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CONTENTS Welcome 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, Rob Richardson, Dan Bevis, Jason Dodd, Mani Singh Hayer, Robb Pritchard, 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 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? Manage your subscription online: shop.kelsey.co.uk/site/loginForm
The used car market has been going crazy for a number of months now. I think I’ve mentioned before that specialist and approved BMW dealers are fighting to find used car stock to fill their showrooms and forecourts. While it is likely that this is in part due to pent up demand accrued through the UK’s lockdown periods, there’s also a feeling that having seen friends and family gripped by the wrath of the pandemic people want to live for today because none of us know what tomorrow might bring. For some enthusiasts that means buying the BMW of their dreams. One specialist I spoke with recently believes many of his customers have more spare cash than usual because they have not been able to spend their disposable income on regular entertainment or holidays since 2019. There was also a warning though, that the current – somewhat inflated – values of some modern classic BMWs in the £40,000-£60,0000 price bracket might be inside a bubble we’ll see burst in the medium term as life gradually returns to normal. Only time will tell. Right now demand for cars is sky high and if you’re in the market for something a little more exciting than the norm we’ve got five suggestions that tick five very different boxes – all priced around £15,000. The obvious choice for most BMW enthusiasts is the E46 M3 Coupé, but keep your mind open as you read the options we present starting on page 46. And, as always, there’s plenty more BMW content to whet your appetite in this issue. