Pictures Driveway Update: 2 New Cars

[Centurion]

Hello
During the recent 3 weeks I have taken delivery of two new cars. Both are my first ever factory orders and it feels fantastic to drive cars with specification personalized to my priorities.

Here are details about the cars and some photos

BMW G01 X3 20i M-Sport
Alpine White
Oyster leather upholstery
‘Fineline’ Cove Wood Trim

Adaptive M-Suspension
Parking Assistant Plus
Runflat tyres

Professional Media
Icon Headlights
Acoustic Glass


2019 M140i Shadow Edition
Alpine White
Cognac upholstry
Gloss black trim

M-Performance Limited Slip Differential
Adaptive M-Suspension
Non runflat tyres

Professional Media(Retro fitted)
Front & Rear PDC
Reversing camera
Powerfolding Mirrors
Heated Seats

 

[donkeykong]

Congrats buddy! They both look great

 

[martinbo]

Congrats Luw! What mighty fine garage you have. Both are class-leading machines - good choices.

 

[Centurion]

Congrats Luw! What mighty fine garage you have. Both are class-leading machines - good choices.

Thanks!

I have only had the M140i for a week but am mighty impressed by it's breadth of talent. What makes it especially sweet is that BMW were discounting the model by 26-33% between April-June. Before adding the LSD, Adaptive Suspension a few other nice-to-have, the car was half the price of a Supra!

My local roads are bad and I love that it rides nearly as plush as a 5-Series over bad roads which is 80% of what I spend my time on. In Sport there is so much top-end power in the B58. The car would be sharper and handle better if I change the springs but I don't want to sacrifice ride quality.

The next OEM mod will be F82 M4 LCA and underbody brace. It will cost roughly £350-400 but will make steering more direct and make the front end feel a bit tighter.

Bilstein Dampers could be an option once I've had the opportunity to get a ride in a car with Bilstein dampers and adaptive M-Suspension.

 

[LaArtist]

Sweet congrats, but yeah you know BMW.. lol

Enjoy them!

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Congrats Luw!! You'll love both cars, I'm sure. Genuinely looking forward to hearing your thoughts on both models in due course.

 

[hovabongZA]

Brilliant cars you’ve got there,beautiful spec interior in the X3, enjoy in good health.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Congrats ! And as we say here in Germany: "Allzeit gute Fahrt".

 

[fortuner]

Congrats they look great...

 

[martinbo]

The car would be sharper and handle better if I change the springs but I don't want to sacrifice ride quality.

I strongly recommend against going this route; if you have indeed specced the vehicle with Adaptive M suspension then fitting different (firmer) springs will have an adverse effect on the range of operation of the adaptive M dampers.

The next OEM mod will be F82 M4 LCA and underbody brace. It will cost roughly £350-400 but will make steering more direct and make the front end feel a bit tighter.

The brace is the only accessory I'd personally be willing to fit.

Bilstein Dampers could be an option once I've had the opportunity to get a ride in a car with Bilstein dampers and adaptive M-Suspension.

To be clear: aftermarket Bilstein dampers and OEM adaptive M-Suspension are mutually exclusive; you can't have them both, it's one or the other because adaptive M-Suspension IS the damper - not the spring! You could try going an adaptive damper from Bilstein but that would mean chucking out your adaptive M-Suspension. Wonder what that would do for your warranty?
My advice - unless you're prepping a car for more track use, fiddling with the suspension components is a pointless undertaking because the suspension operating envelope is designed to cater for a broader range of on-road surface quality.

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

The brace is the only accessory I'd personally be willing to fit.

Sometimes, this also has a negative effect. The car body is flexible, stiffening one part causes more flexing in another. The brace sends all the shocks directly to the front part of the passenger compartment, which causes a lot of additional squeaks and rattles in the dashboard.

 

[martinbo]

Sometimes, this also has a negative effect. The car body is flexible, stiffening one part causes more flexing in another. The brace sends all the shocks directly to the front part of the passenger compartment, which causes a lot of additional squeaks and rattles in the dashboard.

Agreed but also feel that this was more prevalent in the days of older, less stiff monocoque construction. An M2 suffers no adverse effects from the addition of the strut brace so an M140i should manage just fine.

All the same, let's not completely hijack Centurion's thread to debate suspension tuning.

 

[Centurion]

My advice - unless you're prepping a car for more track use, fiddling with the suspension components is a pointless undertaking because the suspension operating envelope is designed to cater for a broader range of on-road surface quality.

Fair comment. I will take it to the track but unlikely more than once or twice per year. Unfortunately track days in the UK are on small circuits. Even at Silverstone you only get access to the national circuit which is not that challenging.

The brace is the only accessory I'd personally be willing to fit.

Surprisingly the brace and M4 Lower Control Arms are OEM upgrades that are sanctioned by BMW and can be fitted at franchised dealers without voiding the warranty. From what I have read from others who have fitted both, there is a noticeable improvement in tightening the front and making the steering feel more direct.

This is pretty much it in terms of upgrades I'll fit. I don't intend to mod the car much as it's a rabbit hole of an exercise. One upgrade can amplify the weakness in other areas and you can spend a fortune chasing "perfection". Buying an M2 would be easier and more satisfying than pouring a small fortune into the car

Sometimes, this also has a negative effect. The car body is flexible, stiffening one part causes more flexing in another. The brace sends all the shocks directly to the front part of the passenger compartment, which causes a lot of additional squeaks and rattles in the dashboard.

The three door and 2-Series have underbody braces fitted. I can't think of why BMW didn't fit the 5door with one.

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Agreed but also feel that this was more prevalent in the days of older, less stiff monocoque construction. An M2 suffers no adverse effects from the addition of the strut brace so an M140i should manage just fine.

All the same, let's not completely hijack Centurion's thread to debate suspension tuning.

I just have some first hand experience with the 1er and bracing and wanted to share it. That's all.

 

[Matski]

Unfortunately track days in the UK are on small circuits. Even at Silverstone you only get access to the national circuit which is not that challenging.

Unfortunately?!

 

[Yaz]

Congratulations Hassan.

 

[Centurion]

Congrats Luw!! You'll love both cars, I'm sure. Genuinely looking forward to hearing your thoughts on both models in due course.

X3
There has never been a greater time to be in the market for an SUV as there are so many awesome choices. I think the XC60 is the best looking in the class but ultimately we liked the F25 X3 so much that it made sense to go with much of the same but with alot more options.

We did have an X5 F15 as a loaner but the found fuel consumption to a unjustifiably higher and the size of the car to be too bulky in places where we park.


The bad
-The new BMW steering wheels have ridiculous girth. I have large hands but find the wheel uncomfortable to use.
-Compared with the F25, the G01 isn't fun to drive as the F25 suspension more comfort biased. A G01 M-Sport with M-Sport suspension, 21 inch alloys and run-flats rides softer than the xLine F25 on 19 inch alloys. If you want a fun X3, the M40i is a must.
-Steering feel is detached from the surface and front wheels.
-There are no longer lock/unlock buttons on the driver side doors.
-Only 1 USB port in the entire car in 2019!



The good
-The ride is much better over poor surfaces than the F25.
I'm impressed by how smooth and quiet the 20i is. Below 40mph with the family in the car, the 20i nearly feels as smooth and refined as the 40i.
-The window and boot opening/closing is quieter than in the F25.
-Boxy proportions and big windows makes it a hospitable cabin.
-Boot is 550L and square shaped.
-There is a place to store the parcel shelf.
-I can program the heated seats to automatically switch on if ambient temperature is below a specified number.




M140i
The M2 and M4 were considered but ultimate I didn't want to commit that sort of money when the G80 M4 is just around the corner.

I love the look of the A35 AMG but I just don't think it will make me smile as much behind the wheel. I wanted a car that's light, has big engine and is rear wheel drive.

After less than a week and 200 miles on the clock I can say that the M140i with the options I've fitted is an incredible car. My partner has only driven it once but was blown away by it's split personality between a comfortable sports GT in comfort and a muscular hot hatch in Sport.

The bad


-Rear leg and shoulder room is bad.
-No icon headlights makes the car looks soft from the front.
-It doesn't have BMW's latest design language.
-Although it has iDrive 6, it lacks some of the functionality in my X3 that also has iDrive 6.
-Ambient lighting is dated.
-At low speeds a Ford Fiesta ST is more fun.



The good
-It's an incredibly multi talented car that wears many hats. With a small body, 5 door and big inline 6, it's truly unique.
-In Comfort mode with my runflats, adaptive dampers, B58 engine and ZF8, the refinement is exceptionally good. It feels like you are driving a sporty grand tourer but without excessive bulk and weight.
-The power delivery in Sport mode is amazingly fierce and muscular. The B58 is an absolute joy of an engine even-though I'm driving it gently until I've done 1,200 miles. -I've accidentally been in the 5-7k RPM range three times and have been blow away by the power and pace that's available when I want it.
-Understated enough to be parked on a random road without worrying that it will attract to much attention or vandalism.

Sweet congrats, but yeah you know BMW.. lol

Enjoy them!

Ha!

In 3-4 years, if money allows, I will add a used 911 GT3, Cayman GT4 or an AMG GT as a third car. It will unlikely be a 992 CS as I wouldn't want more drama in the third car.

I will start test driving candidates in 18-24 months.

 

[Rolf]

Wow many congrats buddy, both are truly wonderful cars. The M140i is a catch and will probably be sought after in a few years time. You must be smiling ear to ear whenever you drive them both.

 

[SKY]

Fantastic choices mate! Enjoy them and keep us posted about your impressions.

 

[Centurion]

Wow many congrats buddy, both are truly wonderful cars. The M140i is a catch and will probably be sought after in a few years time. You must be smiling ear to ear whenever you drive them both.

It absolutley it a catch. The X3 is more of a luxury cruiser that's nice to chill in while the M140i is the fun car. Very different personalities but right for our needs. The M140i is my favorite because of the engine, lower centre of gravity, balance, tossable rear end and handing.

I saw the M135i at Goodwood three weeks ago and still had the option to cancel the M140i but there was nothing about the F40 or even the G20 3-Series that made me want to cancel.

Here are the last glamour shots from Sunday's spirited 2 hour drive to and along the Southern coast of England.