scheme but as a manual with the 3 litre six I bet that is actually a superb car, the ZF8 is fantastic as an auto box and I like auto boxes but I dont want one give the amount and type of driving I do, manual all the way.
Thats the kind of car, with maybe a few modifications could be a keeper, maybe a little more power, and LSD and upgrade the suspension if its as poor as the one series. Could kind of create a low key, modern Lotus Carlton type thing, turbo six with 400 ish bhp, manual and RWD.
The rear is a little more planted than a 1 series though.
The biggest 'win' with the car in question is the smaller wheels. I had a 335i touring earlier this year and the ride on 19s was dreadful.
big_rob_sydney said:
At 5 years old, how has it managed to hang on to 50% of its purchase price? I would have thought at 5 years old, and being literally near the bottom of the BMW tree, it would have retained much less than 50%.
My ‘66 plate 335dx is about 50% of purchase price, according to WBAC. Note: at that time, purchase price was a lot lower than list price. Discounted by about 20%.ETA: I change my wheels from 19” to 18” after two years, looks and rides better.
Edited by Pica-Pica on Tuesday 9th August 09:02
Clivey said:
It really doesn’t need 19”s. Our old F30 had the same 18” wheels as this one and I thought the tyre-to-sidewall ratio looked perfect, especially at the rear…and especially with some sporty tyres on it. Actual race cars (e.g. BTCC, GT3) use 18”s with some sidewall, not dubs with condoms stretched around them.
That's the joy of opinions; everyone has one. And this isn't an actual race car, so the comparison is largely irrelevant. big_rob_sydney said:
At 5 years old, how has it managed to hang on to 50% of its purchase price? I would have thought at 5 years old, and being literally near the bottom of the BMW tree, it would have retained much less than 50%.
I've a spreadsheet somewhere with prices and deals from when I picked my 335d around then - yes, I'm that nerdy - and a 340i was approx freely discounted to 32k new as I recall The advert is absolute dross of every single feature the car has and makes it almost impossible to work out what you're getting e.g. "Door/boot open warning light"
I'd live with it except the lack of proper nav and interior options would get very tiresome after a while when you have to live with it day to day, hopefully its got decent headlights too but I cant be bothered to wade through the word soup.
I'd live with it except the lack of proper nav and interior options would get very tiresome after a while when you have to live with it day to day, hopefully its got decent headlights too but I cant be bothered to wade through the word soup.
J4CKO said:
Does the 3 series suffer the same poor steering and easily confused suspension as the M140i ?
No. Actually, on 18"s the ride / handling balance is quite nicely judged.WRT the M140i, I've always regarded ours as a great base for modification. BMW obviously scrimped a bit on the suspension and diff to be able to price the car that low. In 2018, you could buy a new M140i for £26k from our local dealer...now, the cheapest equivalent car is the M240i at £47k (we'll ignore the F40 M135i, it's an abomination!). The other factor is that obviously they didn't want their cheaper model showing-up their much more expensive full-fat M cars.
Clivey said:
323ti said:
326bhp, does that mean it has the N55 engine or is this already a low-tune B58?
The 335i has the N55The 340i has the B58 (yes, in a slightly lower state of tune...but that can be "remedied")
Jon_S_Rally said:
That's the joy of opinions; everyone has one. And this isn't an actual race car, so the comparison is largely irrelevant.
My point is that if "even" a GT3 car only needs 18"s, a road-going saloon doesn't need anything larger, especially as ride quality and dealing with the kinds of surfaces a race car never sees are priorities on the road. Basically it's a case of function dictating form and 19"s make the car measurably worse in every performance metric.The only "opinion bit" here is me saying that I think whilst the 19"s still look nice, they're not really an improvement on the 18"s. I'd rather put the money towards interior upgrades or an LSD.
Clivey said:
Judging by our (manual) M140i, that engine / gearbox combo makes this car so refreshing next to the sea of boring inline-4 turbo, automatic, AWD clones that have become the default format now.
Shame about the low spec…but you *could* retrofit a lot of the desirable stuff it’s missing.
It's got cruise and aircon. Not sure what else you need?Shame about the low spec…but you *could* retrofit a lot of the desirable stuff it’s missing.
tenmantaylor said:
Krikkit said:
Loving this, what a tempting machine. Shame it's got the rubbish stereo, otherwise it'd be perfect.
No, it's got the perfect drivetrain only. Everything else is wanting.Limpet said:
Great car in a great (and relatively rare) colour. Shame it’s absolute poverty spec though. No HK (so the stereo will sound like a £49.99 micro system from Argos), no pro nav, no heated seats. I see no heroism in austerity, particularly when it has no measurable impact on the way the car drives. Give me the toys!
Give me the straight six and manual gearbox! Edited by Limpet on Tuesday 9th August 08:25
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