Discussion
Thought I’d knock up a quick thread on my new car, a F30 BMW 340i. I’ve had a fair few cars over the years, most while not being sports cars had some kinda sporting credentials.
I wanted something that was a bit more grown up, comfortable with some toys and tech and reasonably quick. I started looking at quick VAG offerings but I’ve always been a BMW fan so was drawn to the M140i. Took one out and loved it but I prefered the saloon of the 3er, I realised the same engine was available in the 340i so looked at them in more detail. Slightly more weight than the 1er but with the option of a BMW approved power hike it sounded up my street. One of the options I really wanted was adaptive cruise which was available so I was sold on the idea.
Originally looking at nearly new I soon realised brand new offered a better deal, plus the chance to spec my car exactly as I would like it. After a couple of days of back and forth with the dealer I got a very good deal and the car was ordered.
It’s almost run in now and it really is everything I hoped for, I think I’ve got the right options for me too. It’s a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde car, it’s smooth, quite and easy to drive about town when you’re just going shopping like any other 3 series but give it a poke and it soon takes off up the road at an alarming rate. The auto box means it climbs round the speedo very quickly without really realising, I’m making the most of the speed limiter function. I’ve also done a few longer drives, got out at each end feeling relatively refreshed, the Active Cruise works well on the motorways.
I have plans to make a few tweaks to the car but in the short term it’ll only consist of the BMW Power & Sound Kit since I’d like to retain the warranty for a while. Later on maybe a small drop and some new wheels.
Anyway, few pictures of it for now.
I wanted something that was a bit more grown up, comfortable with some toys and tech and reasonably quick. I started looking at quick VAG offerings but I’ve always been a BMW fan so was drawn to the M140i. Took one out and loved it but I prefered the saloon of the 3er, I realised the same engine was available in the 340i so looked at them in more detail. Slightly more weight than the 1er but with the option of a BMW approved power hike it sounded up my street. One of the options I really wanted was adaptive cruise which was available so I was sold on the idea.
Originally looking at nearly new I soon realised brand new offered a better deal, plus the chance to spec my car exactly as I would like it. After a couple of days of back and forth with the dealer I got a very good deal and the car was ordered.
It’s almost run in now and it really is everything I hoped for, I think I’ve got the right options for me too. It’s a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde car, it’s smooth, quite and easy to drive about town when you’re just going shopping like any other 3 series but give it a poke and it soon takes off up the road at an alarming rate. The auto box means it climbs round the speedo very quickly without really realising, I’m making the most of the speed limiter function. I’ve also done a few longer drives, got out at each end feeling relatively refreshed, the Active Cruise works well on the motorways.
I have plans to make a few tweaks to the car but in the short term it’ll only consist of the BMW Power & Sound Kit since I’d like to retain the warranty for a while. Later on maybe a small drop and some new wheels.
Anyway, few pictures of it for now.
Thanks all.
When I was looking at nearly new Grey was top of the list, followed by Black. Once I started looking at new the Sunset Orange stood out but I couldn't find one in person to look at, in the end I just took a punt on it and luckily it paid off. I'm chuffed with it, after a wash in the sun it looks incredible and quite bright but in the shade it looks quite dark, almost like a rusty colour. The dark lights, trim and grills set it off nicely too.
When I was looking at nearly new Grey was top of the list, followed by Black. Once I started looking at new the Sunset Orange stood out but I couldn't find one in person to look at, in the end I just took a punt on it and luckily it paid off. I'm chuffed with it, after a wash in the sun it looks incredible and quite bright but in the shade it looks quite dark, almost like a rusty colour. The dark lights, trim and grills set it off nicely too.
Small update. I've had the car a little over a month now and I'm really enjoying it.
I've done about 1500 miles now, initial thoughts are as follows;
Its fast, maybe not supercar fast but it's relentless in acceleration, big dollop of torque and super slick box helps harness the power. Very easy to get carried away without realising, praise the lord for the speed limiter function.
It's easy to drive to the shops, like a car of two personalities. In comfort mode everything is light and easy to drive, currently getting high 20s mpg wise going to work, longer trip on the motorway returned 35mpg, although they might improve with some more miles on it. The ride is way better than the E90 was, less bouncy & crashy, even on the runflats.
Subtle (ok maybe not the colour) but with no badges on no one tries to race you or bother you, also doesn't draw too much attention to itself compared to a M3 or similar. Talking of the colour, it's stunning. When the suns out and the light hits the paintwork it really is something else. Compare it to how it looks on a wet or overcast day it looks like two different cars.
Options wise I reckon I nailed it for what I need. Highlights include the H&K audio (really much better than I expected) Pro Nav & Active Cruise (my favorite!) but there's nothing I wish I had and everything I have I like.
