BMW X3 M40i - pictures and specs

[VerySideways]

I've been keeping an eye out for these for more than a year, saw various bits about nurburgring testing, etc.
Now there are lots of videos out there on youtube from the launch events and so on, and now Joe Achilles has been out in one:

https://youtu.be/kaxKB2sRYRY

I've also got a mate who had just picked one up, in Carbon Black with the same black/red leather.



A couple of weeks ago i had a new X3 demo from Rybrook Worcester, a 3.0d in Sapphire Black with the black/blue leather. That was a great drive so i have high hopes for the M40i.



I'm tempted by the Phytonic blue with the individual 21's as above, rather than the stock 20's or the M40i specific 21's...

Ok, so who has one, who has ordered one, etc.?

[Smuler]

I fall into the “etc.” category , as I’ve not got or ordered. But I did watch the Joe video this evening and do believe these should be great.

That’s cos though my car is a M3 but have daily access to a X1.

And drive it like I stole it !

and if that has impressed me with FWD bias and a freaking diesel , I’m confident that with the B58 and RWD bias this would be a great prospect if I had to consolidate to a single vehicle.

Because having driven the X through snow , floods and up dirt tracks laden with rocks which I would never take my M3 or any nice car I do see performance SUVs having the edge over fast estate cars which would be the only other single vehicle I could consolidate to.

So please get one (that blue does look great) and review it here as I’ll be interested in your views.

[VerySideways]

This is the boat i'm in - i have a 340i wagon, would love a 997 as a weekend car, and could really do with a 4x4 for where i live.

Sadly finances and practicalities dictate that even having more than one car is a tough call at the moment with 2 kids and the fact that i work from home most of the time and when i travel for work i use a work vehicle. My wife has a 5 door Mini Cooper S and that's so much fun to drive but hardly practical as a hold-all family car. As much as i'm impressed with the 340 as a workhorse, it's not "fun". It doesn't excite me. It's immensely capable, but it's numb.

I can't wait to find out if the X3 moves things on from that. I think the fact that it's an "M lite" rather than the 340 which is 'just' a quick 3 series may be the crux of the matter - the M135/140 and M235/240 are fantastic little cars.

[Smuler]

VerySideways said:

This is the boat i'm in - i have a 340i wagon, would love a 997 as a weekend car, and could really do with a 4x4 for where i live.

Sadly finances and practicalities dictate that even having more than one car is a tough call at the moment with 2 kids and the fact that i work from home most of the time and when i travel for work i use a work vehicle. My wife has a 5 door Mini Cooper S and that's so much fun to drive but hardly practical as a hold-all family car. As much as i'm impressed with the 340 as a workhorse, it's not "fun". It doesn't excite me. It's immensely capable, but it's numb.

I can't wait to find out if the X3 moves things on from that. I think the fact that it's an "M lite" rather than the 340 which is 'just' a quick 3 series may be the crux of the matter - the M135/140 and M235/240 are fantastic little cars.

Interesting that you mention the mini ; during 19 months of E92 335i ownership I'd a range of courtesy cars, all "cooking" - nothing special - and preferred the minis to 1,2,3,4,5 series: more steering feel, more fun.
Considered an old one as a runabout to partner my M3, mid range - cooper- would have been sufficient, but then a cooper s came up What stopped me, was the other candidate was an old 325 and I preferred rear wheel drive.

So that meant I was doubtful about the X1, but on my daily drive there's a big twisty hill and I'm assuming this has a lot to do with X Drive but it gets up there faster and more confidence inspiring that the ordinary BMWs.

So a vote for X drive, the appeal of which would increase with the X3 as it's rear wheel drive bias

Add to that what the Jo video says that the X40i M has a better tuned (calibrated I think he says) version of the B58 than even the M 1/240i and it's clearly going to outgun an ordinary 40i iteration. An iteration that BMW are updating, I believe, on the new 3 series as they are brining out a M-lite version.

Now add to that the advantages of a higher riding / more rugged SUV and even if the new 3 series has a M340i touring and that has a AWD it will never have these advantages.

I'm in no rush to sell my M3, for the purpose of consolidation (if I did only a SUV/estate would do) but if
(1) circumstances are that I'm not getting the chance to use it on the twisty roads (the one area where I'd still vote strongly for RWD) or
(2) anything happens to it, stolen, damaged or
(3) I have more longer journeys, for future work purposes, where the lower powered X1 would frustrate me whilst the M3 more costly, not that comfortable :-

Then I can't think of a better do it all vehicle than this X40iM, short of the more expensive yet to be released X3M; an X5M is simply too big even if affordable. As someone who loves the sound of a V8 , I would have to try a C63 AMG wagon but I'm sure the purchase/ running costs there would be prohibitive and I'd still not have the SUV advantages.

[XMT]

VerySideways said:

I'm tempted by the Phytonic blue with the individual 21's as above, rather than the stock 20's or the M40i specific 21's...

Ok, so who has one, who has ordered one, etc.?

I have heard nothing but good things, I hope to get an ex demo after a year or so.
With that being said one of the things I really like (and I know its stupid) is that the 20" alloys also look very nice and not too small, on some of the roads around me they are shocking and 21" alloys will take a right beating.

If I remember correctly the 20" alloys come with a 40/45 profile and the 21" with a 30/35 profile.

[VerySideways]

Smuler said:

... stuff...

The Mini's brilliant, but i too prefer rwd.

As for the X3M, i doubt that would be homologated for towing, and the X3 M40i is capable of towing. I only have a small utility trailer but more importantly i have a towbar-mounted bike rack which i would be loathe to do without. And with these roads i think the X3M may be too stiff.

[VerySideways]

XMT said:

I have heard nothing but good things, I hope to get an ex demo after a year or so.
With that being said one of the things I really like (and I know its stupid) is that the 20" alloys also look very nice and not too small, on some of the roads around me they are shocking and 21" alloys will take a right beating.

If I remember correctly the 20" alloys come with a 40/45 profile and the 21" with a 30/35 profile.

I think the profile front and rear drops 5% with the 1" increase, but your point still stands. And yes, i think the 20" would be the sensible choice given the horrific state of our roads.
They also do a "high performance tyre" option on the standard 20's... i wonder what they are? Michelin PS4S perhaps?

[Ranger 6]

VerySideways said:

...As for the X3M, i doubt that would be homologated for towing, and the X3 M40i is capable of towing. I only have a small utility trailer but more importantly i have a towbar-mounted bike rack which i would be loathe to do without. And with these roads i think the X3M may be too stiff.

You know my affection for the X3

I agree with the X3M thoughts - maybe too stiff and probably not have a towbar.

I love mine - the blend of grunt, agility and economy, you know the PH thing - 35d blah, blah, blah.... It is quite agile for a 2 tonne SUV.

Currently without a prospect of a 40d model (even though there's going to her an X4 40d) I'm going to be watching the demo market for an M40i once we've moved house.

My must haves would be (based on my current F25 35d);
VDC - highly recommended with 20" wheels (and I guess bigger) Sport mode is OK most of the time, definitely comfort on some of the really badly potholed roads (or stages)
Towbar - very good and discrete. I've also got a bike rack and use it occasionally for towing a trailer to set up rally stages.
...and I really like the panoramic roof

[Kendrik]

I ordered one a couple of weeks ago to replace my wife’s current X3 30d. She wanted something that had as much grunt and I didn’t want a diesel so this was the only option! It is pretty close in price to the 30d anyway. We test drove the new model in a 20d and I have to say I was very impressed with the step up in quality of ride and interior, it was really nice. Looking forward to delivery, I really like the current car so hoping this will be even better.

[Mr Whippy]

It’s all relative but bar the engine, the M140i was dull, as is the 335xd we have, so I can only imagine an SUV is going to be no more exciting than the M140i.

All great but dull.

To mention them and M3 (NA ones?) in the same context is a bit bonkers.


And who trusts YT reviews? I bet most are tied to their respective manufacturer pimp enough to make them totally partial to that manufacturer.

[bodhi]

I managed to talk my best man into ordering one instead of the XC 90 he was looking at, he went into the BMW dealer to do the deal and he walked out with a brand new M3 for the same monthlies.

[VerySideways]

Kendrik said:

I ordered one a couple of weeks ago to replace my wife’s current X3 30d. She wanted something that had as much grunt and I didn’t want a diesel so this was the only option! It is pretty close in price to the 30d anyway. We test drove the new model in a 20d and I have to say I was very impressed with the step up in quality of ride and interior, it was really nice. Looking forward to delivery, I really like the current car so hoping this will be even better.

What sort of spec have you gone for?

[VerySideways]

bodhi said:

I managed to talk my best man into ordering one instead of the XC 90 he was looking at, he went into the BMW dealer to do the deal and he walked out with a brand new M3 for the same monthlies.

Man maths!!

[VerySideways]

Ranger 6 said:

My must haves would be (based on my current F25 35d);
VDC - highly recommended with 20" wheels (and I guess bigger) Sport mode is OK most of the time, definitely comfort on some of the really badly potholed roads (or stages)
Towbar - very good and discrete. I've also got a bike rack and use it occasionally for towing a trailer to set up rally stages.
...and I really like the panoramic roof

Hello old friend!

With you on the above.
Adaptive dampers are such a relatively cheap option when new (£500 in £50k!) that i don't see why anyone wouldn't spec it.
Thankfully the M40i seems to cover most things as standard; electric memory heated leather seats, adaptive LED's, cruise control, digital dashboard, etc.
Yeah, pan roof is £1200 but it's MASSIVE. I don't tend to slide mine often, but i do tilt on occasion and i have the sunblind open 95% of the time.
Love my current oyster leather but in the X3 i really like the black leather with the blue stitching.

Have you seen the phytonic blue in the flesh yet?

[Ranger 6]

VerySideways said:

Hello old friend!

With you on the above.
Adaptive dampers are such a relatively cheap option when new (£500 in £50k!) that i don't see why anyone wouldn't spec it.
Thankfully the M40i seems to cover most things as standard; electric memory heated leather seats, adaptive LED's, cruise control, digital dashboard, etc.
Yeah, pan roof is £1200 but it's MASSIVE. I don't tend to slide mine often, but i do tilt on occasion and i have the sunblind open 95% of the time.
Love my current oyster leather but in the X3 i really like the black leather with the blue stitching.

Have you seen the phytonic blue in the flesh yet?

Not seen the phytonic yet. I'm trying to stay away from the dealer while we try and move house - I can't take the temptation!

T had the oyster leather in her old Cooper S and we found it a real pain to keep clean. The roof however is almost a must, I'll keep it tilted quite aloft of the time and open regularly in the summer. It's a pain when doing rallies though as the strobes need to be at the back of the roof with aerial/s so the cables tend to stretch across and create a howling accompaniment.

Will be watching this one as there's part of me that is happy to keep the old bus as it's been so good. The man maths suggests a new one is still achievable though

[Kendrik]

VerySideways said:

Kendrik said:

I ordered one a couple of weeks ago to replace my wife’s current X3 30d. She wanted something that had as much grunt and I didn’t want a diesel so this was the only option! It is pretty close in price to the 30d anyway. We test drove the new model in a 20d and I have to say I was very impressed with the step up in quality of ride and interior, it was really nice. Looking forward to delivery, I really like the current car so hoping this will be even better.

What sort of spec have you gone for?

Sophisto grey, standard 20” wheel, comfort pack, HK stereo, heated steering wheel. It’s a very well equipped car so didn’t really need to add much! I really like the X3 and think it is a bit overlooked generally and I think this one will be ace.

[RBrown]

I got mine delivered a month ago.

Phytonic blue, adaptive, H&K, acoustic glass, lumbar support, folding mirrors, spare tyre - debadged.

Love it!!!!

Edited by RBrown on Saturday 7th April 16:43

[RBrown]

Some more pics. Interior.



Exterior



The welcome lights...



Please let me know if anybody has any questions!

[helix402]

Looks great de badged.

[RBrown]

Adds to the stealth!

Had a few people trying to see what it says on the back (especially when the engine “fires” up) - but to no avail!!!