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Our Ultimate Guide to the F30 3 Series at 10...

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Independently written for real enthusiasts

BMW Car, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL EDITORIAL Editor: Simon Jackson Email: bmwcar.ed@kelsey.co.uk Tel: 07391 718134 Contributors Bob Harper, Andrew Everett, Guy Baker, John Glynn, Dan Bevis, Jason Dodd, Liam Heitmann-Ryce, Shane O’ Donoghue Art Editor Lorna Mansford ADVERTISEMENT SALES Laura Crawte / Liam Stone Tel: 01233 228754 / 01233 228751 Email: laura@tandemmedia.co.uk / liam@tandemmedia.co.uk PRODUCTION Tandem Media Bmw@tandemmedia.co.uk Production Manager: Andy Welch Artwork enquiries: 01233 220245 MANAGEMENT Chief executive: Steve Wright Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Publisher: Gareth Beesley Subscription marketing Director: Gill Lambert Retail Director: Steve Brown Print production manager: Georgina Harris Print production controller: Kelly Orriss, Hayley Brown Subs Marketing Executives: Dave Sage, Claire Aspinall Affiliate Marketing: Kate Chamberlain SUBSCRIPTIONS 12 issues of BMW Car are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £64.87 Europe annual subscription price: £78 USA annual subscription price: £78 Rest of World annual subscription price: £85 CONTACT US: UK subscription and back issue orderline: 0845 241 5159 Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 For customer service support, please visit: https://help.kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: BMW Car Customer Service Team, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL WEBSITE Find current subscription offers at shop.kelsey.co.uk/bmwc Buy back issues at shop.kelsey.co.uk/bmwcback Already a subscriber?

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Welcome It is quite hard to believe that the F30 generation 3 Series has

CONTENTS

been with us for 10-years now, that’s largely thanks to how fresh it still looks today. In this issue we bring you one of our Ultimate Guides to this handsome 3 Series which – depending on the model you opt for – is now available for a song, p10.

Now, given how its release date has been moved on numerous occasions since lockdown what I’m about to write next might leave me with egg firmly planted on face, but here goes... With a bit of luck the latest instalment of the James Bond franchise – No Time To Die – is in cinemas around the time that you are reading this. To celebrate we revisit one of 007’s most underrated vehicles – his E38 7 Series from Tomorrow Never Dies with the help of Jason Barlow – author of a recent book chronicling the history of James Bond cars – aptly titled Bond Cars (p18).

Elsewhere in the issue comes our usual mix of classic, modern classic and contemporary BMWs – with everything from an E30 to a First Drive of the new G23 4 Series Convertible.

And, while I don’t want to detract from this issue, I do want to flag our next. The December issue of BMW Car will be a bumper special devoted to classic BMWs. Not every piece of content inside will focus on retro BMWs, but a decent proportion will, and it promises to be one not to miss. To get a taste of what we have in store for you turn to the back of this issue. Don’t forget that the best way to avoid missing out on any issues of BMW Car is to subscribe either in print or digitally (p34 and p72) – the magazine is available on digital platforms such as Readly allowing you to read it on any electronic device – mobile or tablet. Enjoy the issue.

Simon Jackson, Editor @retro_ jackson

Find our Ultimate Guide to the F30 3 Series on page 10.

MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS

Andrew Everett

Technical guru

Bob Harper

Marque expert

Elliott Stiling

Guy Baker

John Glynn

Shane O’ Donoghue

BMW enthusiast Market analysis BMW columnist Road tester

Follow us on social media: BMWCarMagazine @bmwcarmag

bmwcarmag

NOVEMBER 2021 3

CONTENTS

10 Contents

Independently written for real enthusiasts

Independently written for real enthusiasts

Regulars

006 News Catch up with the latest BMW news 025 Comment: Bob Harper Our resident marque expert talks all things BMW

026 Comment: John Glynn This time John talks used cars 028 Shop NewforProducts the latest and greatest products 032 Motorsport Month The latest BMW motorsport news 035 Letters Have your say 036 First Drives Behind the wheel of the latest BMWs 058 Market Watch BMW marketplace analysis 4 BMWcar

061 Workshop Wisdom Andrew Everett gets his hands dirty

with a range of BMW technical issues

065 Our Cars The trials and tribulations of the BMW Car fleet

072 Subscriptions Subscribe to BMW Car and save money!

074 Trouble-Shooter Technical tips and fixes for common BMW problems

079 Reader’s Rides Your BMW’s five minutes of fame – did your car make it this time?

080 Classifieds Find a bargain in our free classifieds 082 Next Month What’s in the next issue of BMW Car?

CONTENTS

18

36 40

46

Follow us on social media: BMWCarMagazine @bmwcarmag

November 2021

Features

010 F30 3 Series It’s 10-years since the F30 generation 3 Series 040 F06 M6 Gran Coupé arrived in our lives. We delve deep into the BMW dealer ‘Genius’ Matt “Q” Quarrington’s model to reveal everything there is to know...

018 007’s E38 7 Series With the release of No Time to Die finally

upon us, we revisit an earlier James Bond adventure and pay tribute to one of the franchise’s most underrated vehicles with Bond Cars author Jason Barlow.

bmwcarmag

dream car has long been an F06 M6 Gran Coupé. When this car was taken in part exchange at his place of work the rest was rather inevitable...

046 E30 320i Touring The E30-generation 3 Series is seriously hot

property on the used market at the moment.

And when this 320i Touring sold at auction recently for an impressive £17,000, it was a clear sign that the wagon’s time has come.

052 G30 M3 Vs G82 M4 Has the G80 M3 and G82 M4 grown on the naysayers yet? Perhaps it’s time we found out...

52 NOVEMBER 2021 5

BMW News

NEWS

BMW LAUNCHES NEW iX3

BMW has refreshed the exterior design of the iX3, with hints of the iX and i4, adding the M Sport Package as standard.

The new BMW iX3 has landed and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it takes its new design cues from its electric relations – the iX and i4.

The exterior design refresh has seen the introduction of the M Sport Package as standard in the UK, the kidney grille is now larger than before and has a single-piece frame which comes in Pearl-effect Chrome with a blue accent, the inner surfaces have a mesh-like structure. The headlight contours are now slimmer (by 10mm), helping to give the new iX3 a sharper look. The lower air intake, which comes with ten-stage active air flap

6 BMWcar

control to cool the drive system components and brakes, has grown in size. Changes to the front and rear bumpers and diffusers are joined by a slim light graphic and new (threedimensional) pincer-shaped indicators.

Aside from the mild styling update the iX3 uses BMW Group’s fifth-generation eDrive technology with which we are already familiar.

When using a rapid-charging station the high-voltage battery can be charged from 0 to 80 percent of full capacity in 34-minutes, 62-miles can be added to the car’s driving range in just 10-minutes. The new iX3 offers

a range of up to 286-miles on the WLTP test cycle which is good but not game changing.

Two trim levels are on offer – M Sport or M Sport Pro. Four exterior metallic colours are available on the new iX3 including Carbon Black, Mineral White, Phytonic Blue and Sophisto Grey. Black High Gloss exterior trim is standard alongside 19” Black wheels, an automatic tailgate, adaptive suspension, heated steering wheel and panoramic sunroof.

Inside come four colour choices for the Vernasca leather, while a Sensatec dashboard, sun protection glazing, ambient lighting and

NEWS BMW CARGO BIKE AND E-SCOOTER CONCEPTS BMW has revealed electrified bicycle and e-scooter concepts.

electric seats are all offered as standard.

The M Sport Package provides wireless phone charging, heated front seats and the driver assistance technology such as Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant and BMW Live Cockpit Professional. The M Sport Pro adds a Head-up Display, Harman Kardon surround sound, Gesture Control, Parking Assistant Plus, darkened headlights, automatic high beam assistant, Comfort access and Lumbar support to that list.

Both models offer identical performance

with 286hp and 295lb ft carrying the new iX3 to 62mph in 6.8-seconds and onto a top speed on 112mph. Prices for the M Sport model start at £59,730, the M Sport Pro is priced at £62,730. Customers who purchase a new iX3 vehicle via a BMW Centre are eligible for both ‘bp pulse’ and ‘IONITY Plus’ charging packages for free for 12 months.

The first UK customer deliveries of the new iX3 are slated to take place from December this year.

BMW has unveiled two interesting design concepts for city centre travel. The electrified bicycle Concept Dynamic Cargo, and the e-scooter Concept Clever Commute, are both micromobility vehicles designed for future, electric, living.

The Cargo is a compact, three-wheeled, bike concept with variable loading platforms for transporting loads and/or children.

The main front frame is connected to the rear via a pivot axle which tilts in corners.

The rear section remains stable through corners without tilting towards the road. This combines with an electrified powertrain – activated as soon as the rider starts to pedal – which drives the two rear wheels. The rear wheels also provide the basis for a versatile, pick-up-style transport platform which can be fitted with a selection of modular attachments. There's also the facility for adding a system for weather protection.

The Clever Commute e-scooter is designed as an ideal park and ride partner.

It folds up making it ideal for carrying in the car boot (it fits length ways into the 3 Series boot, for example) and for carrying on public transport. It can be rolled along on both wheels, rather like a trolley case. The front wheel features an integral hub motor providing electric power that makes it easier to push the scooter up ramps.

Both micromobility concepts have been designed to offer a range of over 12-miles.

Their battery packs can be removed and charged at home. BMW is in discussions with potential licensees to build both concepts.

NOVEMBER 2021 7

NEWS

POINTS PROGRAMME REWARDS HYBRID DRIVERS BMW has rolled out a Points Programme rewarding customers with charging credit for each electric mile driven with their hybrid BMW.

BMW plug-in hybrid owners can now benefit from BMW Points in the UK. Offered to 330e, 530e, 545e, 745e, X3 30e (produced from August 2021) and X5 45e drivers with BMW Operating System 7.0, the programme offers free charging in exchange for driving electric miles. Drivers can earn two points for each mile driven electrically, four for each mile driven electrically in a designated eDrive zone.

BMW Points users are also awarded 20 bonus points every time their vehicle is charged for a minimum of fifteen minutes. Plus, a monthly reward of 500 points for each user who charges their vehicle twenty times a month for a minimum of fifteen minutes each time.

Once drivers have collected 3,200 points, they will be rewarded with £10 of charging credit to be used across the BMW Charging network. At the 7500 point threshold, customers will receive £25 and at 14,500 points a £50 free charging credit. Vehicles can be registered on the BMW Points scheme via the My BMW App, once you are registered miles are automatically logged by the vehicle. Additionally, any miles driven throughout Europe are also recorded – BMW Points is already available to customers in Germany, Belgium and Netherlands.

Existing eDrive (low emission) Zones in London and Birmingham have been bolstered by a further six Zones launched across the UK in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool, Bath and Manchester. The most recent additions also include Dublin and Limerick. The BMW eDrive Zones digital service automates the process of switching to electric-only power when a BMW plug-in hybrid vehicle enters a defined area of designated cities. The eDrive Zones are highlighted on the vehicle’s Central Control Display navigation screen, in London they include the TFL Congestion Charge/ULEZ zone, in Birmingham the service covers the city’s Clean Air Zone.

8 BMWcar

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Whether it’s enhanced aerodynamics, drivetrain, interior or chassis, we have all the equipment you need to ensure your BMW can be styled to suit you.

To find out more, please contact your preferred BMW Retailer or visit www.bmw.co.uk/mperformanceaccessories

F30 3 SERIES ULTIMATE GUIDE

Ultimate Guide: F30 3 Series

When it was launched ten years ago the F30 was the most advanced 3 Series ever made, today it represents an excellent used buy...

Words: Words: Bob Harper Photography: BMW

I

t seems barely possible that the F30 generation of 3 Series is celebrating its first decade this year, but it’s almost ten years to the day since the sixth version of the iconic executive saloon first saw the light of day when it was revealed at the Munich plant back in 2011. The arrival of a new 3 Series is always an important time for BMW and helps define how the entire BMW range is viewed by both the press and the buying public. When the F30 was launched the 3 Series saloon accounted for one fifth of all BMWs sold so it was a model that BMW really couldn’t afford to

10 BMWcar

get wrong.

As you’d expect there was quite the fanfare to accompany the launch of the new car and BMW had plenty to shout about, claiming “The new BMW 3 Series Saloon is a car of contradictions: larger and more spacious than the model it replaces, but lighter; quicker in many cases, but more fuel-efficient; and more nimble and agile while even safer. There have been big steps forward in style, quality, comfort and specification for only a minimal price increase.” There were a number of firsts for the 3 Series too, with an engine line-up that was

exclusively turbocharged, electro-mechanical power steering across the board as well as an eight-speed automatic gearbox option and previously unavailable options such as a head-up display being offered to customers to for the first time.

It was great when it was new and is still a brilliant used buy with a large number of examples to choose from with a variety of differing engines and trim levels there’s more or less an F30 3 Series to suit every driver whether you’re looking for the ultimate in economy or feel the need for speed.

F30 3 SERIES ULTIMATE GUIDE

History The F30 was first revealed in October 2011,

What goes wrong?

Generally speaking the F30 generation is so far proving to be a pretty reliable machine but there are always exceptions to the rule so give potential purchases a thorough check over, especially when it comes to the various gadgets and gizmos. Look for a cast iron service history and ignore any examples that look to have had stretched oil change intervals.

Unless you have your heart set on an unusual colour combination with some specific options you should have plenty of choice when buying an F30 so if you’re unsure about any potential purchase it’s best to walk away and find one that’s perfect.

made its motor show debut in Detroit in January 2012 and went on sale in February that year in just about all the world’s major markets.

While BMW generally experiments with its design language with less mainstream models it usually plays it fairly safe with the 3 Series and that was certainly true of the F30. It was neatly styled – nothing too outlandish for this vital sector of the market – and was instantly recognisable as a BMW and as a 3 Series.

What was most obvious was that the F30 had grown considerably, with the latest machine being 93mm longer than the outgoing car and with 50mm of that extra length going into the wheelbase it came as no surprise that the F30 offered more spacious accommodation than before, particularly for rear seat passengers. The new car also featured a stiffer body and an all-new chassis with widened front and rear track (37 and 47mm respectively) in the quest for even better driving dynamics but also to move even the smaller wheels to the edges of the wheel arches for improved aesthetics. The boot was bigger too – up 20-litres to 480 – but even though the Three had increased in size BMW reckoned it weighed either the same or up to 50kg less than the old car depending on options and specification.

It was perhaps inside that the greatest steps forward were made for the F30 with a much more upmarket feel than previous generation.

The increased rear accommodation made it feel more spacious than BMW’s figures might have suggested as 15mm more knee room and 8mm of additional headroom might not sound much, but it definitely felt better than before. The dash layout and design seemed to have taken their design cues from the contemporary 5 and 6 Series and with a slight angle towards the driver it felt sporty enough, too. All models featured a 6.5-inch monitor sitting on top of the dash and if Professional navigation was specified the screen grew to 10-inches. The quality of trim was a step up on the previous E90 generation, too.

When the F30 was launched the entire 3

Series Saloon line-up featured turbocharged power units and comprised of one six-cylinder and three four-cylinder engines – 320d, 320d EfficientDynamics, 328i and 335i and these were closely followed by the 316d, 318d and 320i in March 2012.

All the four diesels used the same 1995cc engine, but in different states of tune, with power outputs ranging from 116hp to 184hp.

The 320d EfficientDynamics was particularly noteworthy, offering 163hp, 280lb ft of torque, an 8.0-second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 143mph, while emitting just 109g/km of CO2 and returning 68.9mpg on the combined cycle.

Of the petrol models, both the 320i and the 328i came with the four-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged N20 with outputs of 184hp and 245hp respectively, offering 0-62mph times of 7.3- and 5.9-seconds, while the 328i has a combined economy figure of 44.1mpg.

The 335i used the same basic engine as the outgoing model but offered better performance economy and emissions, especially when hooked up to the automatic gearbox.

All F30 Threes came as standard with a six-speed manual with an automatic being an option, and this self-shifter had eight ratios making the auto models particularly efficient.

There was more good news for buyers of the 320d EfficientDynamics, as for the first time this model was available with the eight-speed auto.

Further models joined the line-up later in 2012 – the 316i, the 320i EfficientDynamics, the 330d, the 320i xDrive and the Active Hybrid 3. The all-wheel drive 320i xDrive became the first 3 Series saloon to be offered in the UK with this type of drivetrain while the Active Hybrid 3 was the 3 Series’ first foray into hybrid power. The combination of the 335i’s turbocharged straight-six and an electric motor offered excellent performance – 0-62mph took just 5.3-seconds – but it’s 2.4-mile all electric range meant that this wasn’t really designed with the eco warrior in mind.

Brawnier diesel models also joined the fray, the 330d in mid-2012 and the 335d in 2013, along with a middle-ground option, the NOVEMBER 2021 11

F30 3 SERIES ULTIMATE GUIDE 325d. While the 335d offered the ultimate in performance it could only be ordered with xDrive so those after traditional rear-wheel drive thrills were limited to the 330d (which could be specced with xDrive, too), but it was still a hugely impressive machine. The 330d was only offered with the eight-speed auto but with 258hp and 413lb ft of torque.

It knocked off the 0-62mph dash in just 5.6-seconds yet returned a combined fuel economy of 57.6mpg and CO2 emissions of just 129g/km.