Overall though I'm chuffed with it so far.
I've done about 1500 miles now, initial thoughts are as follows;
Its fast, maybe not supercar fast but it's relentless in acceleration, big dollop of torque and super slick box helps harness the power. Very easy to get carried away without realising, praise the lord for the speed limiter function.
It's easy to drive to the shops, like a car of two personalities. In comfort mode everything is light and easy to drive, currently getting high 20s mpg wise going to work, longer trip on the motorway returned 35mpg, although they might improve with some more miles on it. The ride is way better than the E90 was, less bouncy & crashy, even on the runflats.
Subtle (ok maybe not the colour) but with no badges on no one tries to race you or bother you, also doesn't draw too much attention to itself compared to a M3 or similar. Talking of the colour, it's stunning. When the suns out and the light hits the paintwork it really is something else. Compare it to how it looks on a wet or overcast day it looks like two different cars.
Options wise I reckon I nailed it for what I need. Highlights include the H&K audio (really much better than I expected) Pro Nav & Active Cruise (my favorite!) but there's nothing I wish I had and everything I have I like.
Overall though I'm chuffed with it so far.
richatnort said:
My only gripes i'd say is 1. The turbo lag is pretty bad but i'm slowly getting used to it now but when you put the pedal to the bottom it takes 5 seconds to kick in which is a tad annoying, 2. There isn't enough sound in the cabin for my liking, 3. The wind noise with the windows down and pushing is just mental.
I think 2 & 3 will be solved next year when i get MPPSK fitted but at £1800 fitted it's a bit steep for me at the moment.
Other than that I love it like yourself.
When you're pulling away from a stand still? I think it's more throttle lag than turbo lag, I've noticed it less when in manual mode or at least it feels like it. I think 2 & 3 will be solved next year when i get MPPSK fitted but at £1800 fitted it's a bit steep for me at the moment.
Other than that I love it like yourself.
Martin_Hx said:
Welcome to the orange/ginger club, its a great colour*
Nice, my mate had a 125d and it was a quick little car! Sunset Orange is stunning on the few cars I've seen in it. - On my lowly 125D
moffat said:
Great car OP.
The MPPSK is an absolute must on these cars. It provides the much needed sound and sense of occasion (on demand and with a flick of a switch) and it also provides the additional power that I think is missing when stock.
Note that the exhaust is a complete system too and not just a back box. The MPPSK can be had for £1600 too which is an absolute steal!
Other than that there are a stack of other mod's to look for e.g. F80 M3 paddles, M Performance parts e.g. the alcantara steering wheel for £375 (BlueBell BMW), Bimmercode for great little coding modifications that can be done for your phone etc.
Have a look for my 440i thread on here, Bimmerpost and F30x on Facebook!
MPPSK is 100% in the pipeline, I really wanted to get it fitted before I picked it up but I was just going to push finances too far doing that. I've got my eye on a few bits. I like the paddles and wheel for sure. The MPPSK is an absolute must on these cars. It provides the much needed sound and sense of occasion (on demand and with a flick of a switch) and it also provides the additional power that I think is missing when stock.
Note that the exhaust is a complete system too and not just a back box. The MPPSK can be had for £1600 too which is an absolute steal!
Other than that there are a stack of other mod's to look for e.g. F80 M3 paddles, M Performance parts e.g. the alcantara steering wheel for £375 (BlueBell BMW), Bimmercode for great little coding modifications that can be done for your phone etc.
Have a look for my 440i thread on here, Bimmerpost and F30x on Facebook!
So I’ve had the car a few months now, thought I’d post an update now I’ve had it a while and had more chance to get to know it a bit better.
First off, while it’s no supercar (or M3) performance is impressive. You’re not left wanting for more power very often, to be honest it’s bordering on ‘too fast’ (hand in my PH card?) for the road, it’s easy to get carried away and into trouble very quickly if not paying attention. The engine is flexible, it pulls well from low revs and is happy to plod about at sub 1500 rpm without complaint but when pushed keeps pulling to the redline. The ZF box is a masterpiece, it does the lazy auto act very well but when you want to have a bit of fun it bangs through the gears quickly and efficiently. There’s an engineered ‘thud’ when you put it in sport or manual mode, I’m not sure how I feel about it tbh, it’s a bit artificial. It’s an 8 speed box but does well not to feel like it’s changing all the time, when cruising at 70-80 the revs are nice and low.
Cornering wise, I’m no driving god but it goes around bends well, it’s got that feel that you could keep going faster and faster around bends and it’ll never lose grip. It’s a little soft when pushing on a bit harder but it’s manners and ride when driving about our potholed roads are pretty good, even with the RFTs it rides better than an E90 M Sport.
