BMW 3 Series Launch

[amk2912]

Had a look at the F30 320d in Sportline today. God that interior is gorgeous! That red line accent on the dash is sexy and the sports seats really hug my ample butt.

[TWD]

Originally Posted by amk2912

That's what sold me on the M3 and I ended up with the E90. Great car on the track but as a daily driver I found that I didn't often get up to 6,000 rpm so I didn't often get to experience the brutish power of the V8 - except on freeway on-ramps. I found it a bit of a slug below 5,000 and the M-DCT lag nearly got me T-boned a few times.

That's why I'm now looking at the F30 diesel.... a motza of torque at low revs when you need it.

IMO, 320d has always been a great car. Even in the E9X series.

I had a great test drive in it on Monday. There is also a 318d being released later this year...not sure why because it's just the same as the 320d with slightly less power, etc.

Have a look at the 328i as well. You will be impressed

[Ninjaoz]

now i'm so tempted to buy a E9x M3..it is a monstrous machine, its so well-balanced on the track.

unfortunately didnt get a chance to drive the F30, but the 325i felt so powerless and floaty on the track after a few laps on the M3.

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by Honny

Great review Vinney. The new F20 and even F30 is really growing on me..... however how would you compare the new 335i ($100+k) mark to other cars you can buy around that price in todays market?

new 335i or used C63/M3/GTR and some $$$

It's a good valid question and depends on the buyer and their situation.

A few factors that we're comparing new vs old. Warranty vs no warranty.

I think from a performance point of view those cars you mentioned are better for the track right out of the box.

If it were me, I'd most likely go for the GTR/C63, however it's hard to look past the new 335i. It does everything so well, even better than the old model. The interior is a huge step up. It's the sensible decision to choose the 335i, no have to worry about warranty and drive the latest model on the market.

I think a 335i with Msport, aftermarket tune, better tyres, LSD, will be a great setup. You can tell straight away this car has a dual personality, subtle daily driver that can have fun on the open back roads (like we did on the test drive).

On the other hand, if you have less commitments and never want to have regrets, C63/GTR/M3. You can always buy the 335i later.

[amk2912]

It'll be interesting to see what chip mods come out for the F30 328i and the 335i.

[MikeVictor]

Originally Posted by amk2912

It'll be interesting to see what chip mods come out for the F30 328i and the 335i.

There's already a flash tune for the N20 I believe (328i)

[chappy]

I read that the 328 is running at 17.5 psi boost compared to stock 135/335 8psi boost i don't know how far a tune would push up the boost when running already at 17.5 and the tuned N54 N55 only runs 13.5 to 15 to get huge gains.

[Dr Stig 2]

Originally Posted by chappy

I read that the 328 is running at 17.5 psi boost compared to stock 135/335 8psi boost i don't know how far a tune would push up the boost when running already at 17.5 and the tuned N54 N55 only runs 13.5 to 15 to get huge gains.

Agree. The 320 and 328 run the same engine with different tunes (dont they?).
If there was a heap of safe space for tuning above the 328 they could have discontinued the 335 in line six.

Not saying there isn't room to push the envelope, but just that maybe they have already tried to close the gap on the envelope with the 328 tune.

[sparoz]

Originally Posted by Dr Stig 2

Agree. The 320 and 328 run the same engine with different tunes (dont they?).
If there was a heap of safe space for tuning above the 328 they could have discontinued the 335 in line six.

Not saying there isn't room to push the envelope, but just that maybe they have already tried to close the gap on the envelope with the 328 tune.

M2 is rumoured to have a four, but probably a different config.

[Dr Stig 2]

Originally Posted by sparoz

M2 is rumoured to have a four, but probably a different config.

The M2 will be a 1er coupe wont it?

The M4 will be the coupe of the 3 series...

[MikeVictor]

Originally Posted by Dr Stig 2

The M2 will be a 1er coupe wont it?

The M4 will be the coupe of the 3 series...

Correct.

[sparoz]

Originally Posted by Dr Stig 2

The M2 will be a 1er coupe wont it?

The M4 will be the coupe of the 3 series...

It would be very interesting as Merc has just shown its A25 hot hatch with a Turbo4.