So there was an extensive engine line-up (and we haven’t even got to the LCI models yet!) but there was an equally extensive selection of trim levels to choose from. ES models (only available on the 316i and 316d) were a little bit down on spec but still received auto air, 17-inch alloys, keyless go, cruise, Bluetooth, iDrive and a USB audio interface, but you’d have been better off with an SE spec machine. This added 17-inch Star-spoke style 393 alloys with run-flat tyres, auto air-con (two zone), an auto dimming rear-view mirror, rear PDC and a rain sensor with auto headlight activation. On the 328i and above, SE spec also added Extended lighting, front PDC and Servotronic steering.

New for the 3 Series were Sport, Modern and Luxury trim levels which all aimed to give the car a different feel and ambiance. Sport was perhaps the most convincing with uniqueto-the-model 17-inch alloys, black high-gloss air intakes with redesigned bumpers, sports seats with red stitching, a Sport leather steering wheel and further sporty detailing. Modern

was the least successful with matt chrome highlights and a two-tone Oyster interior – it was quietly dropped when the F30 received its facelift. The Luxury models majored on lashings of chrome, gloss wood interior trim and leather seats while M Sport featured the expected array of M aerodynamics, wheels, leather sports seats and sport suspension.

The major change for the F30 came mid-2015 when the car underwent its mid-life refresh.

Exterior upgrades weren’t ground-breaking with minor styling tweaks to the bumpers along with restyled head and tail lights which featured increased use of the now de rigueur LEDs. Inside there were some updated components but it was under the skin that the most important changes were to be found.

Virtually the entire engine line-up was revamped with the new modular B class family of engines, with just the 330d and 335d retaining previously used units. For the first time in the 3 Series a three-cylinder engine was used for the new entry-level petrol model, the 318i, which effectively replaced the 316i.

It punched above its 1499cc weight and with 136hp it could just dip below the nine second mark from rest to 62mph and thanks to its relatively light weight was actually quite entertaining to drive.

For the 320i the N20 was ditched and replaced with the B48 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit that developed 184hp and 214lb ft of torque which gave it a 7.2-second 0-62mph time yet offered around 50mpg on the official combined cycle. The same engine,

The major change came in 2015 when the car underwent its midlife refresh

12 BMWcar

but in a different state of tune, was used in the 330i which replaced the 328i. With 252hp and 258lb ft and it could reach 62mph from rest in just under six seconds in manual Saloon form. Top dog in the petrol line up was the new 340i which was the first BMW to receive the new B58 modular version of the six-cylinder petrol unit. With a swept volume of 2998cc it developed the same 326hp and 332lb ft of torque and was good for a 5.1-second 0-62mph time.

The 316d, 318d, 320d and 320d EfficientDynamics all used the new B47 unit to replace the old N47 and had outputs ranging from 116hp and 190hp and offered up to 72.4mpg. The 320d EfficientDynamics managed to dip below the magic 100g/km CO2 barrier (when spec’d as an auto) which made it a very popular company car choice.

The last two diesels, the 330d and 335d xDrive used tweaked versions of the previous N57 engine with outputs of 258 and 313hp respectively. Both were popular models.

The LCI models also saw changes to their suspension and steering to enhance their sporting credentials while both the eight-speed auto and six-speed manual ‘boxes featured minor revisions, including rev matching on the manuals when changing down the ‘box.

The last major arrival was the debut of the 330e in 2016. It combined a four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined output of 252hp and an official combined economy of up to 148mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 44g/km. It has an electric range of up to 25-miles but the battery pack did rob some boot space, dropping its capacity to 370-litres which did blunt its practicality a little.

The F30 was eventually replaced by the new G20 model in early 2019.

F30 3 SERIES ULTIMATE GUIDE

Engines We’ll start here with the diesels as the range

of engines fitted to the F30 tend to be slightly less reliable than the petrol units – indeed, in What Car?’s latest reliability survey some BMW diesel models were significantly more likely to be troublesome than their petrol counterparts.

The four-cylinder N47 diesel found in the pre-facelift F30 was much improved over earlier versions of the engine but there’s still the timing chain issue to be wary of. The chain is located at the back of the engine so replacement involves the removal of the engine – it can be done by removing the gearbox, but either way it’s going to be costly when repairs are required. A failing chain can be spotted by a rhythmic ‘shh, shh, shh’ noise rather than by a heavy rattle you might expect and if a car you’re looking at exhibits this noise then walk away and look at another.

Extended service intervals didn’t help so we’d recommend changing the oil on one of these units every 8,000-miles or so, no matter what the service indicator tells you.

Turbos and injectors seem to fare much better than on older versions of the engine, but can fail on higher mileage examples.

Other problems to be aware of include front exhaust flexi-pipes can split whilst gradual coolant loss can be due to the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler leaking coolant into the inlet manifold and thus into the engine to be burnt off. The EGR valves themselves can jam and require either cleaning or replacement and there have been numerous EGR-related recalls so double check that a potential purchase has had this done. The B47 that replaced the N47 seems to be healthy so far, although they can still suffer from EGR problems.

The N57 found in the 330d and 335d uses a similar design but the smoother running of the six-cylinder unit seems to make them less susceptible to the chain issue, but listen closely as they have been known to fail. Turbos and injectors are again fairly robust, but the faults still apply and cheap diesel can also make a mess of the high pressure fuel pump and injectors, too.

It’s also worth asking yourself whether you really need the additional performance of a 335d – its additional complexity makes the 330d a better buy when it comes to forking out for repairs.

Generally speaking the petrol engines fare better than the diesels with the fourcylinder N20 and later B48 units proving to be pretty reliable. The N20 is pretty solid but there have been the odd instances of timing chain problems and they can suffer from the occasional oil leak from the oil filter housing and valve cover gasket. So far the B48 looks to have a good reliability record but with all these engines regular oil changes are key to keeping them in fine fettle.

The six-cylinder N55 petrol in the 335i is generally not a bad unit although like many N series engines it does seem rather susceptible to an oil leak, notably from the oil filter housing gasket. As it’s a direct injection unit it can also suffer from carbon build up which can be removed with walnut blasting. Rattling from the top of the engine will generally be down to the hydraulic lifters rocking in their bores and this is more likely to happen on units that haven’t had regular oil changes or have generally been a little abused. Direct injection pumps can fail, too.

So far the B58 in the 340i is looking pretty solid and doesn’t exhibit any notable foibles so that’s good news.

NOVEMBER 2021 13

F30 3 SERIES ULTIMATE GUIDE Transmission Fortunately there aren’t too many problems to be found with the F30’s

gearboxes, either the six-speed manual or ZF eight-speed auto. Which you choose is down to personal preference but there are a couple of items to note. On the manuals, especially higher mileage cars you can get a rattle from the dual mass flywheel and even an aftermarket item will set up back around £600 plus the cost of a new clutch too, plus labour. Also check that the box engages reverse without problems – they have been known to be problematic.

The eight-speed auto is very good and rarely gives cause for concern, any problems generally being related to the electronics rather than the ‘box itself. They’re sealed for life units but ZF reckons the oil should be changed by around 75,000-miles or eight years, especially if used in hot conditions, if driven in a sporting manner or if the car is used for towing.

Differentials and drive shafts aren’t a cause for concern, but do listen out for any untoward noises from the diff as a whining unit is not unheard of, even if it’s pretty rare.

Steering and suspension Overall there aren’t too many problems with the F30’s

underpinnings but hard driven examples may now be ready for replacement dampers, especially if the car’s been driven hard when fully loaded. Listen out for knocks or clunks on a test drive as bushes can wear out with one of the more regular problems being the bump stops which can split. Parts aren’t expensive but the struts have to be removed to effect a replacement.

Another known foible of the F30 is a rattle from the steering, especially when travelling over rougher roads. The only known cure is a new electric rack – around £2,000 for the part from BMW. F30s do seem to be quite susceptible to their suspension geometry going out of kilter after a few years and have a full geometry check every few years will do wonders for the way the car drives and should also prevent excessive tyre wear, too.

Body You won’t find rust on an F30 unless it’s

been poorly repaired but that doesn’t mean you should skimp on the usual checks. Do the panels line up correctly with more or less uniform gaps? Is the paint finish consistent between panels?

Are the lights all in good condition without and crack, chips or water ingress?

Are any exterior trims in good order?

F30s do seem to be susceptible to their suspension geometry going out of kilter...

14 BMWcar

F30 3 SERIES ULTIMATE GUIDE

F30 Diesel models (selected highlights) Engine: Capacity: Power: Torque: 0-62mph: Top speed: Economy: Emissions:

320d LCI B47 four-cylinder 1995cc 190hp @ 4000rpm 295lb ft @ 1750-2500rpm 7.3-seconds 146mph 67.3mpg 111g/km

330d LCI N57 six-cylinder 2993cc 258hp @ 4000rpm 413lb ft @ 1500-3000rpm 5.6-seconds 155mph 56.5mpg 131g/km

Engine: Capacity: Power: Torque: 0-62mph: Top speed: Economy: Emissions:

330i LCI B48 four-cylinder 1998cc 252hp @ 5200-6500rpm 258lb ft @ 1450-4800rpm 5.9-seconds 155mph 43.5mpg 151g/km

340i LCI B58 six-cylinder 2998cc 326hp @ 5500-6500rpm 332lb ft @ 1380-5000rpm 5.1-seconds 155mph 36.7 mpg 179g/km

F30 Petrol models (selected highlights)

Wheels, tyres and brakes For the F30 generation the spectre of cracked alloys that seemed

to plague the E90 3 Series seems to have been resolved but give the wheels a good check over anyway. Check for cracks and kerb damage. Virtually all models came with runflats and by the time the F30 hit the streets they were pretty good from a ride comfort perspective, but if buying an M Sport on the optional 19-inch rims don’t expect a magic carpet ride. 17s offer a decent ride, the 16s on the EfficientDynamics models are even better and 18s are a tolerable compromise between looks and ride comfort. Check that whatever boots it’s fitted with are a known brand – nothing screams that a car’s been run on a shoestring like budget rubber.

There aren’t many worries on the braking front other than regular pad and disc replacements – rear pads can require replacement frequently on hard driven examples as the DSC uses them to keep on top of the car’s stability. ABS is more or less problem free and the F30 is too new to worry about rusty brake pipes unless it’s spent its entire life driving through sea water.

NOVEMBER 2021 15

F30 3 SERIES ULTIMATE GUIDE Interior

The F30 was pretty well screwed together and the materials used were of a decent quality so a potential purchase should still be in good order. Both the leather and fabric seats seem to wear well but do the usual checks for rips and tears or any staining. Bolsters seem to resist wear fairly well, too.

One seat-related item that does not do so well are the seat bases which have a tendency to rust. Its unsightly rather than a structural problem and if you make a big fuss you might have them replaced by a dealer under goodwill or warranty.

Check all the electrics work well – these 3 Series had more equipment than ever before so it pays to take your time and ensure everything works as it should. Does the air-con blow cold? Does the sat-nav boot up quickly? Do all the windows work? Simple things to check, but they’ll avoid financial pain further down the line if checked prior to purchase.

Verdict With a vast number of different engines

to choose from and an extensive range of trims there really is an F30 to suit all tastes and budgets. Pre-facelift diesels aren’t compatible with London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone so avoid those if you regularly head to the capital. Other than that the 2.0-litre diesels are great machines, offering a great blend of performance and economy, although if you can stretch to a

16 BMWcar

330d you won’t regret it – it’s almost as quick as a 335d and is a gem to drive.

The petrol models do seem to be a little more reliable than the diesels and the 320i is a very nicely balanced and entertaining machine to drive. The 328i and 330i do offer considerably more go without being significantly more expensive to run so again, these are the models we’d recommend. If you’ve somewhere to charge it and do lots

of short trips a 330e could also be a good option, but do bear in mind the loss of luggage capacity if you plan to regularly fill the boot.

Post face-lift cars do drive a little better and have the advantage of packing the latest technology – if budget allows then these are the cars to go for. Overall though any F30 is a very decent machine – buy the best you can and enjoy it!

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007’S E38 7 SERIES

Tomorrow Never Dies

With the release of No Time to Die finally upon us, we revisit an earlier James Bond adventure and pay tribute to one of the franchise’s most underrated vehicles with Bond Cars author Jason Barlow.

I

Words: Liam Heitmann-Ryce Photography: BMW

f you were to play the word-association game with “James Bond” and “car”, the first thing to come out of a person’s mouth would most likely be ‘Aston Martin’, or maybe ‘underwater Lotus’. They would probably imagine the silver DB5 from Goldfinger, complete with ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns, or they may picture the sleek white Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me diving off the edge of a jetty and gracefully transforming into a propellerpowered submarine. No matter what, the consensus is clear: Bond cars are sleek, sexy, almost always two-door coupés, and represent the highest automotive aspirations of just about every filmgoer and car enthusiast.

18 BMWcar

Enter BMW. Despite a strong reputation for luxury vehicles with faultless sporting credentials, the German marque has long received short thrift from even casual Bond fans. The outrage that their favourite superspy would be seen in anything as recognisably suburban as a BMW may have diluted since the 1990s, but Bayerische Motoren Werke is still unlikely to appear in the Bond car wordassociation game.

A Bond for the new millennium, Pierce Brosnan’s rendition of the suave secret agent, brought with it some notable product placement, in the form of Omega wristwatches, Brioni tailoring, and three very flash BMWs. Beginning with GoldenEye,

audiences were given a sneak preview of the understated – and despairingly gadget-free – Z3 roadster, with 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies thrusting Bond into the back seat of a remotecontrol 750iL and 1999’s The World Is Not Enough placing Brosnan behind the wheel of the achingly beautiful Z8 roadster, complete with side-mounted missile launchers.

Of the three, the full-size 7 Series routinely suffers the harshest criticism from fans, lacking the immediate glamour of its two-seater counterparts. For all the excesses in product placement exhibited by the decades-long franchise, Tomorrow Never Dies is frequently pinned as a low point of 007’s onscreen outings. Much of that vitriol is directed

007’S E38 7 SERIES

toward the 750iL provided for Bond while on assignment in Hamburg, a vehicle fitting for his cover as a British banker but otherwise dismissed as one of the most lacklustre cars ever to have wound up in a Bond film.

This has always bothered me, as perhaps the only person I know who upholds the “007 Series” as their favourite Bond car.

Upon voicing that opinion I am met with a mixture of ambivalence and disbelief, with the unbeatable pairing of Bond and Aston Martin almost completely invalidating my own choice.

Few people are willing to recognise the sleek muscularity of this imposing sports sedan, with the regal E38 representing the pinnacle of BMW’s strikingly elegant and inoffensively boxy

automotive design.

Of the 750iL we see onscreen, I am confident BMW purists will join me in playfully scorning Desmond Llewelyn’s Q for the incorrect pronunciation of the model number, referring to the car as “your new BMW sevenhundred-and-fifty.” Yet this may well have been the doing of director Roger Spottiswoode. For many of his appearances as Q throughout the series, Llewelyn commonly read off what he called ‘idiot cards’ to guide him through his character’s famously jargon-laden dialogue, yet for Tomorrow Never Dies Spottiswoode insisted the 82-year-old actor recite his lines by heart.

Nevertheless, I feel assured in my defence of the 750iL as one of 007’s greatest vehicles,

for my views are shared by the current authority voice on the subject of James Bond’s fourwheeled co-stars. Journalist and broadcaster Jason Barlow is a contributing editor for GQ and Top Gear magazine, and the author of last year’s 336-page masterwork Bond Cars: The Definitive History. With a career in automotive journalism that has seen him at the launch of every major BMW model of the past quartercentury, Barlow was more than happy to share some love for the ‘007 Series’, as well as offer some revelations about its onscreen appearance which weren’t published his book.

Jason begins by sharing that the Tomorrow Never Dies BMW is “one of my favourite Bond cars. There’s a strong case to be made for the NOVEMBER 2021 19

007’S E38 7 SERIES The E38 7 Series is equipped with various gadgets as expected of any Bond car

E38 being the most elegant of all the 7 Series iterations, the archetypal large German saloon.”

While he concedes there are individual highlights within BMW’s illustrious history, such as the E30 3 Series, the original 6 Series and the classic 2002, he broadly believes “that BMW’s design peaked in the Nineties.

Chris Bangle, whose work I always defend – although he was a better designer of products than of cars – had to kick against it in order to move the brand forward.”

And kick the trend Bangle certainly did, for the defence rallied by Mr Barlow for these design innovations is not one shared by the author of this article. After the sleek musculature of BMW design embodied by the E36 3 Series, E39 5 Series and first-generation X5, my view on the bulbous, wallowing vehicles produced under Bangle’s design direction is that they are nothing short of sacrilege.

Was BMW’s support of the Bond films more than a mere marketing exercise?

20 BMWcar

His penchant for creating vehicles with drooping rear ends, a design trademark derisively known as the “Bangle butt” – exemplified by the E65 7 Series and E64 6 Series – was initially viewed with the same kind of vitriol previously reserved for the “egg yolk” headlights of the 996 Porsche 911 Carrera. While the latter has been more favourably reassessed in recent years, it is uncertain whether anyone can look at the offensively pudgy 7 Series of the early 2000s and assert its status as an icon of automotive design, in the same way its class-leading predecessor had in the decade prior.

Yet despite the subtle grace of the E38, there was no escaping its vast dimensions as a long-wheelbase saloon, so its presence in a Bond film was not one received with ecstatic approval. Indeed, it was overlooked as little more than brazen product placement, despite the producers’ best efforts to call back the classic DB5 with the BMW’s Aspen Silver paintwork and an almost identical registration plate. But 007 in a German four-door, in a company car? For many, it was inexcusable.

Jason stands by me here in defending the 750iL’s place within the Bond canon.

“I certainly don’t dismiss the E38 in Tomorrow Never Dies as a piece of opportunistic product placement. One could argue that it’s exactly the right sort of car for Pierce Brosnan’s Bond. It has that sort of crisply tailored precision: there’s a modernism to the E38, an almost clinical sense of aesthetic perfection,” he says.