Inside is a nice place to be, the seats are decnet, they’re not a patch on my mates S3 ‘super sport’ seats but they are comfortable and hold you well enough. The iDrive thing is cracking, BMW have been at it long enough now to know how it needs to be, zero complaints in that department. The pro nav screen looks great and I love the steering wheel, thick enough, buttons are to hand and looks smart with the small air bag. Quality is decent, everything feels well put together and switches have a satisfying solid feel to them. Sat nav seems ok, although I might use GMaps for my euro trips.
The car has various ‘driving modes’, Eco pro, Comfort, Sport & Sport +. The settings change the steering weight, throttle feel, noise from the exhaust (and fake noise too) and gearbox behaviour. On the whole they work well but they could do with a little more customisation, they’re all preset so I can’t have heavier steering with comfort gearbox & throttle for example. It’s not the end of the world but VW/Audi allow you to make a profile with whatever settings you want, it’d be nice to have that choice on the BM. One thing I do like though is the gearbox behaviour when ‘Sport’ is selected, it sits nicely between the lazy comfort setting and the proper sport setting (stick moved over to the left). You can drive around town and it doesn't hold the revs stupidly high but it’s ready to go when you prod the throttle.
Options wise the H&K speakers sound great, need to play the with the equaliser but it’s still very good, plenty of punch to it. Active cruise is decent and makes stop start traffic easy, it should come into it’s own on my drive to Spain.
Overall I’m chuffed, I still look fondly at a Golf R/Leon Cupra when I see one on the road but I think for me I made the right choice. My mate bought an M140i and while it's great, I wanted something a little more grown up, it's still 90% of the fun though I reckon. I’m really enjoying being fairly anonymous (well, as much as I can be in an Orange BMW) looking like a 320d BUT it still has enough about it that I have to look back at the car when I’m walking away from it.
There’s a few bits I’d like to tweak on it, every car looks better lower so a small drop and some nice wheels are on the list, plus an exhaust that makes a bit more noise. The M Performance one seems to sound spot on and I think the 360bhp from the MPPSK will be enough for me power wise too so that’s still the top choice, hopefully I’ll get that later this year.
Aside from that I just wanna drive it, got a week in Spain so that’s about 3k miles then come back for 3 days and back off to the Ring for a long weekend so plenty of seat time in it to come!
First off, while it’s no supercar (or M3) performance is impressive. You’re not left wanting for more power very often, to be honest it’s bordering on ‘too fast’ (hand in my PH card?) for the road, it’s easy to get carried away and into trouble very quickly if not paying attention. The engine is flexible, it pulls well from low revs and is happy to plod about at sub 1500 rpm without complaint but when pushed keeps pulling to the redline. The ZF box is a masterpiece, it does the lazy auto act very well but when you want to have a bit of fun it bangs through the gears quickly and efficiently. There’s an engineered ‘thud’ when you put it in sport or manual mode, I’m not sure how I feel about it tbh, it’s a bit artificial. It’s an 8 speed box but does well not to feel like it’s changing all the time, when cruising at 70-80 the revs are nice and low.
Cornering wise, I’m no driving god but it goes around bends well, it’s got that feel that you could keep going faster and faster around bends and it’ll never lose grip. It’s a little soft when pushing on a bit harder but it’s manners and ride when driving about our potholed roads are pretty good, even with the RFTs it rides better than an E90 M Sport.
Inside is a nice place to be, the seats are decnet, they’re not a patch on my mates S3 ‘super sport’ seats but they are comfortable and hold you well enough. The iDrive thing is cracking, BMW have been at it long enough now to know how it needs to be, zero complaints in that department. The pro nav screen looks great and I love the steering wheel, thick enough, buttons are to hand and looks smart with the small air bag. Quality is decent, everything feels well put together and switches have a satisfying solid feel to them. Sat nav seems ok, although I might use GMaps for my euro trips.
The car has various ‘driving modes’, Eco pro, Comfort, Sport & Sport +. The settings change the steering weight, throttle feel, noise from the exhaust (and fake noise too) and gearbox behaviour. On the whole they work well but they could do with a little more customisation, they’re all preset so I can’t have heavier steering with comfort gearbox & throttle for example. It’s not the end of the world but VW/Audi allow you to make a profile with whatever settings you want, it’d be nice to have that choice on the BM. One thing I do like though is the gearbox behaviour when ‘Sport’ is selected, it sits nicely between the lazy comfort setting and the proper sport setting (stick moved over to the left). You can drive around town and it doesn't hold the revs stupidly high but it’s ready to go when you prod the throttle.
Options wise the H&K speakers sound great, need to play the with the equaliser but it’s still very good, plenty of punch to it. Active cruise is decent and makes stop start traffic easy, it should come into it’s own on my drive to Spain.
Overall I’m chuffed, I still look fondly at a Golf R/Leon Cupra when I see one on the road but I think for me I made the right choice. My mate bought an M140i and while it's great, I wanted something a little more grown up, it's still 90% of the fun though I reckon. I’m really enjoying being fairly anonymous (well, as much as I can be in an Orange BMW) looking like a 320d BUT it still has enough about it that I have to look back at the car when I’m walking away from it.
There’s a few bits I’d like to tweak on it, every car looks better lower so a small drop and some nice wheels are on the list, plus an exhaust that makes a bit more noise. The M Performance one seems to sound spot on and I think the 360bhp from the MPPSK will be enough for me power wise too so that’s still the top choice, hopefully I’ll get that later this year.
Aside from that I just wanna drive it, got a week in Spain so that’s about 3k miles then come back for 3 days and back off to the Ring for a long weekend so plenty of seat time in it to come!
aaron_2000 said:
Good read, glad you're enjoying it. It doesn't feel massively down on power compared to the M3 actually, I'd say it certainly rides better. Interested to know how it fares on the Ring, have you had the back end kick out yet? I remember on a local B-Road going at a tight corner carrying some speed and the back end came out, had TCS off but it never felt like it was out of control, bit of corrective steering and it just came back in beautifully. Don't know if the chassis or the engine are my favourite bits of the car. Never liked the steering, miles better on the M3, it's overly light and artificial for my liking. How are you finding the running costs so far? It amazed me how good they were for what it was, gone are the days where you have to choose performance over daily costs. Got any pictures of it lately?
I have been pretty steady in it tbh, I switched everything off and spun the wheels up just to see how easy it was 
When it finally rained the other day the TC was flashing at every junction. I've had a couple of twitches but nothing major. I dont mind the steering in sport mode but it's too light in comfort, I agree it feels artificial but I can cope with it. I notice the difference when I get in my E90 though! Thats got perfectly weighted steering for me.
Running costs are really impressive, I had to do a last minute airport dash for a mate, picked him up from one and dropped him at another after his flight was cancelled. It averaged 40mpg and that wasn't hanging about either, even around town if I can resist being a knob for long enough it returns 30mpg.
I forgot to add a couple of pictures, I was trying to show the difference in how the colour looks in different light, first was after a back road blast and the second was after a wash in the sun.
6 month update!
Cars been fantastic, on the daily grind it's easy to drive, returns decent economy and makes me smile. Now the weather has turned cooler I've noticed the factory Bridgestones are horrific, they spin up if you even so much as look at the throttle and are just generally crap so I wont be sad to see the back of them.
I went on a trip to Germany a couple of months back with my mate in his Golf. The car was perfect, quiet and smooth, stuck the active cruise on and just followed the back of his car most of the way. I made a slight error and followed another Golf off the autobahn without realising resulting in a Top Gear style end to the trip with us arriving from different directions for a photo finish They arrived to find me sat watching Mickey Flanagan on the pro nav (handy at Calais too to pass time!). We had stopped for my mate to fill up with fuel on the route but I managed to make a single tank last me all the way, the fuel light pinged on as I arrived in Adenau averaging 40 mpg. I had toyed with going round the track but as the weather was awful and trying to follow the Golf up the hill from town was hard work, l didn't bother. We watched the VLN though which was great!
On our return the next trip had already been planned, but before that I stumbled upon a cracking deal. A dealer up north had a few MPPSK kits available and since the F30 had just been taken off sale they wanted shot of the ASAP. The kit retailed at £3200 ish I think, most dealers would do the kit for £1750 or so. I bought the kit for £1250 then paid £250 for fitted. The kit consists of an extra 35bhp and a full cat back exhaust, it still has valves fitted, when shut in comfort they send the gases through the back box, when they're open in sport mode they send the gases straight out the back, the system has no resonators or boxes aside from the back box. The extra 35bhp was noticeable too, in the mid range especially and part of the coding removes the fake sound pumped into the cabin, since it's no longer needed!
After spending 2 days watching videos of cars I went to collect mine. First thing I done was inspect the tips, I wasn't sure about the carbon trim on them but they didn't look too bad on the car. Started it up and the car sounded noticeably deeper from the off, I drove away and it sounded similar in comfort as it did in sport before the kit was fitted. Once it was warmed up I put it in sport mode, instant grin on my face! Really deep tone through the car, pops and burbles on the overrun and some crackles on up changes through the gears too.
A couple of days later I was off to the 'ring again, another early start. The drive there wasn't too bad, I did make a slight mistake and ended up driving through Brussels centre, total nightmare but the tunnels made up for it a bit. A few delays on the way (mates car broke) so we ended up arriving after a long long days driving. Woke up the next morning and went to watch the track action, I was torn about going round myself. I wasn't fussed about my own skills, but I was worried about getting caught up in someone else's accident and ending up with a £35k pile of twisted metal.
After seeing how quiet it was though I thought f
k it, it's now or never so dumped all my stuff and went for it. It was freezing cold and damp over 90% of the track so far from ideal conditions but I made it round without too much of an issue. The rest of the weekend went well, managed a clear run on the autobahn and hit 150, I was shocked at how quickly it got there tbh.
When we arrived in Calais I realised my mates hire car would be getting dropped off so we had to fit us all in the F30. It coped well, it's obviosuly not the most spacious car but we were comfortable enough for the drive home (4 hours thanks to the M20 being shut!). The book swallowed all our crap with relative ease too.
Since then it's been back to the daily grind, the exhaust has added that extra something that was missing, a little drama and noise to match the performance. I know a lot of the old skool guys dont like the modern cars with flaps and 'added' noise but it offers the best of both worlds with the ability to turn it down when you want a bit of quiet on a long drive. Next car related purchase will be getting it ceramic coated then maybe some little interior bits. I've never been a big fan of carbon being plastered everywhere but I like the open V wheel trim with the carbon from the M3 and I saw a few pictures of the M Perf gearstick and it looked tidy but I'm undecided. The car is still begging to be lowered but until it's nearer being out of warranty that isnt going to happen.
Sorry for the waffeling
Cars been fantastic, on the daily grind it's easy to drive, returns decent economy and makes me smile. Now the weather has turned cooler I've noticed the factory Bridgestones are horrific, they spin up if you even so much as look at the throttle and are just generally crap so I wont be sad to see the back of them.
I went on a trip to Germany a couple of months back with my mate in his Golf. The car was perfect, quiet and smooth, stuck the active cruise on and just followed the back of his car most of the way. I made a slight error and followed another Golf off the autobahn without realising resulting in a Top Gear style end to the trip with us arriving from different directions for a photo finish
They arrived to find me sat watching Mickey Flanagan on the pro nav (handy at Calais too to pass time!). We had stopped for my mate to fill up with fuel on the route but I managed to make a single tank last me all the way, the fuel light pinged on as I arrived in Adenau averaging 40 mpg. I had toyed with going round the track but as the weather was awful and trying to follow the Golf up the hill from town was hard work, l didn't bother. We watched the VLN though which was great!On our return the next trip had already been planned, but before that I stumbled upon a cracking deal. A dealer up north had a few MPPSK kits available and since the F30 had just been taken off sale they wanted shot of the ASAP. The kit retailed at £3200 ish I think, most dealers would do the kit for £1750 or so. I bought the kit for £1250 then paid £250 for fitted. The kit consists of an extra 35bhp and a full cat back exhaust, it still has valves fitted, when shut in comfort they send the gases through the back box, when they're open in sport mode they send the gases straight out the back, the system has no resonators or boxes aside from the back box. The extra 35bhp was noticeable too, in the mid range especially and part of the coding removes the fake sound pumped into the cabin, since it's no longer needed!
After spending 2 days watching videos of cars I went to collect mine. First thing I done was inspect the tips, I wasn't sure about the carbon trim on them but they didn't look too bad on the car. Started it up and the car sounded noticeably deeper from the off, I drove away and it sounded similar in comfort as it did in sport before the kit was fitted. Once it was warmed up I put it in sport mode, instant grin on my face! Really deep tone through the car, pops and burbles on the overrun and some crackles on up changes through the gears too.
A couple of days later I was off to the 'ring again, another early start. The drive there wasn't too bad, I did make a slight mistake and ended up driving through Brussels centre, total nightmare but the tunnels made up for it a bit. A few delays on the way (mates car broke) so we ended up arriving after a long long days driving. Woke up the next morning and went to watch the track action, I was torn about going round myself. I wasn't fussed about my own skills, but I was worried about getting caught up in someone else's accident and ending up with a £35k pile of twisted metal.
After seeing how quiet it was though I thought fk it, it's now or never so dumped all my stuff and went for it. It was freezing cold and damp over 90% of the track so far from ideal conditions but I made it round without too much of an issue. The rest of the weekend went well, managed a clear run on the autobahn and hit 150, I was shocked at how quickly it got there tbh. When we arrived in Calais I realised my mates hire car would be getting dropped off so we had to fit us all in the F30. It coped well, it's obviosuly not the most spacious car but we were comfortable enough for the drive home (4 hours thanks to the M20 being shut!). The book swallowed all our crap with relative ease too.
Since then it's been back to the daily grind, the exhaust has added that extra something that was missing, a little drama and noise to match the performance. I know a lot of the old skool guys dont like the modern cars with flaps and 'added' noise but it offers the best of both worlds with the ability to turn it down when you want a bit of quiet on a long drive. Next car related purchase will be getting it ceramic coated then maybe some little interior bits. I've never been a big fan of carbon being plastered everywhere but I like the open V wheel trim with the carbon from the M3 and I saw a few pictures of the M Perf gearstick and it looked tidy but I'm undecided. The car is still begging to be lowered but until it's nearer being out of warranty that isnt going to happen.
Sorry for the waffeling
Edited by Pizzaeatingking on Tuesday 27th November 15:49
PorkRind said:
Does it have a limited slip diff? I love the colour, why not the coupe?!
No LSD, it's a 'M Performance' dealer fit option but I dont drive it in a way that needs it tbh, not on the road and I have a track car for track days. I'm not a fan of the coupe, I dunno why but I've always preferred a 4 door saloon.
aaron_2000 said:
What'd you think of this one? Looks pretty mean, don't like the wheels though
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
As nice as that looks, it's strong money. I know I dont have all the M performance kit on but mine with a similar level (money terms) of factory options only cost me £2k more brand new. Unless you really want that spec I'd be tempted to look about at others. I'd personally rather a Shadow Edition over all those extras, if really wanted they can be added later easy enough. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Something to note, if you want the MPPSK then anything built from June(ish) onwards will have a particulate filter and the MPPSK isnt compatible.
richatnort said:
Thanks I'm also still loving mine. Again as the OP has said the Bridgestones are crap in this cold wet weather but the wife wouldn't allow me to get any winter wheels so that doesn't help.
How's the MPG around down OP I only seem to average between 25-28 if I'm careful.
My commute is about 8 miles/20 min, I average about the same as you without trying too much, if I go for comfort and drive like a cab driver I can get up to 34 mpg which for the performance is pretty impressive I think. How's the MPG around down OP I only seem to average between 25-28 if I'm careful.
Decided to attempt a bash at getting some protection on the paint. I really want it detailed, there's a few small bits of paint that could do with a bit of attention but it's a big chunk of cash with a coating put on afterwards.
So after much thinking I decided to try a product by Gyeon called CanCoat, it's suppose to be easier to apply than a tradition ceramic coating, it doesn't last as long but still offers a hard protective layer and self cleaning qualities. I gave the car a good clean, decontamination then took it inside. I used Gyeon Prep to remove any other products from the paintwork before applying the coating.
It almost seemed to go on too easy to be honest, I'd read a few issue people had with the product becoming tough to remove or streaking, thankfully I didn't have any of that. It says to leave it 24 hours before getting wet but I left it 36 hours and then put a layer of Gyeon Cure on top, it's suppose to help maintain the coating and reduce the chance of water marks while it's still curing.
So far so good, the weather is st but the paint looks smooth and glossy, the water is beading well and hopefully the next wash will be easier. I just need to see how long it lasts now I guess!
Edit: Needs tyre gel, I was knackered so couldn't be bothered!
The car itself is still a joy to own, I picked up my mates M140i to wash last week and run some errands in it, I had it in my head that my 3er was more or less the same size just with a boot but I was wrong! The 1er feels tiny inside, shoulder against the B pillar and the other arm on the armrest. With two of us in there it did feel tight for space, still a nice car but made me realise I made the right choice for my needs.
So after much thinking I decided to try a product by Gyeon called CanCoat, it's suppose to be easier to apply than a tradition ceramic coating, it doesn't last as long but still offers a hard protective layer and self cleaning qualities. I gave the car a good clean, decontamination then took it inside. I used Gyeon Prep to remove any other products from the paintwork before applying the coating.
It almost seemed to go on too easy to be honest, I'd read a few issue people had with the product becoming tough to remove or streaking, thankfully I didn't have any of that. It says to leave it 24 hours before getting wet but I left it 36 hours and then put a layer of Gyeon Cure on top, it's suppose to help maintain the coating and reduce the chance of water marks while it's still curing.
So far so good, the weather is s
t but the paint looks smooth and glossy, the water is beading well and hopefully the next wash will be easier. I just need to see how long it lasts now I guess! Edit: Needs tyre gel, I was knackered so couldn't be bothered!
The car itself is still a joy to own, I picked up my mates M140i to wash last week and run some errands in it, I had it in my head that my 3er was more or less the same size just with a boot but I was wrong! The 1er feels tiny inside, shoulder against the B pillar and the other arm on the armrest. With two of us in there it did feel tight for space, still a nice car but made me realise I made the right choice for my needs.
aaron_2000 said:
Good news is, BMW seem to cover it. They were gonna refurb our wheels for free.
Spoke too soon. Washing it yesterday and I spotted corrosion around the centre cap! Only on one wheel though, the wheel that was repaired after my neighbour hit it. It's going back next week but I dont hold out much hope of it lasting very long tbh. Repair was done by a dealer but polished wheels never last long, even more so after a refurb. Aside from that it's been treating me well. I spent a fair amount of time cleaning it, put a layer of Gyeon CanCoat on it the other day which seems decent.
Court_S said:
That looks fabulous in Sunset Orange. I think the saloon is better looking than the coupe as well.
It’s a mighty impressive engine isn’t it? I was very impressed when I had an extended test drive in an M140. I totally get what you say about it bordering on being too fast for the road. I’ve finally ordered my 140. Had to accept white though as I was working to a budget. Sunset was my ideal colour but I wanted Pro Nav more than paint.
It really is fantastic, it's easy to drive, nice spread of power meaning you can chug about easily or thrash it when having fun all while returning impressive economy. Twinned with the ZF box it's verging on faultless imo. It’s a mighty impressive engine isn’t it? I was very impressed when I had an extended test drive in an M140. I totally get what you say about it bordering on being too fast for the road. I’ve finally ordered my 140. Had to accept white though as I was working to a budget. Sunset was my ideal colour but I wanted Pro Nav more than paint.
Funnily enough me and a mate ordered our cars together and he went for a while M140i. It is (well, was as he's just got rid of it!) a cracking car, it's got that slightly more nimble hot hatch feel to it.
Pro Nav was a must for me too, the smaller screen just looks too small for me.
6 month update!
Car is still treating me well, it had its first service recently. I was worried about the oil filter housing issue causing issues so took it to the dealer but thankfully it was fine. I also got them to sort out the creaking doors, they apply a clear film along the black trim around the doors, picked it up and it is silent now. Onwards I can now get the oil done more regularly rather than worry about BMWs stupidly long intervals.
I only remembered on collecting the car that the DME was due to be updated, lots of discussion about this making the car quieter and how it was needed to keep within EU law etc. Thankfully it was all rubbish, the car is actually louder now than it was before the update, few more burbles when slowing down in gear etc.
The CanCoat lasted pretty well but I decided to give it a quick polish and reapply it before winter. The paint was in decent nick anyway but a light polish gave it a real nice finish, stuck the coating on and hey presto. Unfortunately it's chucked it down more or less every day since so I've yet to get any nice pictures but a quick late night snap
First wash a week later and the foam, despite being thick enough just ran straight off the paint work, looked pretty cool.
I still love the colour, I met another 340i in Champagne Quartz which looked fantastic, it's probably the only colour that's come close to SO for me but when mine is clean and sat in the sun it just pops and looks incredible. I actually had a guy pull up next to me at the lights the other week and comment on how nice it looked, never had that before!
I forgot to post this but back at the start of the year I stuck it on the rollers to see what kinda power it was making with the MPPSK, it topped out at 388bhp, so not bad at all! Given the performance the economy has been super impressive too, I took a mate to collect a car this morning and hit 44mpg, granted I was cruising for most of it but a fair bit of traffic in there too. I know lots of people say you don't buy a car like this for economy but it's a 4 door saloon car not a supercar at the end of the day.
I'm still dying to crack on with the mods but I've got other stuff going on for the moment, perhaps in the new year I can start with a few small ones.
So that'll probably be it for another few months, I'll update at some point soon.
Car is still treating me well, it had its first service recently. I was worried about the oil filter housing issue causing issues so took it to the dealer but thankfully it was fine. I also got them to sort out the creaking doors, they apply a clear film along the black trim around the doors, picked it up and it is silent now. Onwards I can now get the oil done more regularly rather than worry about BMWs stupidly long intervals.
I only remembered on collecting the car that the DME was due to be updated, lots of discussion about this making the car quieter and how it was needed to keep within EU law etc. Thankfully it was all rubbish, the car is actually louder now than it was before the update, few more burbles when slowing down in gear etc.
The CanCoat lasted pretty well but I decided to give it a quick polish and reapply it before winter. The paint was in decent nick anyway but a light polish gave it a real nice finish, stuck the coating on and hey presto. Unfortunately it's chucked it down more or less every day since so I've yet to get any nice pictures but a quick late night snap
First wash a week later and the foam, despite being thick enough just ran straight off the paint work, looked pretty cool.
I still love the colour, I met another 340i in Champagne Quartz which looked fantastic, it's probably the only colour that's come close to SO for me but when mine is clean and sat in the sun it just pops and looks incredible. I actually had a guy pull up next to me at the lights the other week and comment on how nice it looked, never had that before!
