Pity the BMW 435i. Bookended by the M135i and forthcoming M4 it was always going to have a job on its hands to stand out. Strangely, as the twilight of our long-term loan approaches, it might be starting to do just that.
The default driving mode for the last month
If you've been reading these fleet updates you'll know I've not exactly been set alight by the 435i in the way one might hope. A BMW six with over 300hp in a slinky coupe body should be a recipe for big smiles but it's not quite worked out like that.
It's weird too because in the M135i that N55 engine was so charismatic and central to the car's character. Yet in the 435i it's felt a bit sluggish, rough even. With the eight-speed auto in the 1 Series it felt zingy and alert; the long gearing and internal inertia make it feel lethargic and inert in the manual 4. On start-up the M135i sounded angry and a bit like an old six-cylinder Skyline. The 435i's sense of maturity was just a bit too, well, mature for that.
Loose fit
Miles have helped a lot though. We've put nearly 6,000 on it since delivery and now standing at over 8,000 it seems to have really come alive. The gearbox feels more positive and less baulky, the engine revs more cleanly and seems to have found its six-cylinder voice. There's a hint, just a hint mind, of that old sweetness we've long loved in straight-six Beemers. I resolved to stop driving around in Eco Pro all the time too, which has helped engagement if not commuting economy.
That it's a fabulous looking thing never in doubt
The suspension has quite a lot of travel (handy for my rutted, unmade street) which may explain why the damping has more work to do than in the M135i and feels more comfortably tied down in the Sport setting. There's still an annoying looseness and tremor through the bushings though, a feeling common on cars (not just BMWs) with adaptive dampers. Body control is good though, numb steering and sky high grip levels diluting any tactile delights that may lurk.
But in Sport Plus it has just a hint of attitude and aggression about it which, together with the looser engine, is finally offering up some sort of personality to engage with. The engine still sounds a bit gruff from the outside and at higher revs but it's night and day compared with when we first got it.
I've been using the Connected Drive features explored last month too. Which. Includes. The ability to. Have. Your emails read to. You. In. A slightly strange. Robotic cadence. Still, it means I can clear the inbox before reaching the office and is better than listening to Thought For The Day. I can't get Twitter or Facebook to connect via the BMW app but, amazingly, my life still seems complete.
Fresh mode
Before it goes back I'll get rid of the roof bars to return the 4 Series to proper coupe sleekness for a final hurrah too. Though they did come in handy recently when I had to return my road bike to Trek for a frame repair after a crash on some ice.
Wanted to nick some bits from Geneva stand
Though thankfully able to make a repair to the frame in this instance, word on the street had reached me that roof carriers like my Thules aren't necessarily a good idea with lightweight carbon road bikes, given the unintended stresses they can apparently put on the frame. I asked Trek's Chris Garrison whether I should be worried. "We don't have a specific stance regarding roof racks," she advised. "However, in general, we recommend against any sort of clamping of carbon tubes, as it's exactly this type of force that they are susceptible to. However, we all use those racks on our bikes. Really, it's down to the individual to make sure they don't use too much 'man strength', and over-tighten, which isn't necessary in the first place."
So there you go. Interestingly I was able to fit the Madone straight into the E92 M3 we had in with the rear seats down and front wheel off the bike; in the F32 the internal space between the wheelarches is too tight, the reason I went for the roof bars in the first place.
FACT SHEET
Car: 2013 BMW 435i M Sport
Run by: Dan
On fleet since: October 2013
Mileage: 8,119
List price new: £48,160 (Basic list of £41,435 OTR plus £670 for 19-inch M double-spoke 442M wheels, £360 for Adaptive Headlights, £515 for Adaptive M Suspension, £350 for enhanced Bluetooth, £300 for folding mirrors, £825 for head-up display, £460 for Interior Comfort Package comprising memory electric seats, 'extended storage' and sun protection glass, £95 for internet, £675 for Harmon/Kardon speakers, £570 for M Sport brakes, £1,000 for BMW Professional Media Package, £325 for online entertainment, £330 for reversing camera and £250 for Variable Sport Steering.)
Last month at a glance: With a few miles on the clock the 4 Series is starting to show some real character at last - phew!