Jason keenly points out how sharp the low-slung saloon looks compared to the other vehicles in the film’s famous car park chase sequence, riding on non-standard 18” M Sport alloys that really give the car its sharklike grace. While his chapter on the E38 in Bond Cars is about as comprehensive as one can hope for, the result of weeks of research within the EON production archives of the

007’S E38 7 SERIES

Very few of the 17 cars used for filming survived their ordeal...

franchise’s near 60-year history, I suspected there was still more to be said about the car we saw onscreen. That hunch was wellfounded, as Jason told me that the most profoundly nerdy things had to be excised in the edit in order to maintain the book’s general-interest appeal.

No matter which way you look at it, moviemaking is as much an artform as a business – and the Bond films are no exception to this. Following the phenomenal success of GoldenEye in 1995, bringing Bond back to screens after a six-year absence, the follow-up was obligated to strike fast in order to capitalise on renewed fervour for the classic espionage series. This meant the next film had to surpass outlandishly high expectations, and so a budget of $110 million – almost twice the cost of GoldenEye – was sure to meet the challenge.

The enormous budgets required by each Bond film make them especially dependant on promotional tie-ins, from the clothes Bond wears to the wheel he’s sat behind. In the case of Tomorrow Never Dies, that wheel belonged

to the BMW’s flagship vehicle at the time. For most viewers accustomed the curvaceous grace of 007’s earlier two-door beauties, this full-size luxury car seems a deplorably uninteresting set of wheels – but there is much to be said in its defence.

For one, its immense 5.4-litre V12 made it one of the smoothest saloons on the road – and even Rolls-Royce pilfered it for their Silver Seraph coupé – and it was a remarkably lithe vehicle for all its weight and size. The units provided by BMW for filming were all finished with those non-standard alloys, with its grille, doors and bumpers lined with a slender chrome pinstripe to ensure the big Beemer was nothing short of an executive’s dream.

I asked Jason if he had learned anything about the car undergoing any bespoke glamorising for its onscreen appearance?

“I can only speculate,” he replies. “For a major product placement, I would guess that BMW suggested the producers use the thennew E38 7 Series. This is just as GoldenEye showcased the brand new Z3, and The World

Is Not Enough featured the Z8, which was so new that BMW hadn’t even started making it as the film was in production. Although a ‘007-Series’ is a lovely idea, I suspect that the motivation was mostly commercial, although much less onerous than the one that led to AMC cars appearing in The Man with the Golden Gun.” Jason was able to offer one major revelation, however, perhaps the final answer to one of the longest-held debates within the Bond car community. Over the years, it has been frequently disputed that the 750iL onscreen is actually the less-powerful – and rather less costly – 740iL. More attentive viewers will have worked this out for themselves, as the sound purring from beneath the E38’s bonnet in the film is, unquestionably, the sharp snarl of a V8, rather than the deep rumbling swell of a V12. Logistically, however, the decision to use 740’s rather than 750’s is one motivated by production costs, as very few of the 17 cars used for filming survived their ordeal. It is somewhat dumbfounding, all the same, that NOVEMBER 2021 21

007’S E38 7 SERIES

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007’S E38 7 SERIES Bond Cars: The Definitive History Celebrating the

iconic James Bond cars made famous in numerous 007 films – Bond Cars: The Definitive History by Jason Barlow is available to purchase online and from all good book stores. ISBN: 9781785945144

Left: E38’s stunt driver is positioned behind the driving seat in the rear of the cabin

the filmmakers did so little to disguise their V8-engined cars with any post-production sound mixing. Even in the film’s ‘hero shots’, in which Brosnan is seen driving a standard, gadget-free car – and thus the perfect opportunity to use at least one V12 750 – we are quite obviously hearing the V8 of a 740 as he floors the accelerator.

But Jason proposes that we aren’t even looking at a 740iL here, but an entry-level 728iL. It was while collecting research for Bond Cars that Barlow spoke with a former BMW employee, who insisted that the majority of cars used for filming were six-cylinder 728s, a choice which once again returns to the matter of money.... “Why trash an entire fleet of the most expensive version,” Jason ponders, “when a modified version of the cheapest would suffice?”

If there is one piece of evidence that could attest to the production’s use of the 728iL, it would be the change of alloys we see in the middle of the chase sequence. At one point, Bond deploys a tray of tyre spikes and immobilises the Mercedes W126 S-Class pursuing him. However, after he is forced to turn around by a security shutter – strangely impervious to the stinger missiles fired at it

from the BMW’s sunroof – Bond retreats and runs over his own spikes.

Fortunately, the car is equipped with reinflating tyres, an optional extra demonstrated in close-up. Yet the alloys appear to change size and design in this shot, resembling the far less glamorous 16” wheels found on the E36 and lesser models of the E38 line-up – including the 728. Given the degree of focus afforded to the M Sport alloys, with much of the car’s screen time framed in low-angle shots as to render them practically unmissable, it is jarring to see the wheels change in this obvious continuity error.

Speaking to Jason, he was able to offer some other behind-the-scenes insights into the making of Tomorrow Never Dies, as well as share a few details from the set of the most recent Bond adventure No Time to Die, the filming of which he was invited to observe in the summer of 2019. “All BMW stunt vehicles are modified to a certain extent. Generally speaking, the ABS and traction control are disabled, so that the stunt drivers can do their thing. This can lead to unexpected problems,” he says, citing an example from No Time to Die. “There’s a Lancia Thesis in one scene and the film’s car people – led by a guy called

Neil Layton – had real trouble interrogating the software to make the car do what they wanted, and still function. On Tomorrow Never Dies, though, [special effects coordinator] Chris Corbould would have overseen this process, as he still does now.”

Unceremoniously launched off the roof of a multi-story carpark, Bond’s 750iL meets a spectacular end befitting its brief, riotously enjoyable onscreen appearance. Perhaps the most underrated of all the cars provided by Q-branch over the decades, the silver E38 of Tomorrow Never Dies has enjoyed the quiet, fervent applause of a dedicated fanbase which continues to grow within BMW forums and the comments section of the many YouTube videos sharing the film’s iconic car chase.

Imposing, sleek, undoubtedly elegant and beautifully understated, the 750iL proves that Bond doesn’t always need to be behind the wheel of an Aston Martin to make a lasting impression. That’s the certainly the case for the writer of this article, who has adored the big Beemer since first seeing it on his VHS copy of the film aged eight. It was that car, in that film, which inspired a lifelong passion for BMWs – a passion, I’m sure, will only continue to grow stronger with each passing year ● NOVEMBER 2021 23

COMMENT

JOHN GLYNN

John has some thoughts on your next used car purchase...

Will we see a supply issue with good used cars in future?

A

recent coffee break exercise comparing new car registration data from the German and UK car markets was thoughtprovoking on the subject of future used car supply.

In July 2021, 236,400 new passenger cars were registered in Germany: 25% fewer than in July 2020.

While this was the first monthly fall in Germany after four consecutive months of growth, the YTD total was still up 7%, with c.1.6 million cars registered. That said, the 2021 total is still down 25% compared to the first seven months of 2019 – the year before coronavirus.

UK new car registrations for July fell by 29.5% to 123,296 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The decline is artificially lessened in comparison with July 2020, when registrations rose dramatically as showrooms enjoyed a full month’s operation following the first 2020 lockdown.

However, July’s performance was down over 22% on the average recorded over the past decade, as the ongoing semiconductor shortage and the ‘pingdemic’ impacted on both supply and demand.

Consequently, this was the weakest July for new car registrations since 1998, prior to the introduction of the two-plate system.

Most sales were lost in fleet which, at 61,140 units, was almost 30% lower than the average recorded over the past decade. Private registrations fell by a lesser extent vs average: down 11% to 59,841 units. A decline in fleet business for July did not match the YTD trend, which is up almost 30% YoY, but that’s thanks to woeful 2020 numbers.

The YTD total for all sectors was 1,033,269: a 24.7% increase on the same period last year. So, while fleet registrations have kept pace with general market performance thus far through 2021, anyone with an eye on the economy and changing work trends will acknowledge the risks to the fleet sector. August was another poor month, with 12,627 fewer fleet cars registered: a fall of more than 27% vs August 2020.

While new cars sales are down for several reasons, including the chip shortage and the pandemic, this fall in registrations and changing market patterns could hurt future used car buyers in several ways.

Firstly, supply of used cars in two to three years is going to be lower than we have become familiar with, so if you’re used to buying your main car at three or four years old with 60% of depreciation behind it, that may be different next time around. It is also worth bearing in mind 24 BMWcar

the fall in private sales over recent years; it is getting harder to buy a three- or four-year-old car privately these days. Thanks, We Buy Any Car. Secondly, national used vehicle stock may be made up of fewer fleet cars and more private cars. Many private buyers do not spend as much as fleet buyers and are drawn to cheaper brands. Private buyers in the prestige sector are often on lease and PCP plans and are encouraged by manufacturers to take cars from UK stock, so reducing the level of new car personalisation. This could lead to fewer interesting and high spec examples in the future and a further rise in value for well optioned cars.

Thirdly, surging demand for the latest battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles has led to their registrations rising 32%, 46% and 72% respectively. Demand for plug-in hybrid has outpaced battery electric in five of the last six months since changes to the Plug-in Car Grant were introduced in March. There are now some 130 plug-in models on the market and the numbers are growing. All electric vehicles are expensive and have likely been written up by finance and lease companies at strong future values/final payments, but these numbers will still be well below the cost and potential extended lead times to replace these cars with newer models when the contract period expires.

With the high standard spec now seen on so many new cars unlikely to be rendered significantly obsolete for quite some time, and with a three- or four-year-old car facing slower depreciation, private buyers on HP, PCP or personal lease agreements may opt to keep their cars when the contract expires rather than hand it back and start again. This would be another issue for supply of used electric vehicles – exactly what most used car buyers are likely to be looking for in 2025 and beyond.

So, if you’re a private buyer who’s been looking at the electric market and planning to jump in circa 2024/2025 when the technology is a little more proven, it may be worth considering your options in the face of low new cars sales through 2020 and 2021 and what this could mean for you as a buyer in what is likely to be quite a strong market.

Electric vehicle demand is unlikely to slow down, while supply of the most desirable models will be limited and prices will be high as a result.

Current trends suggest that depreciation on the most desirable EVs (BMW included) over 36 to 48 months could be very low. If the supply of good used electric cars does not improve we may all end up driving internal combustion vehicles for many more years than expected l

COMMENT

BOB HARPER

Bob really should not look at what’s selling at auction...

Would you pay a premium for a car that has barely been driven from new?

I

t’s a sad fact that when perusing the motoring classifieds if something looks like a bargain then it’s probably too good to be true. Obviously, there are exceptions but generally speaking if you see an E30 M3 in reasonable condition being advertised for £10k then you’d no doubt smell a rat. If something is desirable and is in limited supply it’s going to be expensive, but what I don’t get is the obsession that seems to revolve around low mileage cars.

I should probably shy away from looking at traditional auction results as well as those from the glut of online classic auctions that are proliferating at the moment as they really don’t do anything for my blood pressure. Every time I see something selling for an exorbitant amount of money I can’t help but kick myself for not renting a load of barns and stuffing them full of cars a couple of decades ago, but I’m sure many of us feel the same way. Quite why my crystal ball didn’t alert me to this years ago is beyond me.

What I should have done is bought a load of new, desirable cars, left them unused for decades at a time and then unleashed them on the collector market. Two examples jumped out at me over the last month.

First up was the McLaren F1 sold by Gooding & Company at Pebble Beach for over $20 million and while the price was eye-watering what had me sobbing into my keyboard was the mileage – it had covered just 390-kilometres from new. Or approximately 15-miles a year. I think it’s a crying shame that one of the finest driver’s cars ever produced has just sat there for the best part of 27-years doing absolutely nothing.

I get that it’s an owner’s right to do what they want with their

possessions, but if you’re not going to drive it what’s the point of owning it? I can understand collecting art – there’s not a lot else you can do with it other than hang it on the wall and admire it, and surely that’s what the artist would have wanted. But I can imagine that poor old Paul Rosche is turning in his grave in the knowledge that one of his finest creations was never used in anger. I can only hope the new owner will actually drive it occasionally, but sadly that will affect its value so it’ll no doubt sit in a garage or warehouse before being sold in a few years’ time with a few million added to its price tag.

The second car that sold this month comes from the more affordable end of the scale, but this particular example has risen (unlike its mileage) into the stratosphere. Yes, an E46 M3 CSL that had covered just 2,657-miles sold on Collecting Cars this month for £120,000.

According to the auction description it wasn’t serviced from 2004 to 2014 and came on its original tyres – why would you pay such a premium for a car like this? To me personally it just doesn’t make any sense when good, useable examples are available for far less and won’t need a new set of tyres before you can drive them. Like much of the world today the collector market seems to have lost its grip on reality.

Anyway, if my bank manager’s reading this how do you feel about lending me enough money to rent a barn for 15-years or so? Oh, and if you could also see your way to funding the purchase of plenty of M2 CSs to store in it I’ll be able to pay you back, plus interest, in a decade or two… assuming, that is, the car market remains as bonkers as it is right now… l NOVEMBER 2021 25

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AC Schnitzer AC4 Flowforming Wheels

How Much? £TBC Where: ac-schnitzer.de AC Schnitzer has launched a new generation of wheel – the AC4 Flowforming W 20-inch wheels come in Bi-Colour Silver/Black and Black. T 9.5x20, the design features double spokes forming an elongated pentagram with a rounded triangle below – part of an all-new design language for AC Schnitzer's wheels.

The flowforming process is one of the most advanced production technologies in the wheel industry. After the aluminium casting stage, the raw product is processed by rolling it out. T for the rim. And this is measurable – the AC4 Flow 11.9kg (9.5J x 20"). Fur thus lowering its CO2 emissions. At the same time, there is also a noticeable improvement in driving dynamics as the forces at the axles are reduced.

Spray Adhesive

How Much? £14.41 (650ml) Where: designengineering.com DEI has improved the formula of its hightemperature Spray Adhesive to provide greater holding strength. Perfect for installing DEI heat and sound control products, as well as other materials such as upholstery foam, vinyl, leather, carpet, fabric, headlinings, metal and wood, it creates a strong heat and water-resistant bond making it ideal for all automotive interior related projects.

The new formula is a very aggressive, high-build, pressure-sensitive and clear, it is designed to bond most materials while maintaining a high level of tack, that allows the material to be repositioned before being pressed firmly and left to dry in its final position. The improved nozzle provides a web pattern spray for excellent coverage with a tack time of only two to four minutes and heat resistance of up to 200-degrees Fahrenheit (93 Celsius).

28 BMWcar

BMW Tablet Case Cover

How Much? £40.00 Where: bmw.co.uk This BMW Tablet Case Cover is part of the Iconic Collection, it fits tablets up to 10.5-inches in size and is an exclusive, hand-made, universal item made from calfskin leather with a double seam in waxed thread and magnetic closure. The outside of the case features an extra pocket and a stainless steel-look BMW logo. The inside has a decorative jacquard lining bearing the BMW kidney grille design and BMW lettering. It measures 11.7x24.7x0.7cm which means it fits the iPad Air 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and smaller tablets. The BMW Article number is: 80212406670.

NEW PRODUCTS Carbon Steering Wheels How Much? £499.00

Where: mstyle.co.uk M-Style is reporting that it now has stocks of M-Performance Carbon Steering Wheels and inserts which will fit all BMW F chassis M models.

The wheel features a genuine carbon fibre rim with Alcantara trim on the grip areas, and the iconic M-Performance logo at the end of the bottom spoke. The price of the wheel is £499.00 with the insert priced at £189.00.

A professional fitting is recommended due to the transfer of the air bag system, and M-Style can provide just that for a reasonable £80.00. For further details e-mail info@mstyle.co.uk or call 0208 598 9115 and don't forget to tell them that BMW Car sent you!

Adjustable Twin Feed Regulator How Much? From £104.71

Where: webcon.co.uk Webcon's twin feed regulators have been designed for installations where the regulator is fitted either before, or in the middle of, the fuel rail. The new range is supplied with twin 8mm side feeds and a single 8mm base return, and is available in a number of pressure settings; WFR205T 0-5 bar adjustable, WFR235T 3.5 bar fixed, WFR240T 4.0 bar fixed, and WFR245T 4.5 bar fixed. These are available directly from Webcon and appointed Webcon dealers around the world.

F2x / F3x Sequential Mirror Signals How Much? £34.95 Where: mstyle.co.uk We've all see sequential front and rear indicators. Now, thanks to M-Style, owners of BMW F2x and F3x models can have sequential indicator repeaters in their mirrors too! The simple 'plug and play' kit is available at just £34.95 and we are told that fitting is quite straightforward, however, M-Style can carry out the fitting for you for a small charge. For further details e-mail info@mstyle.co.uk or call 0208 598 9115 and tell them you saw it first in BMW Car.

BMW Stainless Steel Keyring How Much? £20.00

Where: bmw.co.uk This petite, high-quality and classy BMW keyring – with BMW logo – comes in a small, handy format. Made of highquality, hypoallergenic stainless steel it measures 37x30x8.5mm and features an aluminium, painted, BMW logo which itself measures 9mm. The split rings fits all BMW car keys. You need BMW Article Number: 80272454771 to buy this one.

NOVEMBER 2021 29

NEW PRODUCTS BMW Bag

How Much? £63.00 Where: bmw.co.uk This BMW M Motorsport Overnight Travel Bag measures 52x22x34cm (LxWxH) and boasts a generous 45-litre volume. It features foam padding, a two-way plastic zip in black for its main compartment, a zip pocket on the back, a moulded BMW M zip pull with textile strap, open pockets on both sides, handle straps finished with seat belt webbing, and an adjustable shoulder strap – also finished with seat belt webbing. Lastly there's a padded laptop compartment inside. The BMW Article number for this one is: 80222461145.

Webcon Rod to Cable Lever How Much? £21.54

Where: webcon.co.uk Connecting a Weber DCOE rod linkage system to a throttle cable is usually difficult, with no easy way of attaching the cable to a rod operating arm, however Webcon has now solved that problem with its new FK0005 Rod to Cable Lever kit –as pictured here.

The kit has been designed to work with a 5/16" cross rod. The lever from FK0005 kit is simply installed in the most convenient location and the yoke and pin then allow easy connection to a throttle cable. The installer then simply needs to fabricate a suitable cable outer anchor bracket and the installation is complete. You can buy this from all Webcon appointed dealers.

BMW Thermo Mug

How Much? £20.00 Where: bmw.co.uk Great for when you're on the go, this stylish BMW M Thermo Mug is intended for tea, coffee or water. It features a 360-degree push button, the BMW and BMW M logos in glossy print on the body, and a screw lid to keep liquids from spilling. Made from stainless steel (304 inside/201 outside), it measures 215mm x 68mm and has a capacity of 450ml for liquids. You can have it in any colour you like, as long as it is black – though there is a cheaper gold version of a slightly different design. Jot down BMW Article Number: 80232466311.

30 BMWcar

BMW Suitcase

How Much? £175.00 Where: bmw.co.uk This genuine BMW unisex suitcase measures 55m (H) x 40cm (W) x 23cm (T) and has a useful interior volume of 42-litres. Its outer shell is made from strong pure polycarbonate, inside there's a polyester lining with a mesh zip compartment. 360° double spinner wheels – in BMW M design – help move it about, while an integrated, adjustable trolley system with handle (again with M logos) gives you something to handle it by. A TSA-lock accompanies. There's also a fabric laundry bag (44cm x 35cm) too. If you want to look stylish at the airport then write down BMW Article number 80222466332 and prepare to part with £175.00.

MOTORSPORT MONTH

Motorsport Month

Formula E

BMW Bows Out in Style The finalé of Season 7 of Formula E took place in Berlin, BMW i Andretti Motorsport's Jake Dennis was in with a title shot at the brand's farewell race...

Briton's Jake Dennis has been the surprise of the Formula E season for many. The British driver – new to BMW i Andretti Motorsport for Season 7 – made his race debut in Diriyah and has done nothing but impress ever since.

Dennis arrived in Germany for the season finalé as one of several drivers in with a title shot.

Dennis made the best of starts, dominating both practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, recording the best time in each, however, he did not manage to reach Super Pole for the Berlin E-Prix from group one in qualifying, he ended up claiming eighth place on the starting grid. Team mate Maximilian Günther began the meeting's first race on Saturday in tenth place.

Both BMW drivers dropped back a bit at the start of the race before working their way

32 BMWcar

back into the points with some efficient driving and smart use of Attack Mode. Dennis was battling for third place right to the end and was delighted to finish fifth – scoring 10 points. The result moved him up to third in the drivers’ standings just four points away from first in the battle for the world title. Günther crossed the line in eighth place to score crucial points for the teams championship – BMW i Andretti Motorsport now sat in sixth position with 157 points, just 14 points behind the leader.

Sunday's race, the 15th and final of the season, took place on Sunday on the reversed Berlin-Tempelhof circuit, it also marked a farewell from Formula E for BMW after three years as a works team and seven as Official Vehicle Partner. BMW is one of several

manufacturers deserting Formula E in 2021.

Dennis started the race from ninth on the grid, and the race was quickly over for two of his title rivals due to a collision between Mitch Evans (Jaguar) and Edoardo Mortara (Venturi).

That put Dennis in a promising position for the restart only for a jammed rear axle to put paid to his world title ambitions as he slid into the wall and was forced to retire. Nyck de Vries (Mercedes) went on to secure the title, but Dennis was still able to finish third in the drivers’ championship with 91 points despite his retirement – an outstanding performance in his rookie Formula E season.

Günther started in 18th place but a bold race strategy was not enough for a points finish. He crossed the line 15th, ending the season in

BTCC

MOTORSPORT MONTH

WSR Hits 100!

An annual visit to Knockhill in Scotland resulted in WSR's 100th BTCC win – its 75th with BMW.

16th position in the overall standings. BMW i Andretti Motorsport completed its final season as a BMW works team in sixth place in the team championship with 157 points.

The team will continue as a non-works outfit.

Team Principal, Roger Griffiths commented after the race: "I think we can be very proud of what we have achieved together as BMW and Andretti Formula E and of the hard work that everyone has put into it to get us to this point. Of course we would have loved to continue like this but it is not to be.

"We are excited what Season 8 will bring for us. I say thank you to everybody, not only the team on the front line but also everybody in the background who helped to make this project a success. Thank you very much!”

Colin Turkington was in imperious form in the first of three British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) races held at the undulating Knockhill circuit in Scotland. The Northern Irishman led every lap from pole position (and set fastest lap) on his way to a hugely significant win, his second of the season in his BMW 330i M Sport. The result gave West Surrey Racing (WSR) – the organisation behind Team BMW – a milestone 100th victory in the series, and a 75th BTCC with BMW. Carrying the series’ maximum 75kg success ballast in Race Two, Turkington led the field and resisted intense pressure until the final lap when a minor error caused him to slide wide at the chicane. That meant he finished second to record his fourth podium finish of the season.

He managed eighth place in Race Three as he surged from ninth to third in the Drivers’ points.

Teammate Tom Oliphant endured a luckless day, he was on course for a top-10 finish in Race One when he was turned around by a rival at the hairpin, dropping out of contention.

Starting from the back row in Race Two he tore through the field to finish 17th and then made further progress in the weekend's finalé to salvage two points for 14th spot.

Having qualified 14th, Stephen Jelley set his stall out to keep away from trouble in the opening pair of races and did so to finish 11th and ninth. Jelley led the final race of the weekend, having been drawn on reversed-grid pole position, but running the less favourable medium tyre he was pressurised from behind throughout and ultimately fell to third by the chequered flag, but he has now secured podium finishes at successive BTCC events for the first time in his career.

NOVEMBER 2021 33

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2002 Project

It goes without saying that I am a very keen reader of BMW Car and have been for many years – I appreciate the effort that the team put into each and every edition that I wholehearted enjoy devouring each month.

Amongst all the articles that regularly appear it’s the contributions from Rob Richardson on the development of his 1973 2002 in Our Cars that has really struck a chord with me.

I was fortunate enough to have had two ‘02s back in the early 1980s, since then there has always been a BMW of some sort in the garage. Several years ago while looking at photos of that time in my life that itch returned resulting in me adding a 1972 2002 alongside the current residents in the garage.

The 02 was used sparingly as I was not sure what I wanted to do with it, that is, until Rob’s articles started appearing in BMW Car. They are so informative that they really inspired me to shift up a gear and follow his example.

Here in Adelaide, South Australia, we are not blessed with the availability and selection of parts and accessories that Rob has at his fingertips, most of what we need has to be sourced from the UK or USA and – with things the way they are – that takes a little time.

My project to produce a fast road-going 2002 is, however, under way, and I would like

to thank Rob for the inspiration and road map that he has provided with his articles. His time and effort in documenting his journey is very much appreciated by me and I’m sure many other 2002 owners around the world.

The latest issue of BMW Car that I have received is May 2021, in it Rob sounds like he is signing off with the project completed – but please don’t let him go! I know that I, and I suspect many other readers, would like to hear how his car develops with use as he now gets to enjoy the fruits of his labours – from what I have seen so far I bet there is still plenty of fine tuning yet to come.

Thanks for giving us something to look forward to, particularly in these difficult times.

Andrew Poulsen, via email

If you’ve got a point to make, a view to express or a burning, BMW-related bee in your bonnet, then we’d love to hear from you. Email us at: bmwcar.ed@kelsey.co.uk, contact us via social media or write to: BMW Car, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL

Thank you for your kind words Andrew – we really appreciate your comments on the magazine and when we passed your email on to Rob said that you “made his day”!

Not that these classic project cars are ever truly ‘finished’, but Rob has got to the point where most of the hard work is now complete and we are gearing up to present the car for a full feature in BMW Car, documenting its final guise – with new paintwork – soon.

However, do not fear! All the time Rob keeps the car we’ll continue featuring it in these pages. Oh, and he’s missing from this issue’s Our Cars pages purely because of the recent birth of his new baby girl, though we bet he’s still found time to escape to the garage to fettle the 2002...

BMW Car magazine and Kelsey Media do not necessarily share the views expressed within the letters on this page and accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies they may contain.

NOVEMBER 2021 35

FIRST DRIVE

T

G23 420i Convertible

A return to a fabric roof helps make the new 4 Series Convertible more desirable than ever.

he new G23 is only the secondgeneration BMW 4 Series Convertible. In reality, however, its lineage can be traced all the way back to the 1978 Baur Cabriolet, based on the E21 3 Series. The open-topped car has evolved considerably in the intervening years, though the new 4 Series debatably represents a backwards step in one way.

That is, of course, the ditching of the folding hardtop roof that was first introduced for the E93 3 Series Convertible – and continued into the first-generation 4 Series Convertible, the F33. In its place, the new 4 Series gets a fabric roof.

It’s not any old fabric soft top, though, as BMW’s engineers have pulled out all the stops to ensure that owners of the folding hardtop cars won’t feel like they’re compromising when it comes time to trade up to a new model. A quick glance at the new hood is all it takes to notice how smooth it is when raised – the usual joins and framework underneath are conspicuous only by their absence. That’s thanks to a new ‘panel bow’ structure using paper-honeycomb. When the roof is up, it’s pulled taut over these panel bow elements,

36 BMWcar

Words: Shane O’ Donoghue Photography: BMW smoothening out the overall profile.

Not only does this look great, but it’s also claimed to be good for aerodynamics and the reduction of wind noise. It’s not quite as silent on that last score as the 4 Series Coupé is, but it is more than acceptably civil at high speeds. Multiple layers of acoustic insulation are built into the fabric, too, which helps with that. Meanwhile, there’s a proper glass rear window and an extra five millimetres of front-seat headroom in comparison to the old car. Admirably, despite all this, BMW has managed to bring the weight of the roof down – by some 40 percent in comparison to the previous model’s folding hardtop. And there are two different colour options for the hood.

So yeah, it’s fine when you have to have the roof up, but there’s no point buying a convertible if you’re not going to drop the top at every available opportunity. Upgrade to the Comfort Pack for £1,350 to maximise that, as it includes a heated steering wheel, the excellent Warm Air Collar (heated air wafting through the headrest to your neck and shoulders) and a wind deflector, along with Comfort Access, more storage and extra USB ports.

Besides keyless access and other niceties, Comfort Access allows you to open the roof from outside the car, by just holding down the unlock button on the key fob. That allows you to wonder at the balletic movement of the various components as the roof folds and tucks itself out of sight. The operation takes just 18seconds and it’s quiet. A button on the centre console can be used to lower or raise the hood at speeds of up to 31mph, too, which can be really useful. Meanwhile, a single button in the driver’s door allows raising or lowering of all four windows with a single touch.

No matter how precious you are about your hairdo, you’re unlikely to enjoy having all the windows and the roof down at anything over 40mph, as it’s seriously blustery. Nonetheless, the amount of wind buffeting in the front seats at motorway speeds is perfectly acceptable when the windows are raised – even without the optional wind deflector in place. For ultimate hairdo protection, it is recommended, though its use means you can’t carry rear passengers as you might expect.

If you really have to transport people in the back, they’ll find it quite cramped unless the

FIRST DRIVE

front-seat occupants slide quite far forward, and the rear seatbacks are also very upright. Still, it’s entirely doable for shorter journeys, though it gets breezy back there from quite low speeds if the roof is down.

Many buyers will treat the rear seats as extra luggage space, but the actual boot isn’t at all bad. A through-load facility is standard to allow carrying of longer loads, while the new 4 Series Convertible holds 300-litres of luggage with the roof down, some 80-litres more than its predecessor or up to 385-litres with the roof up, which is 15-litres more than before. To get the

maximum volume, you must manually push up a plastic flap in the boot, which is easy to do, but it can be a little annoying the next time you come to drop the roof and discover you’ve forgotten to pull it back down into place. It’s a shame that can’t be done electrically.

Nonetheless, we have no complaints about the profile of the car – roof up or down. It’s a pleasingly flat rear deck that adds elegance to the 4 Series shape, with more than a hint of muscularity around the rear. The Sanremo Green Metallic paint is stunning, too, especially in bright sunshine. In the UK, the 4 Series Convertible is sold in M Sport specifications only, so all look good, with 18-inch alloy wheels at a minimum, though in our opinions the car looks much better with the black grille surround that comes with the Pro package or as part of the more expensive M Sport Pro Edition.

Our test car was the entry-level 420i model, powered by BMW’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. On paper, the performance figures make for acceptable

reading, as there’s 184hp and 221lb ft of torque on tap – and the latter is produced from just 1350rpm. But 8.2-seconds to 62mph from a standstill isn’t impressive and, sad to say, we found the performance to be quite underwhelming at regular road speeds. Despite the official figures, the car feels quite flat-footed at low revs, as if it needs much more torque to overcome the non-insignificant 1765kg mass.

Once on the move, it’s not a problem, and if you do extend the turbine-smooth engine to the redline, it feels rapid enough, but we suspect that most people that go for the base engine won’t drive their Convertible in such a manner, and hence might find the car lacking in oomph.

Perhaps this effect is heightened by the talents of the chassis. It sits on the same core platform as the 4 Series Coupé, with widened tracks front and rear and a significant increase in torsional stiffness – in comparison to the previous model. The Convertible gets additional reinforcement of the side sills, a

NOVEMBER 2021 37

FIRST DRIVE

new aluminium ‘shear panel’ at the front and other structural bracing to ensure it feels up to scratch. And it does. Even over a bumpy mountain road, it feels solid, allowing the suspension work as intended.

The Convertible is fitted as standard with the lift-related damping elements that debuted on the current 3 Series, configured specifically to suit the characteristics of the open car. These mechanically alter the damping force depending on the suspension travel, smoothening out smaller vibrations and reducing nervousness over particularly bumpy stretches of road. The Adaptive M suspension features Sport and Comfort settings, along with an Adaptive mode to automatically adjust the damping and other driving sub-systems.

It all works wonderfully, enabling comfortable cruising if that’s your thing, or indecent levels of maintaining pace across country at the other end of the spectrum.

Which is perhaps why we found the 420i powertrain so frustrating. There’s no issue with the always-excellent eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox, of course, but this car is deserving of more performance. The 430i uses the same base 2.0-litre engine (both get a twin-scroll turbocharger, high-pressure direct injection, Valvetronic variable valve timing and double-Vanos), but with usefully more power, at 258hp, and torque uplifted to 195lb ft. It’s a full two seconds quicker to 62mph from rest, as well, which says a lot.

The 420d Convertible has the same amount of torque available, paired with 190hp, which should be more satisfying to drive than the 420i, despite a bit more weight and a less enticing engine note. That’s remedied in the other diesel option, the 286hp 430d, which, budget allowing (it costs from £51,165), could be the best all-round mix between performance and efficiency in the line-up.

Or, if you want to go all out – and the M4 Convertible is out of reach – there’s always the M440i xDrive variant to consider, the only petrol version using a straight-six. It gets 374hp, all-wheel drive and a unique M Performance Vehicle makeover to help it stand out. And it manages to come in at a whisker under £60,000.

That’s quite a lot of choice from the cheapest at £45,800 to the most expensive, taking in modest and serious petrol power, two diesel engines, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The only thing missing is a manual gearbox. Other than that, buyers of the 4 Series Convertible can pick and choose as suits their needs – whether that’s ambling around town looking good or doing the same at more elevated speeds on the open road.

Either way, BMW has undoubtedly moved the genre on, making the open-topped model more desirable than before ●

420i Convertible

ENGINE: Turbocharged four-cylinder petrol, longitudinally mounted CAPACITY: 1998cc MAX POWER: 184hp at 5000-6500rpm MAX TORQUE: 221lb ft at 1350-4000rpm 0-62MPH: 8.2-seconds TOP SPEED: 146mph ECONOMY: 39.8mpg EMISSIONS: 162g/km WEIGHT (EU): 1765kg PRICE (OTR): from £45,800

3 FOR 2 ON ALL BOOKAZINES

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F06 M6 GRAN COUPÉ

I Q Branch BMW dealer Genius Matt “Q” Quarrington’s dream car has long been an F06 M6 Gran Coupé. When this car was taken in part exchange at his place of work the rest was inevitable...

Words: Simon Jackson Photography: Jason Dodd

40 BMWcar

t was somewhat inevitable that Matt Quarrington – owner of this striking F06 M6 Gran Coupé Competition – would end up driving a tidy BMW. For the past decade Matt has worked for Chandlers Hailsham BMW in East Sussex, working his way up the ladder from Apprentice Receptionist in March 2012 at the tender age of 19 (by his own admission with very little knowledge of the BMW brand!), through the ranks of the service department to become a ‘BMW Genius’ – supporting the Sales team with his – now in-depth – BMW product knowledge.

“I’ve happily been nicknamed ‘Q’ (from the James Bond films) due to my interest in all things tech and gadget related,” Matt smiled, “I help customers when they collect their new cars by showing them its new features, as well as offering a second point of contact for any questions or queries during their time

F06 M6 GRAN COUPÉ

of ownership – I’m on hand to assist and troubleshoot problems.”

28-year-old Matt’s interest in cars began at a young age, and perhaps originated from a slightly unusual angle: “I’ve always been into cars and grew up on the Fast and Furious films as well as the early Need for Speed computer games. As well as influence from my dad taking me to car shows such as Ultimate Street Car,” we’re told.

Matt purchased his first BMW in summer 2012, a brand new F20 116i M Sport fitted with the full M Performance bodykit and wheels.

“Having been so inspired by the car shows, films and games, I always dreamt of building a show car,” Matt explained. “Over the course of eight years I kept adding to the 1 Series, including custom-built air-ride suspension from D2 Racing, deep dish 18-inch Heritage ‘Hokkaido’ Wheels from the USA, as well as

many other cosmetic and performance parts which made the car truly unique.”

Matt began hitting the car show circuit and as a result he made new friends and even met his partner – now mother of his son. Matt moved house in that car three times over and won a couple of trophies at car shows, but sadly things came to an end with the 1 Series in August 2020 when the – now highly modified – car started to become less and less reliable, it was spending more time off the road than on it. The next chapter in Matt’s BMW story beckoned.

“One day in September 2020 a colleague drove around the side of the dealership in a stunning San Marino Blue M6 Gran Coupé,” Matt recalled. “For me the 6 Series has always been a bit of a dream car. I remember just after I started working in the BMW service department seeing a 6 Series Coupé for the first time – I was just taken aback by its styling

and presence.”

The 2015 M6 in question had been taken in part exchange by the dealership. The usual routine checks in the workshop revealed that it had been remapped during its lifetime which meant it could not be offered as an ‘Approved Used’ BMW with the accompanying BMW warranty. The car auction house was calling...

“I just couldn’t let it go to auction!”

Matt laughed. “Working around the BMW brand for so long I’d always had a dream M6 specification in mind and, by sheer coincidence, this car ticked all of my boxes – including being my favourite BMW colour. And, being a Gran Coupé meant that I could justify it to my partner – its five-doors would be practical for the family!”

The stars were aligned, Matt quickly got into the nitty gritty of the dealership’s asking price and, thanks to the car having done the bulk of NOVEMBER 2021 41

F06 M6 GRAN COUPÉ

F06 M6 Gran Coupé Competition

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION: S63 4.4 Litre Twin Turbocharged V8, Eventuri carbon fibre air intake system with air scoops, MTC Motorsport decat downpipes, BootMod3 Stage 2 Aggressive map (745hp / 671lb ft torque) CHASSIS: 20” Light Alloy M double-spoke style 601M wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres all round, Bimmec 15mm spacers front and rear, BMW floating wheel centre caps EXTERIOR: San Marino Blue Metallic paint, Competition Package, BMW M Performance Carbon bootlid spoiler, BMW M Performance carbon fibre wing mirror covers, tinted rear tail lights and rear reflectors INTERIOR: Full Merino leather in Silverstone, AWRON Performance display gauge, BMW M Performance carbon gear shifter trim, Red BMW “M” mode buttons on steering wheel COST NEW: £101,170. Total cost of options when new: £8070

42 BMWcar

its depreciation already, a deal was struck.

“I decided to go ahead and purchase the M6 at a fraction of its original value, at the same time the process of putting the 1 Series back to standard began,” Matt explained. “It was a heartbreaking moment as the 1 Series meant a huge amount to me sentimentally, but after eight-and-a-half years and 76,000-miles – it had 7-miles on the clock when I drove it out of the showroom – I had certainly had use of it!”

A few weeks later all of the aftermarket parts were stripped from the 1 Series and it went off to auction, not the M6, shortly afterwards.

Following a further health check in the workshop at Hailsham Matt arranged a separate, non-BMW, warranty, and took delivery of the M6 at the end of October last year.

“Driving the M6 for the first time was incredible,” Matt recalled. “Working for a main dealership I have been incredibly fortunate to have driven the vast majority of the BMW range – including 1M Coupé, i8 Roadster and M8

The M6 featured all of Matt’s desired options – and it was finished in his favourite BMW colour

Coupé to name just a few. I had driven a few cars with the S63 engine before but it’s never the same when you own the car yourself.”

Now with a better look around the car Matt was delighted to discover an Eventuri Carbon Air Intake System with air scoops was already fitted, so too an AWRON display – this fits into the driver’s air vent and displays technical and performance information about the car while you drive. Being a fan of the modified car movement it was obvious that Matt would personalise the M6 further. A set of 15mm Bimmec wheel spacers went on both front and rear, and he tinted the rear tail lights and reflectors. Of course Matt knew that the car was mapped, but he had no idea by who and with what system.

“After selling the 1 Series I upgraded the licence I had for Bootmod3 – the mobile mapping software for BMWs and MINIs – to the S63,” Matt explained. “I replaced the downpipes with MTC Motorsport decat downpipes, this then

allowed me to map the car to Stage 2, pushing the power from 600hp and 516lb ft of torque to 745hp and 671lb ft of torque.”

That’s quite the upgrade! We wonder what the driving experience is like now?

“Incredible!” Matt smiles. “Being quite a big car it’s very smooth and comfortable for long drives, and it can achieve around 30mph believe it or not! But, changing into one of the M Modes transforms it into an absolute animal.

“With the adaptive dampers it corners very nimbly for a large car, and as soon as you put your foot down the boost from the turbos kicks you back into your seat – you hit the speed limit before you know it.”

Matt also reports that the 7-speed dual clutch (with paddle shift) is lightning fast to react, and thanks to that remap and decat exhaust the sound is phenomenal, it roars under acceleration and downshifts are accompanied by deep crackles and bangs. “One of the things I love most about the M6 is that you don’t

really see many of them around, let alone the Gran Coupé models as BMW only made one generation of M6 GC,” Matt said. “I’m hoping it will become a future classic being that BMW has now stopped production of the 6 Series model, I do think it had a very unique style and flair about it. Although the new 8 Series is a fantastic car I don’t think it has the same kind of style and sleekness as the 6 Series.”

Working at a BMW dealership as Matt does means that any work required on the M6 is undertaken in the workshop at Chandlers BMW Hailsham.

“Our BMW M specialist technician, who was fantastic with the work on my 1 Series, is my ‘go to’ man,” Matt laughed. “I often get the look of ‘here we go again’ when I go over to ask about what crazy things I can do to the car.”

Evidenced by his long relationship with the aforementioned 1 Series, and the fact that this M6 Gran Coupé is his dream car, Matt has no plans to part with this car any time soon.

NOVEMBER 2021 43

F06 M6 GRAN COUPÉ Eventuri air intake helps boost performance to an impressive 745hp

“As soon as you put your foot down the boost kicks you back into your seat”

“I intend to keep the M6 for as long as I can,” Matt said. “I’m fortunate that it is a weekend car so I don’t have to drive it every day – it averages only 16mpg – so it is mainly used for attending car shows and events at weekends. I also help run a Sussex-based car club called Pump99, the name stems from 99 Available 24/7

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44 BMWcar

Octane fuel, we organise many car events in and around Sussex and I attend various UKbased shows.”

So, if this car is a keeper, does Matt have future plans to modify further?

“After spending eight-years building my 116i I would love to take the time again to build the

M6 into something really unique and special – whether that be custom wheels, air-ride suspension, or a body kit.”

It sounds as though we need to ‘watch this space’, but regardless the keys for this BMW dream drive won’t be prised from Matt’s hands anytime soon ●

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The (17) Grand Touring E30 320i TOURING

The E30-generation 3 Series is seriously hot property on the used market at the moment. And when this 320i Touring sold at auction recently for an impressive £17,000, it was a clear sign that the wagon’s time has come. Words & Photography: Dan Bevis

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hen a factory-standard E30 320i Touring sells at auction for £17,000, that tells us two things: firstly, that the market has very much turned a corner and the days of E30s being cheap, disposable transport are long behind us. And secondly, that this particular 320i must be something rather special.

It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that the enthusiasm for 1980s sports cars, homologation specials and hot hatches has gone a bit nuts recently. This is owing to the fact that the kids who grew up in that generation have now reached an age when they’ve forged a career, started a family, got the mortgage in order, sorted their figurative 46 BMWcar

ducks into a neat little row, and now have the ready cash to splash on the cars they always dreamed of through their youth. The fact that so many desirable cars of this era were subject to the irreparable vagaries of the Max Power treatment, as well as oodles of them being wrapped around lamp-posts by over-exuberant teens, means that surviving examples are relatively few and far between, and these allgrown-up enthusiasts are more than willing to pay top dollar when a good one hits the market. This is why you see Vauxhall Nova Sports selling for £30k, Peugeot 205 GTIs for £50k, and Ford Sierra RS Cosworths for £90k.

However, this trend isn’t exclusive to sporting models. Nostalgia for the everyday cars of the 1980s and ’90s is every bit as

strong; indeed, in some cases it’s even more pronounced, because the GTIs and Cosworths and whatnot were the variants that were more likely to be deemed worth saving. Cast your mind back to the average high street of, say, twenty-five or thirty years ago, and think about which cars were everywhere then but you never see today. The Mk3 Vauxhall Cavalier.

The Mk1 Ford Mondeo. The second-gen Renault 5. Where are they now? They’re in your kitchen cupboard, reshaped into compact cylinders to contain your baked beans.

So it is with the E30-generation 3 Series.

These things used to be on every street and every corner, but today? Well, the 325i has been wrapped in cotton wool by some, and obviously the M3 is running the numbers in

E30 320i TOURING

high-end collections across the globe. But the everyday runabouts? Well, there was a time in Britain when E30s were cheap and abundant, but that time is long-gone. In the collective consciousness of the BMW Car office this doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago, but when we lift the rose tints and scrutinise the classifieds with a growing sense of horror, it becomes increasingly apparent that the time we’re remembering was the early- to mid2000s. The E46 was, at the time, the current 3 Series on the market, and the E30 was the last-but-one model – old enough to be cheapand-cheerful, but not yet sufficiently aged to enjoy the retro chic that’s pushing up values in 2021. Back in, say, 2004-ish, it was easy to pick up a perfectly straight and complete

320i for £500, whack a set of 18” Alpinas on there (again, cheaply and easily available), and drive it like a loon until it blew up. Then you could just throw the whole thing away and start again. In hindsight, perhaps it was partly the ensuing supply-and-demand logic of this sort of frivolousness that’s led to E30s being unexpectedly pricey today… in which case we apologise, we didn’t know. It was fun while it lasted though, wasn’t it?

The long and short of it is that survivors like the 320i Touring you see before you are few and far between. This is a car that’s never been messed about with or abused; never viewed as disposable or second-rate. There are two defining features that verify its rarefied position in the strata of cosseted E30s: mileage, and

paperwork. The 62,000-miles we see racked up on the clock are genuine, all of which is backed up by the documentation. This means that throughout its thirty-one year life, it’s averaged just 2,000-miles a year. That’s about five-and-a-half miles a day. Hardly strenuous. It seems apparent that these haven’t been harsh and unsympathetic miles either – with just four former keepers since it was first registered on June 26th 1990, all of the old MoTs are here to back up the mileage and we can see that the majority of its regular use happened early in its life; the 1993 MoT, for example, shows that the mileage then was 15,635, and it’s climbed very gently year-on-year since.

So it was well-bought by its last owner, but what he did to it in his tenure is another story NOVEMBER 2021 47

E30 320i TOURING Dashboard protection keeps the top from cracking

altogether. You see, the minty-freshness of the condition you see today isn’t quite how he took delivery; indeed, the path from that point to this one has bordered on obsession at times, with an incredible amount of correct and sympathetic work being carried out to get everything tip-top.

In 2017, the Touring was delivered to Arun Bodyworks & Valeting in Littlehampton, with the artisans therein charged with the task of perfecting the bodywork to make it as good as it would have been the day it rolled off the forecourt. The bodywork was already incredibly solid and tidy, with all the original panels hanging straight and true, and with no obvious dents, dings or blemishes. What Arun Bodyworks did was to address what few issues existed (including making a minor repair to the offside rear wheelarch), before repainting the shell in its original shade of Diamantschwarz Metallic, followed by various stages of machine polishing and a full ceramic coating. The pretty cross-spoke alloy wheels were then refurbished and treated to new Toyo rubber, and the overall effect is one of a car that looks like it only recently drove away from the dealership in 1990.

48 BMWcar

This level of fastidiousness wasn’t solely applied to the exterior. The cabin of the E30 is just about as close to a time-warp as you’re likely to find in 2021; the cloth seats have worn the years remarkably well, and everything in here is clean, original, and fully functional. The only deviation from factory specs is the period aftermarket radio-cassette head unit, which is surely something any connoisseur could forgive. This pampered example has clearly spent a lot of its life garaged or under cover, as the interior shows no signs of sun damage. You know how the dash-tops love to crack on these cars? Not with this one – and it’s got a tailored dash mat fitted now, to continue protecting it for the next three decades or more. The owner had a new headlining professionally fitted in the correct fabric, and the boot features its original retractable load cover. It’s really reassuring to find that everything’s as it should be and – most importantly of all – everything works: the electric windows front and rear, the electric sunroof, it’s all doing what it should.

Speaking of which, this thing is an absolute peach to drive too. As you’d hope with an engine that’s never been over-stressed and

E30 320i TOURING E30 Touring: Under the Hammer We’ve scoured the auction results across as many houses as possible, and it would appear that this

£17,000 selling price is unprecedented in the UK. The closest comparable cars we found were sold in late 2020 for impressive numbers, but nothing approaching this. One was a White 1991 320i Touring that sold through Tennants Auctioneers – with 40,000-miles and a full BMW service history, this extremely tidy example had an estimate of £8-10k and ended up selling for £8,000. The other was a black 1990 320i Touring that went through Anglia Car Auctions in November; that one had a manual gearbox, 70k miles on the clock, and had been stored unused between 2011-17 before a light recommissioning. The selling price including premium? £11,070. There’s an upward trajectory here...

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E30 320i Touring

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION: M20 2.0-litre straight-six, 4-speed ZF auto CHASSIS: OE 15” cross-spoke alloy wheels, 205/55 Toyo Proxes T1-R tyres, original 320i specification EXTERIOR: Diamantschwarz Metallic, optional headlamp wipers, original 320i spec INTERIOR: Grey cloth trim, sunroof, electric windows front and rear, Pioneer radio-cassette

NOVEMBER 2021 49

E30 320i TOURING

has always been properly maintained, the 2.0litre M20 straight-six is creamy-smooth, and it’s a supremely willing companion. The automatic transmission is equally silky and, yes, we’re going to have to use the term ‘time-warp’ again. It really is that good. With a car of this age you’d reasonably expect to find the odd rattle, knock or squeak when you’re driving along, but there’s none of that here.

All in all, this E30’s previous curator estimates that he spent over £15,000 restoring the car over the last few years. And that does sound like a colossal investment into a car that arguably didn’t require any restoration in the first place, but we have to remember that such endeavours are a

Restoration work totalled around £15,000 – making the sale price slightly more understandable

50 BMWcar

labour of love. Bodyshops and resto outfits may build project cars within strict budget parameters with the aim of maximising return on profit, but that’s seldom the way with private enthusiasts – the work gets done to the correct standard by the right people, simply because that’s the way it should be done and that’s what the car deserves. It costs what it costs. With the itemised spending scrutinised, one might suggest that investing £15k in a car and then selling it for £17k doesn’t represent a massive reward once time, stress and complexity (not least the original purchase price of the car itself) are factored into the equation, but that’s not really the point. This owner made the car the very best

it could be, simply because that’s what he wanted to do. And when the time came to sell, the market appreciated the efforts and the quality and provided a surprisingly high selling price, through a Car & Classic online auction which attracted fifty-six bids. Which is where we arrive at the crux of the matter: £17,000 is, as the evidence here shows, the value of a very tidy and low-mileage 320i Touring. No, this isn’t the value of every 320i Touring – this particular example is an exceptional one – but it’s fascinating to see that the tide is turning this way. Cheap and disposable E30s are long gone, and it’s clear that it’s not just the sports models that will henceforth be commanding high premiums. Any E30 is a desirable E30 l

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G80 M3 VS G82 M4

AARock Hard Place

There’s been plenty of criticism of the styling of the latest M3 and M4 but how do we feel about the cars one year on from when they were officially revealed?

Words: Bob Harper Photography: Jason Dodd

B

MW is no stranger to controversy and its past is littered with examples of both production and concept cars that have garnered more than their fair share of criticism and derision.

There seems to be a misconception that this is something of a recent phenomenon, but it’s been ongoing for quite some time now. When the 2.0-litre version of the Neue Klasse was launched it was criticised for its rectangular headlights and back in the early ‘90s there was a certain amount of uproar when the E36 3 Series arrived with its more curvaceous body and headlights behind a glass cover. Then there was the E38 7 Series that was initially lambasted for looking far too much like the E32 that preceded it…

52 BMWcar

When the company went the other way and launched the avant garde E65 7 Series you’d have thought the world had ended and there was derision in almost equal amounts directed at its lugubrious looks and the ground-breaking iDrive system. The E60 5 Series didn’t receive universal praise when it hit the streets back in 2003 and the E63 6 Series had its fair share of detractors too. Perhaps the bottom line is that people don’t like change but for a car manufacturer like BMW that is on a seven-year model cycle this can be a bit of a problem.

While some enthusiasts would seemingly be happy for BMW to constantly regurgitate the E46 3 Series, E39 5 Series and E38 7 Series for each new model cycle it’s safe to say that if it did BMW would be firmly at

the bottom of the sales charts. It needs to come up with fresh new designs that can immediately be identified by your average buyer as a BMW but are different enough from the old model to appeal to those who want the next great thing.

Of late BMW has once again been receiving a lot of stick for its latest design language – Bangle’s ‘Flame Surfacing’ has moved on to Flame Grilling and the size of BMW’s kidneys have come in for a lot of stick, both in the press and amongst enthusiasts. And this is exhibited quite clearly by the new M3 and M4 which were unveiled to the world this time last year. It was quite clear from the disguised spy shots that the iconic M cars would be sporting a brave now look but even so, there

G80 M3 VS G82 M4

was plenty of internet chatter when the official images were revealed.

But how do we feel about the dynamic duo 12 months on? Have we warmed to their new faces, or are we still feeling a bit underwhelmed? To be honest, it wasn’t just their visages that were criticised, many commentators seemed to be ready to find fault with the cars for other reasons too – ‘they’re too big’, ‘why so heavy?’ and ‘where’s the manual?’ being typical comments. But as is often the way once the cars were launched there were far more positive comments directed at the M3 and M4.

The ingredients were certainly there with both cars featuring the S58 twin-turbo straightsix that in Competition tune (the only version

available to UK buyers) packs a mighty 510hp and a massive 479lb ft of torque. Enough for a 3.9-second 0-62mph time and an equally stunning 50-75mph time (in fourth gear) of just 2.6-seconds – that’s a mightily flexible engine.

And bear in mind those are the figures for the rear-wheel drive version, the M xDrive examples shave half a second off that 0-62mph time.

When the previous generation F80 M3 and F82 M4 were launched back in 2014, admittedly in non-competition form, they had 79 less horsepower and 74lb ft less torque to play with and even if they were up to 88kg lighter (when equipped with the DSG gearbox).

They couldn’t hold a candle to the new kids on the block though, taking almost a second longer to knock off that 50-75mph increment.

As you’d expect there were a plethora of changes under the skin for the new generation of M cars with an eight-speed auto replacing the older DSG transmission that featured in the F80/2 generation. The new cars had longer wheelbases, wider tracks, stiffer bodies and improved aerodynamics. Electronically adjustable dampers feature along with 380mm front discs clamped by six-piston callipers while the traction control features a possibly too complicated ten different settings. A plethora of different settings for most of the car’s features can be programmed into the steering wheelmounted M1 and M2 buttons which does simplify the complex nature of the cars.

There are four new colours to choose from for the G8x generation – Sao Paulo Yellow, NOVEMBER 2021 53

G80 M3 VS G82 M4

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Skyscraper Grey, Isle of Man Green and Brooklyn Grey and the level of standard equipment is huge. There are six main option packs to choose from – Comfort, M Carbon, Visibility, Technology Plus, M Pro and Ultimate – and it’s now possible to spec an M4 up to the £90k mark, leading quite a few commentators to say that the new M3 and M4 are now occupying the territory that was the preserve of the M5 a scant couple of years ago.

But no matter how well the new M3 and M4 were equipped both in their mechanical makeups and in their impressive list of standard equipment It was still the way they looked that was the hot topic of conversation. Jeff Heywood, Vice President 54 BMWcar

G80 M3 VS G82 M4

G80 M3 / G82 M4 Competition Engine: Capacity: Max power: Max torque: 0-62mph: 50-75mph: Top speed: Economy: Emissions: Weight (EU): Price:

of the BMW Car Club and dyed-in-the-wool BMW fan summed up his feelings when the official pictures were first revealed; “I was in shock. Sure, there had been plenty of ‘artist impression’ type images of what people thought the new grilles were going to look like, fuelled by a never-ending flow of spy photos. Even so, the very first photos made the ‘cringeometer’ in the pit of my stomach fly off the scale! Just what were BMW thinking of?

Reactions elsewhere were equally as horrified.

Being a dyed-in-the-wool BMW person, I admit to sticking my head above the parapet and posting something along the lines of ‘The grilles aren’t as noticeable on the green M3 press car’ and ‘we’ll soon all get used to them after all this furore has calmed down’ and

G80 M3 Competition S58 six-cylinder, twin-turbo 2993cc 510hp @ 6250rpm 479lb ft @ 2750-5500rpm 3.9-seconds 2.6-seconds 155mph 28.8mpg 224g/km 1805kg £74,815

while one or two agreed the vast majority were aghast at the thought that someone actually thought they looked okay.”

However, like the E65 Seven et al, most of the motoring press seems to have rapidly moved on from talking about the styling a soon as they drove the cars. There have been some gripes about the automatic gearbox perhaps not being quite as sharp as the DSG was, particularly on down changes, but apart from that both the M3 and M4 have received rave reviews, and once you’ve experienced the cars from behind the wheel you can see why.

The engine really is exceptional with the wonderfully responsive feel to the throttle pedal that you don’t always get with a turbocharged unit and it revs freely, too, singing

G82 M4 Competition S58 six-cylinder, twin-turbo 2993cc 510hp @ 6250rpm 479lb ft @ 2750-5500rpm 3.9-seconds 2.6-seconds 155mph 28.8mpg 223/km 1800kg £76,115

all the way to its 7200rpm limit. The body control is excellent and the ride is impressively supple if you avoid the sportier settings and despite being an electric set up the steering feels responsive, too. Yes, it might be big, yes, it might be heavy, but on the road it really doesn’t feel it.

But what does a lucky new owner think? We spoke to Steve Smee, the owner of the M3 you can see in the pictures here and unsurprisingly he’s delighted with his new car as he relates; “I think I was the first person to get a new M3 from Barretts BMW in Canterbury, I put a deposit down about 15 months before, so I picked mine up in April this year, and at the same time I put a deposit down for the M3 Touring which is due out next year.

NOVEMBER 2021 55

G80 M3 VS G82 M4

Bangle’s ‘Flame Surfacing’ has moved on to Flame Grilling

“I like the idea of the four-wheel drive version but I was a little impatient so I’ve got the rear-wheel drive M3 to start with, but the M3 Touring will have the M xDrive. I’ve been in Audis for many years and have appreciated the additional security the four-wheel drive gives you – the M3’s been fine on dry roads so far, but I know that when it gets a bit damp it’ll be lighting up the traction control light the whole time!”

Not only does Steve revel in the car’s performance he’s also very happy with the build quality of the car, reckoning it’s superior to his Audis that came before it. Steve opted for the four-door M3 as he needs

56 BMWcar

the additional practicality that the saloon has but also reckons it’s a better-looking car.

“Personally, I prefer the way the M3 looks.

The M4 has too much panel behind the doors and on the M3 you get the stepped rear wheel arch which looks great, too.” But what about those controversial kidney grilles?

Steve continues; “As it was coming out you obviously see all the photos in the magazines and none of them had a number plate on them, but as soon as you put the plate on it looks immeasurably better. It’s grown on me.

It’s certainly different, there’s no mistaking it for something else, and I like that individuality.

Give it a year and I think everyone will have

forgotten about it and as the years move on I think everyone will love it. Styles change and people like different things, so ultimately I don’t think the looks are an issue. Once you’ve driven one the styling is immaterial – it’s such a great car to drive and hides its weight well.”

And that view is borne out by the motoring magazines – the way the M3 and M4 look has certainly taken a back seat once their performance and handling have been thoroughly sampled. Perhaps the styling furore will go away, or perhaps it’ll continue to be an issue? If we return to Jeff Heywood’s take on the cars he’s not sure which way the cookie will crumble; “Despite my positive initial

G80 M3 VS G82 M4

comments the grilles jarred at launch and they still jar with me now. Which is a great shame.

Look beyond the grilles and what you find is a fantastic driver’s car. But is that enough?

I’m not so sure. BMW’s sales figures will be the ultimate barometer when the last of the G80/2 models roll off the production line. But my gut feeling as well as among some other petrolheads I talk to is that the controversy caused by the grilles isn’t going to go away.

What matters most (especially to BMW) is will it affect sales? If it doesn’t, BMW will be vindicated for being brave, but if it does it will leave the company with egg on its face – only time will tell…”

And Jeff has pretty much hit the nail on the head there – if sales are affected the change in styling direction will be seen as a mistake, but BMW’s form in this department is pretty good.

The E65 sold well, beating the supposedly better looking E38 in the sales charts while its controversial iDrive is still in use today, admittedly in a heavily refined form. The E60 5 Series matched the E39 for sales and the E63 generation of 6 Series sold 30,000 more examples than the original Six, despite being on sale for half the amount of time.

Yes, the new nose treatment on the G8x generation of M3 and M4 is controversial but the more we see them on the road, the

more we’re becoming accustomed to them – perhaps not a ringing endorsement, but they certainly have presence. Ultimately, we think Steve’s view will be the prevailing one – they’re fantastic cars and as styling trends change over the coming years these will still go down in history as one of the last of the great combustion-engined M cars l

THANKS

Steve Smee for the loan of his G80 M3, and Barretts BMW Canterbury for the loan of the G82 M4.

Tel: 01227 828888 Web: www.barrettscanterburybmw.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2021 57

Market Watch

MARKET WATCH

BMW E52 Z8

C

BMW’s Z8 is a stunning classic with values to match.

For £140k you too can pretend to be Pierce Brosnan... ombining classic BMW 507 looks with contemporary M Car performance, the E52 19992003 BMW Z8 has become a serious collector’s item – with big sums being paid for examples with a low mileage and pristine provenance. Claiming a starring role in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough real-world buyers first got their hands on the car in early 2000. And values have remained sky-high ever since.

Incredibly, the aluminium-bodied, 507-inspired BMW Z8 Roadster still looks modern in 2021 and possesses a potent

rekaB yuG :sdroW 58 BMWcar

Motorsport-derived 4941cc V8 motor – taken from the E39 M5. Featuring eight throttle bodies plus variable valve timing it produces 400hp at 6600rpm and 369lb ft of torque at 3800rpm. All cars were manufactured in left-hand drive and BMW only offered one transmission – a Getrag six-speed manual.

Capable of breaching 62mph in just 4.7seconds and claiming a 7000rpm redline, top speed was limited to the usual 155mph, but derestricted the Z8 can top out at over 180mph. Significantly lighter than the M5 Saloon, BMW’s Z8 Roadster was 15-seconds quicker around the famous Nürburgring.

However, it’s not just a stunning performer it also pampers the driver and passenger with a luxurious specification that includes a classic Motorola cell phone, plush Nappa leather upholstery, a matching hard top, Xenon lowbeam headlights and Neon indicators and brake lights. Every car came with its own personalized handmade book and only 5703 Z8s were ever produced by BMW. The first UK cars had a base price of £86,850 – with James Bond’s Titanium Silver the most popular paint choice. The majority of Z8s were manufacturer in this colour but you will sometimes come across Black, Topaz blue, Red and even Stratus grey examples, along with just 124 rarer hues – painted by BMW’s Individual department. The Z8 Roadster also became the basis for the more touringfocused automatic Alpina V8 Roadster.

With a low production run, searing performance and stunning good looks, well cared-for Z8s have maintained their values

MARKET WATCH

pretty much ever since, so if you want one now you’ll need pretty deep pockets – prices range from £70,000 to nearly £200,000, depending, of course, on the car’s mileage, condition and provenance.

Only a few examples appear for sale every month, often at auction, with the Z8 now proving extremely popular with collectors.

So if you want to get your hands on BMW’s highly-desirable Roadster then you’d better be prepared to act quickly when a suitable car does appear. And you’ll probably struggle to find a much better example than the Titanium Silver 2001 example we spotted for sale at Kaaimans International in Nottinghamshire (www.kaaimans.com).

Boasting Black leather trim and electric seats, it also comes with satellite Navigation, a 10-Speaker Stereo, Xenon headlights, Anthracite Headlining, air-conditioning, the factory hard top roof and that iconic Motorola flip phone. A stunning example this Z8 has covered just 30,100-miles and that goes some way to explaining the eye-watering £189,975 price tag. However, we expect there will be a little scope for negotiation on this.

But don’t expect a big discount, because a similar 2000-registered UK model was recently sold for £179,990 by Simon Furlonger Specialist Cars in Ashford (www. simonfurlonger.co.uk). It had covered a remarkably low 11,468-miles and was collection ready. It was sold with the original leather book pack and a fully-stamped service handbook, it also came with the matching factory hard top roof, tonneau cover and both original keys.

Only very rarely do even lower-mileage Z8s appear, and the concours 8000-mile 2001 Titanium Silver car at Tom Hartley (www.

Recent BMW Z8 auction prices* Model

tomhartley.com) in Derbyshire, it comes with a striking red leather interior too. An EU model originally supplied to Malaga, it looks incredible and comes with a similar specification to the other two cars we’ve highlighted. And the asking price? A cool £199,995.

At this end of the market it goes without saying that a proper inspection by an expert is essential – the best examples have all had very few owners and boast a pristine service history. Look out for damaged front shock/ strut towers, faulty neon taillights, dashboard delamination, worn VANOS solenoids and

TransReg Mileage Sale mission Year Price BMW Z8 Roadster Manual 2000/X 47,000 £165,000 BMW Z8 Roadster Manual 2001/Y 17,709 £167,995 BMW Z8 Roadster Manual 2001/Y 13,235 £151,500 BMW Z8 Roadster Manual 2001/Y 69,809 £69,200 BMW Z8 Roadster Manual 2001/Y 27,500 £118,086 BMW Z8 Roadster Manual 2002/02 23,700 £141,700 *Sale prices of good-condition examples sold recently at classic car auctions

BMW Car retail price guide

Poor: Under £70,000 Good: £70,000 to £140,000 Excellent: £140,000+ Special editions: None

cam sensors, valve-cover leaks, broken trim and worn timing chain guides. BMW originally promised 50-year parts support for the Z8 – so that bodes well – but watch also out for delaminating mirror glass, damaged, fogged headlight lenses (including moisture in the headlights), brittle plastic cooling system parts, and any electronic glitches l

WITH THANKS...

Grant Darling and Darren Parker at James Paul (www.jamespaul.co.uk), the BMW Car Club of Great Britain (www. bmwcarclubgb.uk), British Car Auctions (www.bca.com), Silverstone Auctions (www. silverstoneauctions.com), Bonhams (www. bonhams.com), Coys (www.coys.co.uk) Luzzago.com, Classic Car Auctions (www. classiccarauctions.co.uk), Glenmarch. com, www.bimmerforums.co.uk, Redish Motorsport (www.redish-motorsport.com) and Glass’s (www.glassbusiness.co.uk) for their help with this feature.

NOVEMBER 2021 59

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Workshop Wisdom

WORKSHOP WISDOM

Z3Repair Mirror

O

Is the mirror base corroded on your Z3?

Here’s how to fix the problem...

ne of the problems that the BMW Z3 has in old age is mirror base corrosion. This is both on the aluminium mirror base that bolts to the door, and also where the mirror swivels on said base – both the base and the inner mirror frame are made from the same alloy and over the years they corrode together ferociously with inevitable results. You go to move the mirror in when parked, or get it clobbered by a passer by, and the frame snaps off from the base.

Repair is impossible, the corrosion is so bad that the broken frame will not move at all and the diecast alloy cannot be welded. Careful owners will have known about this for years and will have moved the mirrors regularly and sprayed a penetrating oil in there to keep

things lubricated, but most will not have.

Up until recently, the answer was either a complete new mirror costing hundreds, or a good used mirror costing around £150 – assuming you can actually find one (not only that but can find one in the right colour?).

British company X8R (x8r.co.uk) have been supplying new parts to fix the previously unfixable from E46 M3 exhaust flanges to VANOS and suspension pump repair kits – its website is well worth a look. It can also supply Z3 mirror bases in corrosion-free plastic.

These cost £109.99 and, once painted and fitted, you will never have to worry about the issue again. Best of all, you can retain the existing outer casing so you only need to paint the plastic base. Our car was Oxford Green II and you can buy a colour-matched aerosol

paint from BMW for about £25 with lacquer.

Halfords BMW paint range includes Bright Red, Alpine White II, Montreal Blue, Gloss Black 668, Arctic Silver, Topaz and Estoril Blue and Black Sapphire – not a bad range.

Otherwise you’ll need to either guess what is closest from the paint can rack or have one mixed for around £25. We found that Ford Tourmaline Green is a near identical match for Oxford Green II so we bought a can for about £6 from a local motor factors.

The mirror is quite easily removed, once either swivelled or just broken anyway you’ll find a pair of small Allen screws that secure the mirror to the door. Remove the door card to access the inner cable connector – you can just about access it with the top corner pulled back but there is a risk of damaging it.

NOVEMBER 2021 61

WORKSHOP WISDOM

1

With the mirror removed, the connector cable needs to be passed through the broken base.

However, it is too wide for this, so you need to remove the clip on the end plug.

4

Here we can see the four mirror glass retaining lugs on the outer diameter of the white plastic ring. Also visible are the four motor retaining screws and four mirror casing screws.

62 BMWcar

2asIt’shown s removed sideways with a small

screwdriver. Be careful not to pull any wires from the plug. That done, it will pass through the hole in the mirror base like this...

5

Remove the four motor retaining screws so that the motor is loose, then remove these four outer casing screws – they are either small Torx or Allen screws. If they look rusty take extra care.

3

Now carefully remove the mirror glass from the electric adjuster motor.

This is retained by four clips – go really easy here and just ease it off one clip at a time.

6halvesWithofthose screws out, the two the mirror outer casing can be unclipped and pulled apart as shown. The cable can be pulled through the old mirror frame and the motor removed.

WORKSHOP WISDOM

7

This shows the severe corrosion of the mirror base and really, it was just way past saving without a lot of prep work. You can also see here the break in the alloy frame where it snapped.

8is theA actual common fault on the mirrors mirror glass separating from the plastic backing. They can be carefully pulled apart slightly before Araldite or a strong silicon sealer is used as a glue.

9

Here is the new X8R plastic mirror frame, and very sturdy it is as well. It is an exact copy of the original so there are no problems refitting the parts from the old mirror to it.

11 Once dried (the longer you leave it the

better) we had the mirror rebuilt in 20-minutes. All the retaining screw holes are in exactly the right place, this is a very good quality product.

s the finished 12mirror.Here’ The new plastic

10and youThe canbasedoneeds to be painted this now or later once the mirror is built up. We chose to do it first, leaving it a couple of hours to dry, and used a plastic primer, top coat and clearcoat.

X8R base is very stiff – and would need a few tries to loosen up a bit – but there is no doubt that this is an excellent solution to the common Z3 mirror problem.

NOVEMBER 2021 63

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ClassicsW

Classics World TV

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Visit classicsworld.co.uk WATCHING TODAY Head to YouTube and search Classics World

OUR CARS

Our Cars

In association with

Welcome to BMW Car magazine’s fleet of vehicles... Here we share the trials and tribulations – both good and bad – of running a range of BMWs in the real world...

Elliott Stiling 1983 E28 Alpina B9

1989 E30 318i SE

68

2003 E46 325Ci Sport

Pat Har er 1997 E39 528i Auto

2014 F25 X3 xDrive20d SE

2007 E61 M5 Touring

Rob Richardson 1973 2002

M S h H er

Bob Harper E61 530i SE Touring

F87 M2

Matt Robinson

v E36/5 318Ti Compact

Jason Dodd

1976 E3 3.0L

E46 330i Sport

2003 E39 530i Sport

NOVEMBER 2021 65

OUR CARS Jason Dodd F87 M2

Stopping Power

The M2 gets new EBC brakes to help it cope on track...

Tyrepoint in Kent performed the work

Yellowstufff pads contrast with the blue M callipers

The M2 has had a relatively quiet time mileage wise, after putting a lot of miles on it since March when I purchased it, only 1500 have been added in the last two months.

This has been mainly due to the acquisition of a new daily driver, a Kia Ceed 3 auto, but as I write this it has now made way for a Mk5 VW Golf GTI – but that’s another story entirely though!

I have attended a few events in the BMW, the most notable one was part of the Kent Drive Club’s charity super car show at Tyrepoint in Maidstone. This had 70 cars on show, including a McLaren Senna, Lamborghini Countach and a mix of 66 BMWcar

Left: Mk5 Golf takes the heat off the M2

OUR CARS

In association with

M2 will now stop far better on track

F87 M2

YEAR: 2017 TOTAL MILEAGE: 19,789 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 1600 MPG THIS MONTH: 26.2 COST THIS MONTH: 380

BMWs – it was nice to see them classed as supercars!

The event raised just under £2,500 for the Kent Air Ambulance and took place on a warm but overcast Saturday evening. It was nice to have a chance in the morning for a full detailing session on the M2, the only concerning thing is the number of stone chips that angry looking front bumper picks up.

I ended up returning to Tyrepoint the following week to have some EBC brake pads, hoses and lines fitted. This had been my only issue on track at Goodwood back in March as the brakes lost

a little bite halfway through the session. Speaking to Stefan at EBC he recommended Yellowstuff brake pads, new hoses and lines which would maintain better bite and hotter temperatures. John at Tyrepoint fitted all the brake parts with meticulous care and attention, talking me through the process.

The current pads were still fairly fresh but they are designed for general road use, the Yellowstuff compounds are for light track use, and so far have shown progressive braking to be smoother, they also have excellent cold bite with high temperature fade resistance – they are just bedding in now with just

over 200-miles on them.

You will see from the photographs on these pages the yellow makes a nice contrast with the blue of the M brake callipers.

While the wheels were off John gave them a good clean as well. I’m writing this in late August, so the next test for the brake set up will be at Goodwood in early September – look out for the next update in these very pages to see how I got on on track.

I’m expecting to put some miles on the M2 in the coming weeks, I’ll be at Salon Privé which takes place at Blenheim Palace, then a couple of weeks later the Goodwood

Members Meeting, I might take the Golf down to West Sussex for that one though, just to tie in with more of a ‘classic’ vibe...

The GTI is taking up a bit of time at the moment actually, but I have a few options to enhance the performance of the M2 in the pipeline so don’t worry. It’s just tipped over 19,000-miles and is sounding better through the gears than ever before, I remember a 135i I had, that settled in after 15,000-miles, felt faster and louder.

It could just be me, but even the wife has noted that at 6am it has more of a burble than before!

Jason Dodd NOVEMBER 2021 67

OUR CARS Bob harper E61, E3, F25

Happy Campers?

Along with half the population, the Harper family head to sunny Cornwall for their holidays...

I’m afraid it’s that time of the year, yup, the annual Harper holiday to the west country and I can’t help but feel that I’ve missed a trick by not being sponsored by the Cornish Tourist Board for all these years. We usually go away to somewhere hot for a week before making the annual pilgrimage down the A303 and A30 but this year we decided against the lottery of a European week away and opted for a fortnight in Cornwall.

I put my foot down and boycotted two weeks under

canvas so for the first week we would have that unusual sensation of being in Cornwall surrounded by four walls and with a proper roof over our heads. Luxury. The children have now reached an age where they don’t want to come on holiday with us unless it involves a villa somewhere in the Mediterranean although our youngest did say he’d come to Cornwall for a week – probably as he couldn’t bear the thought of having to cook for himself for a whole fortnight.

We let slip that the cottage we’d

booked had no Wi-Fi, TV or 3/4G coverage and he immediately decided that camping would be more up his street.

Thus we headed off to Cornwall with two adults, two cars and a dog. Yes, it is faintly ridiculous that we still take two cars with us – if I’d tried really hard we probably could have shoehorned everything into the one car but if you saw Mrs H’s list of camping equipment and holiday ‘essentials’ that she digs out every year you’d probably opt for two cars too. We also had

the added complication of not wanting to unload all the camping gear while we were at the cottage so the easiest way of doing things was to load one car with the camping stuff and the other with the dog and the cottage stuff.

Anticipating that traffic to Cornwall would be approaching apocalyptic levels this year we arranged to travel on a Monday but there were still plenty of folk cluttering up the A303 so it made a welcome break to stop at Teals near Sparkford where we met some friends for lunch. If you don’t know it, Teals is a farm shop/take away/restaurant that is a great alternative to stopping at normal services, especially as it has a proper fenced off field whose sole purpose is for exercising your dog. Our friends did warn us to make sure we went the right way when we

F25 X3YEAR: xDrive20d SE 2014 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 1,034 TOTAL MILEAGE: 61,077 MPG THIS MONTH: 40.4 COST THIS MONTH: £ Nil

E3YEAR:3.0L 1976

Both X3 and 5 Series went along

MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 0 TOTAL MILEAGE: 11,697 MPG THIS MONTH: 0 COST THIS MONTH: £ Nil

ouring

YEAR: 2006 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 706 TOTAL MILEAGE: 71,230 MPG THIS MONTH: 28.4 COST THIS MONTH: £ Nil

68 BMWcar

OUR CARS

In association with left as it’s all too easy to end up heading in the wrong direction up the A303… so it was no surprise when I watched Mrs H and the X3 do just that, heading back towards London. Doh! The dog and I continued in a westerly direction and it was only when we pulled up outside the cottage in north Cornwall that it dawned on me that Mrs H didn’t have the full directions to the house. She knew the name of the village but tracking down the cottage was a bit awkward… especially with a complete absence of a phone signal.

In the end we had a lovely week, long dog walks on the coast path, scrambling down to virtually deserted coves and beaches and while the weather wasn’t brilliant, it wasn’t awful either. We were staying a little to the north of Bude and if you fancy somewhere

quiet for some autumnal walking the coast path it’s a brilliant spot to visit. After a week we headed off to the south coast of Cornwall on The Roseland Peninsula for our week of camping, picking the youngest Harper child from the train station en route. As you can see from the picture (below left) he was quite useless when it came to unloading cars and putting up tents.

As the dog was a year older and a year wiser (?) he was a bit more relaxed on the campsite and was quite happy to be tethered up on a long lead while we were lounging around which made for a far more relaxed stay. He did make it his business to try and scare off anyone who dared to come towards our patch to use the water tap with some demented barking before rolling over for some tummy rubs which

was irritating and amusing in equal measure.

The trip home was uneventful – bar the inevitable A303 snarl ups – and I was grateful once again to be able to use Teals’ field to exercise the dog halfway home.

There’s not much to report on the cars front – both the 530i and the X3 performed their duties without any drama or troubles but both have returned with boots full of dog hair and sand – the sign of a good holiday as far as the dog was concerned.

I was a trifle disappointed with the indicated miles per gallon on the 530i’s journey computer as by the time I got back to London it was indicating 24.5mpg for the 600-mile trip. However, next time I filled up I dug out the previous fuel

receipts and discovered that when calculated by the brimto-brim method over the last couple of tanks it had actually returned 28.4mpg which was slightly more palatable but nowhere near the 40+ mpg that Mrs H’s X3 had managed.

Ah well, mine sounds better!

No movement on the E3 this month thanks to the holiday and deadlines either side of it, but hopefully I’ll get something done on it next month.

Bob Harper

NOVEMBER 2021 69

OUR CARS

Mani Singh Hayer E46 330i Sport Individual 530i Sport Champagne Edition II

The Individual This month Mani introduces us to his E46 330i Sport Individual.

Having introduced both of my modern classics a few issues ago, I have decided to dedicate this update on my 2002 E46 330i Sport Individual with 85,000miles which I purchased in 2018.

The primary reason of this car was to provide me with something a little different to drive during the summer season in dry days only and the glorious M54 330i (either in saloon or coupé form) was what I was after and found.

It took most of 2018 to find the right one but as soon as this came up for sale online, I went down to the specialist who had

70 BMWcar

it for sale the very next day and bought it – just a few days before Christmas as it happens.

On collection day and on the drive home, it gave me a really good opportunity to find out what needed attention mechanically.

Whilst the test drive a few days earlier did not really identify anything, the drive home was about two-hours so it allowed sufficient time for me to get acquainted with my new Christmas present to myself. Rather surprisingly, there was nothing to report. No vibrations, no squeaks, no odd noises; nothing. It drove superbly

and travelled well through the gears though I was not too shocked at this given it had spent all its time at BMW retailers being serviced and maintained as evidenced by the huge chronologically ordered service history folder which The Natural History Museum would be proud of. All four windows went up and down slowly but I was aware that these needed attention since the window regulators required replacement and so this was factored into the price I paid for the car.

So, mechanically things were looking pretty good. Having researched some of the weak spots of the M54 engine, I knew the cooling system needed refreshing. However, given the little mileage I intended on driving this car, it was the expansion tank that I wanted to get replaced sooner rather than later since it was still on its original one. The water pump, thermostat and all of the rest of the cooling system will be done in the future.

I also noticed that the car was not holding its charge for

long when left for a few days so decided I to do the sensible thing and purchase a new battery from BMW and have it replaced.

After giving the car a thorough detail both inside and outside, it allowed for me to assess the bodywork condition in greater detail. When I went to see the car, I did notice a few stone chips that had started to rust in a couple of areas so I knew that these needed attention at some point; although not urgent. For now, I covered it with wax. Other things bodywork wise included some paint bubbling on the rear passenger sill, a tiny ding on the rear bumper and all the alloy wheels needed refurbishment given the previous owner clearly used the kerbs as some sort of target practice.

One thing that drew me to the car when I first saw it was how purple Individual Velvet Blue actually looks and once clean, it really shows it off well. If ever there was a collaboration between BMW and Cadburys, surely this would be the colour to use.

In the interior, again nothing major and whilst there were no tears or rips to the leather, it could do with a refresh since some of it was peeling on the head rests (very similar to my E39).

So, this concluded my ‘to do’ list on the car and it was not too bad overall. I used the list and fired up Excel and put a schedule together of when I want to aim to get the various works done over the next two-to-three years since there is no major rush to get anything done. As it is a summer car, I said my goodbyes and put the car into storage for the rest of winter.

Fast forward to Spring 2019 and I got the car booked in at my local BMW Independent Specialist for the battery to be replaced, expansion tank replacement, brake fluid and coolant replacement. An oil service was not required given that it just had one at BMW a short time ago.

When booking the car in, I also asked for them to give the car a thorough once over since this had not been done since I purchased

the car. A couple of days before the car was due to go in, I went to the local petrol station to fill it up with some go-go juice and top up the tyre pressures and just reacquaint myself with the car on a short drive. On the way back home though, there was a problem. The car was making a grinding noise and was losing speed quickly without even touching the brake pedal. When I got out to have a look, the rear right brake disc decided, without any prior discussion with me, that it wanted to see how hot it could get and judging by the smoke being emitted from the disc, I would say it was doing a really good job; top marks! So, I had the car recovered to the specialist it was booked in with and added a suspected sticky brake calliper which needed investigating to their job list.

Having prayed to the relevant Gods for a good outcome, I received a video with the technician’s assessment of the car a few hours later which confirmed that it was indeed a sticky brake calliper. Mechanically, there was nothing major to report which was great news and a big relief and the expansion tank, battery, brake fluid and coolant had all been replaced. However, the sticky brake calliper meant that both rear brake discs and pads needed to be replaced as well as the offending brake calliper which of course I approved.

The remainder of the summer passed without incident and I continued to enjoy driving it and basked in its magnificent colour.

The end of 2019 meant it was due its annual service and MoT and so once again, I got it booked in with my specialist. Whilst it did pass its MoT, there were some minor advisories on the front brakes and suspension arm pins which were not too concerning for now. They did also note a minor oil leak but after wiping it away and driving it for some time, it seems to have disappeared.

This pretty much covers the story of the car from purchase in late 2018 up to the end of 2019.

Other than an unexpected repair bill due to the brake calliper, it had performed as expected which was great news. Going back to my to do list, 2020 was marked as the year of sorting out the bodywork and rust issues so I’ll leave you in suspense for the next update on how that went.

Mani Singh Hayer

OUR CARS Interior was in pretty good shape

Rust issues are next to be sorted

Individual touches lift the car nicely

E46YEAR: 330i2002Sport

MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 2,000 (all of 2019) TOTAL MILEAGE: 85,000 MPG THIS MONTH: 25 COST THIS MONTH: £700.00 (fluid replacement, expansion tank, battery, rear brake pads and discs, rear right brake calliper)

E39 530i Sport Champagne Edition II YEAR: 2003 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 200 TOTAL MILEAGE: 38,241 MPG THIS MONTH: 24 COST THIS MONTH: £ Nil

NOVEMBER 2021 71

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Trouble Shooter TROUBLE SHOOTER

T

hink GT, and you may well think Rostyle wheels, side stripes and maybe a vinyl roof – or is that me showing my age?

It’s over 10-years since BMW launched the long wheelbase (7 Series-based) 5 Series GT and whilst it didn’t sell so well, it was well loved by those who had one. Ditto the 3 Series GT – launched not long after the F30 3 Series saloon, the F34 arrived in 2013 to one of those awkward silences but time has been quite kind to it. The current ‘interesting’ rash of BMW styling has certainly helped it and really, the 3 Gran Turismo is not a bad looking car at all.

N47 DIESEL ENGINES

Various engines are used in the F34, the 320d was the most common model so we’ll deal with that first along with the detuned 318d that is mechanically almost identical. The N47 2.0d engine has a bad reputation for timing chains – they are much better than they were, but we still see and hear of higher mileage units that have gone wrong and you can often hear the dreaded chain rattle at 80k. The rest of the N47N engine is good but we’d think long and hard about a high mileage example or at least buy it cheap and have the chain replaced – it’s about £1300. The B47 as introduced in early 2015 is basically a revised N47N, and so far it appears to be good. There are quite a few with 150-000-miles on the clock that have been no problem at all.

The 325d model cars got an N47 or B47 four-cylinder engine with 218hp. They are nice cars with really good performance and virtually 320d levels of economy.

In short? By 100,000-miles it’s probably 74 BMWcar

We look at the common issues with the F34 3 Series Gran Turismo – here are the essentials that you need to know...

Words & Photography: Andrew Everett

But why would you want one? Easy – space, and lots of it. As well as being a few inches taller than the 3 Series, it shares the eight-inch longer wheelbase of the Chinese market F35 long wheelbase 3 Series saloon, and it’s only when you sit in the back of the GT that you realise just how spacious it is inside. The extra length also makes for a very decent sized boot and whilst you’re not going to be carrying tumble driers, it will take a surprising amount.

It’s not especially exotic, but the GT is a very good car that will ease its way into your life – a great driving car that has practicality on its side.

a good idea to spend £1300 on having the engine taken out and replacing the chains and guides – some specialists will do it with the engine in situ but with the gearbox removed.

Be careful where you buy diesel as well – you wouldn’t be the first to buy some cheap diesel somewhere that was diluted with some other muck, quickly ruining the high-pressure pump and some expensive injectors. Turbos are very good on all cars with very few reported failures and at £800 new (plus fitting) a new BMW unit isn’t too dear at all.

One thing we would recommend is to have an interim oil change – every year or 10,000miles is more than enough, and at £140 it’s not expensive.

Coolant loss can be caused by a leaking EGR cooler, not that you’ll see any drips because it leaks internally – the coolant getting burnt off in combustion or down the exhaust. These are being replaced under warranty at the moment so you may get some goodwill on an older car.

WHAT MODELS ARE THERE? The GT was launched in

the UK in 2013 but wasn’t available with quite the full 3 Series model range – we got the four cylinder 318d, 320d, 325d 320i, 328i and from the 2016 LCI facelift, the 330i. Sixcylinder diesels counted the 330d and 335d.

Various trim levels were available – the standard SE with cloth trim and 17-inch wheels, the Sport with 17- or 18-inch wheels plus sports seats, steering wheel and bumper air intakes, as well as slightly uprated suspension.

The Modern, which is just a trim option, and the Luxury, another trim level but with leather, 18-inch wheels and chrome line exterior trim.

The M Sport featured revised bumpers, sports seats, 18or 19-inch alloys, M Sport suspension, short shift gearlever on manuals as well as all the various trim changes.

TROUBLE SHOOTER N57 DIESEL ENGINES The 258hp 330d and 313hp 335d are much the same – the N57 is really just an N47 with two extra cylinders and whilst the timing chain problems are not as common, they can still happen. What causes it? In the opinion of many mechanics, the chain just isn’t that beefy. Also, the N57 in 35d form is getting a bit of a rep for crank main bearing failure on hard driven cars – more frequent oil changes are very highly recommended and we would avoid high mileage cars like the plague. Buy with low mileage and really maintain the engine as befits a powerful turbo diesel and it should be fine.

EGR COOLER You’ve heard all about this, what happens is that they clog up

with soot and they can then jam in the open position so that hot exhaust gas is getting fired straight back into the manifold. That's not good when you’re charging down the motorway with the EGR fully open with the heat from the exhaust gas melting the plastic inlet manifold – the car goes into limp home mode (drivetrain malfunction). If it does that, stop right away.

It’s not really BMW’s fault, it’s down to whoever made the EGR cooler, but it’s a good idea to make sure it’s had a recall to have it either checked, or to have a new one fitted. It’s not a bad DIY job

N47 HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP If there is one thing a bit of hindsight would

help with, it’s what will go wrong with your car next. And given that the high pressure diesel pumps on diesels of old almost never went wrong, who would have thought the pump on the N47 2.0 diesel – and to a lesser extent those win the 3.0 diesel – would be failing? Steel particles from the failing pump get fired back into the tank to go through the pump and injectors again and again, eventually ruining it all.

On these, the pump bolts to the back of the block under the intake manifold and is driven by the cam chain. Replacing it is quite involved and you need a special tool that holds the pump drive gear as it pushes the pump out. But really, it’s not that common and if it does fail, replacing the fuel system with good used parts and flushing the fuel tank out is under a grand.

MANUAL TRANSMISSION Manuals of course involve a dual mass flywheel and a clutch,

budget £1500 if you need both at once. BMW want £1476 for a flywheel (we love their optimism!) and £570 for a clutch. An LuK (original equipment) flywheel costs £794 and a clutch kit is £330, so there’s a massive saving there.

Gearbox syncros can fail suddenly and a refusal to engage reverse first/second or reverse is the sign that you need another box or a rebuild, but it’s not so common and we’ve seen150,000-mile cars that are still fine. But, if you need a gearbox be aware that they are difficult to repair due to limited parts availability and a new ‘box is £4400. Used? About £1000 but it must be exactly the right ‘box because – due to the stop start system correlating with the gear and final drive ratios – the car will be in limp home mode permanently if it’s the wrong unit.

NOVEMBER 2021 75

TROUBLE SHOOTER

N20 PETROL ENGINES The common petrol engine in the GT is the four-cylinder 2.0-litre

turbo unit, the N20. On pre-LCI cars this came as a 320i with 184hp and a 328i with 245hp. All are superb engines but the 328i really does go well, and the economy is very good, too. Older N20 units will be about ready for a timing chain replacement but as the chain is at the front, it’s a thousand quid job. There have been some issues with crank thrust washers but overall, the N20 isn’t a bad engine and it’s vastly better than the previous N43 in the last E90 3 Series with very low instances of injector problems and far fewer timing chain problems. By 100,000-miles though we would recommend replacement, and listen out for a weird whine from the front of the engine – that will be the oil pump chain, although this problem was largely ironed out by 2014.

One last thing – beware of remapped 320is. The higher compression 184hp unit does not take kindly to more boost and it will break. BMW will always detect a remap as well.

B48 PETROL ENGINES (LCI) LCI cars had the all-new B48 turbo four with the 252hp 330i

replacing the 328i, whilst the 320i was boosted slightly to 190hp.

An all-new engine based on the design ideas of the B47 diesel, the timing chain is at the back and we have heard nothing bad about it after five years. As an engine it really does seem to be a very good one and, as always, ignoring the official oil change intervals and changing the oil and filer every 10,000-miles will only help it.

If you don’t really need a diesel, the 330i with the 8-speed automatic gearbox really is a fantastic powertrain that will still return you over 40mpg on a steady run.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION The 8-speed auto is a far better choice for the GT and these are very reliable. Most problems,

if and when they appear, can be due to software, battery IBS issues as well as other electrical faults connected with the ABS and DSC. Rectification can be time consuming. It’s not mileage dependent either, just the luck of the draw with an incredibly complex bit of machinery that involves electronics. A good test is to reverse the car, if you can hear a weird whining sound, that’s a good indicator that the ‘box is on its last legs.

But really, don’t fret over automatics as the 8-speed is a really good unit – so reliable in fact that you can buy a good used one for well under £500, but you will need a good BMW specialist to fit and code it to the car. In our opinion the auto is a better bet than the manual on which you are guaranteed a £1500 clutch job eventually.

xDrive A number of 3 Series GTs were ordered with the xDrive four-wheel drive system and by and large it’s a good system. Whilst the rear differentials of all F34 cars are just about unbreakable, the front diff can cause trouble on high mileage cars. But really, as long as the car isn’t hammered, has the correct oil level (as well as four matching tyres) then they’re pretty good. Having said that, don’t

SWIRL FLAPS For the N47, the system was changed completely and the flaps ran

on a common pivot shaft. Once external, the operating shaft runs through the centre of the intake runners and the swirl flaps fit onto the shaft like kebab meat on a skewer. The shaft is made from brass and plastic ‘bearing’ supports, an electronic flap actuator bolts to the end of the manifold to rotate the shaft – thus opening and closing the flaps at the same time.

T

fl cars it’ remove the swirl flaps.

76 BMWcar

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Back Issues Complete your collection...

NOVEMBER 2020

Cover Story: Z3 versus Z4 Inside: 840Ci versus 850CSi, E70 X5 M, E46 330i, E93 335i, F32 435i, 545e xDrive driven

MARCH 2021

Cover Story: E46 M3 vs E92 335i Inside: 3.0 CSL, Z1 trio, E34 5 Series, E39 5 Series, X1 drive

JULY 2021

Cover Story: 2002Tii at 50 Inside: F40 128ti meets E46/5 Compact ti, E30 M3 racer, E39 530i, E46 330Cd, G30 530e

DECEMBER 2020

Cover Story: 15 classic BMW buys: 1970s-1990s...

Inside: M2 CS meets siblings, E46 Alpina B3 3.3, E39 at 25

APRIL 2021

Cover Story: E30 M3 Inside: E30 M3 collection: race, rally and road, £5k BMW Buys, E38 7 Series, 4 Series driven

AUGUST 2021

Cover Story: E36 Alpina B2.5 Inside: Neue Klasse at 60, E53 X5, E38 7 Series, modified F80 M3, F86 X6M

JANUARY 2021

Cover Story: E30 325i Inside: Birds 340i Touring, E93 M3 Convertible, BMW 1M coupé, 128ti driven

MAY 2021

Cover Story: E36 at 30 Inside: F15 X5 vs F16 X6, Frank Sytner interview, E39 5 Series Champagne, E30 325i Sport

SEPTEMBER 2021

Cover Story: £15k BMW Buys Inside: E46 M3 Cabriolet, F31 335d Touring, E24 635CSi racer, F25 X3, F90 M5 CS First Drive

£ea5ch.p5lu0s shipp From

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FEBRUARY 2021

Cover Story: 2002tii Inside: Alpina B3 Touring drive, E36/5 Compact, Classic buys: 850 Vs M3, M440i drive

JUNE 2021

Cover Story: E36 M3 track car & Compact rally car driven Inside: E39 M5 vs M635CSi, E30 325i Touring, Z4 3.0

OCTOBER 2021

Cover Story: M2 – buying and owning BMW’s pocket rocket Inside: E39 Alpina B10, E64 645Ci, E36/8 Z3M

TO ORDER YOUR BACK ISSUES CALL 01959 543 747 TODAY! OR VISIT shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/BMC

Reader’s Rides

READER’S RIDES

H

Danny Tiplady’s E90 318d

ere’s something rather unusual! Danny Tiplady explains that he cannot drive and is not a mechanic, which makes the work he has carried out on this E90 3 Series all the more impressive. A keen model maker, Danny transferred his skills to this car, once owned by his brother. It arrived at Danny’s Kent residence in December 2020 with a snapped timing chain and was quickly stripped to its bare bones. The N47 engine was removed and diagnosed with a damaged sprocket, a rebuild ensued with the assistance of Danny’s mechanic aunt (and YouTube!) before the car was put back together.

“With the cost of parts I was £1100 in on a £4k car – I considered selling but I knew the car inside and out,” Danny explained. “By the time she was running I was out of money but I had already purchased the wrap.” Danny wrapped the entire car himself for just £140. “I learned so many new skills with this project, from engine mechanics to wrapping and wiring.”

A roof rack found for £50 gave birth to another unique touch, Danny added lights, fuel cans, a radio antenna and ammo boxes to complete his look.

Danny’s love of Transformers added more personality to the car which he describes as “a breath of fresh air’.

“I’ve never been so proud of myself!” Danny smiles with confidence. “Nothing is impossible and you should never doubt yourself – I fixed the first car I owned and I can’t even drive it yet. The next step is a matching trailer!”

We want your car!

Want to see your BMW in print? Email us a handful of high resolution images of your car alongside a 100-200 description in your own words – we want to know why you bought it and what you think of it! We’ll do the rest in our Reader’s Rides page.

Email your entry to: bmwcar.ed@kelsey.co.uk NOVEMBER 2021 79

MOTORFREE ADS TO ADVERTISE VISIT

WWW.MOTORFREEADS.CO.UK CURRENT LISTINGS BMW 3 SERIES

1998, 58856 miles, £6,500. Future Classic, Super investment with increasing value in exceptional condition, One Lady Owner suppled

by Millcars BMW. Finished in Morea Metallic Green with Full Beige Leather Interior. Full Service History with Service Book and Invoices, Previous MOT’s with HPI Certificate, 5 Speed Automatic Gearbox, Folding Rear Seat Backrest. Electric Tilt and Slide Sunroof, On Board Computer, ABS with Automatic Stability Control, Duel Climate Air Conditioning, and more. Please call 07976398044 , East of England.

108907

BMW 3 SERIES

1989, 74412 miles, Guide price: from £6,500 to £7,500. 320i Convertible (E30), White (Cat C), Petrol, Manual, 1990cc. Original bill of sale for £19,777 in May 1989 from Cronk BMW of Redhill.

Two previous keepers, current owner since 2017.

Original book pack including hand books. Subject to an insurance claim in 2016. New soft top in 2014. Create an account and Bid online on the Hobbs Parker website. Auction date - 28th and 29th July. Viewing from the 26th July. Please call 01233506266, South East. (T) 109333

BMW 320

BMW 2800

2003, 106000 miles, £1,650. 320i SE Touring.

Rare, full service history, Japanrot red, manual, cloth interior, auto climate, tow bar electrics, two previous owners, new front disks, unused fitted mats, torch and toolkit. Please call 07971 174328, Scotland.

1970, £45,995. 2800 Coupe Sports automatic.

A beautiful looking car that is equally impressive to drive. The attention to detail on this car is excellent throughout. A fantastic car that will not disappoint. Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and the Humber.

107585

BMW 328I

BMW 635

109152

1996, 150.000 miles, POA. All original mint condition inside and out and underbody fully stamped. BMW and local documented history, owned and enjoyed for 16 years with all invoices.

Very rare based upon factory spec left hand drive body with bill sheet, M-Tec sport suspension supplied and fitted by BMW dealer. Sport mode exhaust system, extra wide wheels, pipped interior, one touch locking system, appreciated in value, classic collectable, MoT Jan 2022. Please call 07903805145, East of England.

109664

1989, 121441 miles, Guide price: from £10,000 to £12,000. 635 CSI Auto, Diamond Black, Petrol, 3430cc. Current local owner since 2003, four previous keepers, comprehensive history file.

Original BBS TRX wheels with tyres included in sale. UNDERGOING CHERISHED NUMBER TRANSFER. LOGBOOK TO FOLLOW. To bid online please create an account on the Hobbs Parker website. Auction 28/29th July. Viewing from the 26th July. Please call 01233506266, South East.

(T) 109525

FEATURE YOUR MOTOR IN YOUR FAVOURITE MAGS!

OR FIND YOUR NEXT!

BMW 840

BMW ISETTA

1997, 88000 miles, £23,950. 840Ci 4.4 V8 Sport Coupe. Finished in Barbados Green with M Styling System II light alloy wheels and electric sunroof.

Light parchment leather interior with Sport electrically adjustable front seats, cruise control, M Sport suspension, M aerodynamics package and Hi Fi loudspeaker system. Only 88,000 miles with history file and stamped service book.

Excellent condition throughout. Please call 02085 679729, Greater London.

1963. Auction date 28/29th July. To bid online please create an account on the Hobbs Parker website. Viewing available from the 26th July.

Please call 01233506266, South East. (T) 108952

BMW M3

110159

BMW Z3

1 999, 43000 miles, £24,995. Z3 M, 3.2 convertible, two door petrol, manual. In near faultless condition. Silver coach work with black and red leather interior. Great spec. Please call 01623 411476, East Midlands.

108350

BMW Z3

BMW 840

1994, 95750 miles, BMW / 840 CI Auto / Coupe / Silver / Petrol / Auto / 3982cc / 95750 miles.

Direct from BMW main agent heritage collection, three previous keepers. Freshly recommissioned.

To bid online please create an account on the Hobbs Parker website. Physical viewing at our auction centre from 9:00am to 6:00pm from Mon 25th to Wed 27th and Thurs 28th from 9:00am.

Please call 01233506266, South East. (T) 109985

BMW ALPINA

2005, £24,995. A very rare and powerful Alpina B5 with just 3 owners. In fantastic condition throughout, with no dents or scratches just very minor stone chips to the leading edge of the bonnet, the alloys are almost perfect and recently refurbished, the interior is beautiful with no rips, tears or marks. Please call 07711645465, South East. (T) 109008

TO ADVERTISE VISIT:

2001, 137000 miles, £20,500. Fantastic original spec, excellent drive and stunning condition. This has been my dream car since they were released.

I bought this in 2012. I have loved, cherished and looked after this car to the best of my ability from day 1. Since March 2020 it has cost me £12,000 in planned and unplanned maintenance and on my salary I can no longer do this. That’s why I’m selling even though I don’t want to. Please call 07799737979, East Midlands.

110171

2000, 96788 miles, Guide price: from £5,000 to £6,000. BMW / Z3 Roadster. Panel off body respray including new genuine BMW door sills.

New soft top and refurbished leather interior are amongst other things in no expense restoration down to details such as renewed number plates.

Current owner since 2016, five previous keepers.

To bid online please create an account on the Hobbs Parker website. More photos on the website. Please create an account on the Hobbs Parker website. Physical viewing at our auction centre from 9:00am to 6:00pm from Mon 25th to Wed 27th and Thurs 28th from 9:00am. Please call 01233506266, South East. (T)

BMW X6 M

BMW Z4

2011, 24000 miles, £29,995. Titanium silver with black Nevada leather interior. Please call 02083485151, Greater London.

2006, £14,750. A beautiful Montego Blue Z4 coupe in fantastic condition. Please call 07711645465, South East. (T)

108369

OR EMAIL:

109988

109788

WWW.MOTORFREEADS.CO.UK CARS@KELSEYCLASSIFIEDS.CO.UK

NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: 29 OCTOBER 2021 Pre-order your copy at shop.kelsey.co.uk

WHAT’S INSIDE THE DECEMBER 2021 ISSUE?

● We explore a lovely E30 325i once owned by legendary McLaren and Ferrari Formula One designer John Barnard – and we speak to the man himself about his recollections of it in period! ● It would be rude not to include the iconic 3.0 CSL Batmobile in our classic BMW special – we do just that! ● ...And, while we’d all love to own a Batmobile, the 2800 offers much of the experience for a quarter of the money. We drive one... ● Is the E23 7 Series a forgotten classic?

As prices of similar cars continue to rise, we explore what might be the next big thing on the classic BMW scene. ● Modern classics are thriving, but where should you spend your money? We pitch the E34 535i against the E36 M3 Cabriolet to find out.

SINGLE PRINT ISSUES ONLY £5.50 Receive the print version of BMW Car

FREE DELIVERY!

magazine for just £5.50 per issue – including free delivery to your door!

Visit: shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/BMC Can’t get to the shops? Have single issues of BMW Car delivered to your door free! Visit: shop.kelsey.co.uk

*Please note that cover may alter slightly*

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Contact your local BMW Centre to find out more or visit BMW.co.uk Terms and conditions apply. Offer applicable for accessory complete wheel set purchases made at a BMW Retailer before 15 October 2021. Participating Retailers only and not available in conjunction with any other offer. This offer does not apply to Winter Steel Wheels. BMW E generation models are excluded from this offer. For more information, please contact your local Retailer. *