I forgot to post this but back at the start of the year I stuck it on the rollers to see what kinda power it was making with the MPPSK, it topped out at 388bhp, so not bad at all! Given the performance the economy has been super impressive too, I took a mate to collect a car this morning and hit 44mpg, granted I was cruising for most of it but a fair bit of traffic in there too. I know lots of people say you don't buy a car like this for economy but it's a 4 door saloon car not a supercar at the end of the day.
I'm still dying to crack on with the mods but I've got other stuff going on for the moment, perhaps in the new year I can start with a few small ones.
So that'll probably be it for another few months, I'll update at some point soon.
richatnort said:
Nice to see it's serving you well mate! I had my first service and took it to BMW and they cracked the oil filter so was stuck with a 2 series tourer for another day, i don't understand how they can give you that as a courtesy car coming from a 340 its a joke!
I am jealous about the MPPSK i thought about getting it but opt'd out and now can't afford to with a baby here now. I have to admit it's probably one of the best all round cars you can buy, spacious, comfy & fast as hell. Have you done any coding? i'm so on the verge of disabling active sound and seeing what the difference is.
I had a look at some bits but I haven't really done much, the active sound gets turned off with the MPPSK and it's nicer without it but I've never been a fan of the fake noise. I am jealous about the MPPSK i thought about getting it but opt'd out and now can't afford to with a baby here now. I have to admit it's probably one of the best all round cars you can buy, spacious, comfy & fast as hell. Have you done any coding? i'm so on the verge of disabling active sound and seeing what the difference is.
D4MJT said:
Just an FYI, unfortunately that is no guarantee. My 2017 B58 engined M140 was in for its 4th service yesterday with BMW and the oil filter housing cracked. It’s unusual as apparently they most often crack at the first service, however mines already had 3 main dealer services before this one.
Ahhhhh damn, that's annoying! Thanks for the warning though, I'll bare it in mind come service time. Court_S said:
Gals to hear that it’s treating you well still. My 140 is going back next week for the creaking doors - they’re doing my sodding head in.
I’m sitting at an average of 30mpg over 3.5k which I’m happy with. It’s a great engine as you say; happy to bimble along but equally it gets a move on when required.
I too want more noise but mine is a PPF car so I’m a tad limited. The Remus backbox is too much so I’m planning on a trip to PCW.
Colour is fab; it’s my one regret when I ordered my car. Oh well.
Yeah the door issue hacked me off too, I couldn't be bothered to go back so waited till the service. Lovely and quiet now. I've heard cars with the Remus, they sound decent but you're right they're not cheap. PCW will get similar results for less. I’m sitting at an average of 30mpg over 3.5k which I’m happy with. It’s a great engine as you say; happy to bimble along but equally it gets a move on when required.
I too want more noise but mine is a PPF car so I’m a tad limited. The Remus backbox is too much so I’m planning on a trip to PCW.
Colour is fab; it’s my one regret when I ordered my car. Oh well.
Yours looks identical to my mates car (we bought them together)
AB said:
I'd look at some ACS lowering springs and wheel spacers, it'll transform how it looks and rides.
It did with my 435;
The issue I have with springs is they never sit quite how I want them to so I always end up getting coilovers. It is desperate for a drop though, I want some new wheels but they'll look silly at stock height so once I get the suspension sorted I can get some. It did with my 435;
Yours looks great, red really looks good on theses and is pretty rare.
DoubleSix said:
Any pics of the tape fix the dealer did, is it visible?
I'm pretty pissed at the idea of a 50k car needing tape stuck on, but the noise is unforgivable...
Yeah I'll grab some pictures tomorrow. I know what you mean but I'd not really noticeable and I'm just glad the frigging noise has stopped. I'm pretty pissed at the idea of a 50k car needing tape stuck on, but the noise is unforgivable...
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 26th September 19:37
simonwhite2000 said:
The new one was due out in July but still no sign of it. Given the S5 has gone diesel I might fancy the new 340
The G20 M340i? It's already out, someone on the F30 owners group has one. mdmay said:
I dont suppose you live near harold wood do you as i thought i saw your car the other day
Not me! Closest I get is M25 on the way to Le Shuttle DoubleSix said:
Any pics of the tape fix the dealer did, is it visible?
I'm pretty pissed at the idea of a 50k car needing tape stuck on, but the noise is unforgivable...
Sorry for the delay, not had the chance till todayI'm pretty pissed at the idea of a 50k car needing tape stuck on, but the noise is unforgivable...
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 26th September 19:37
With the doors open you can see it
Once closed though it's not visible
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff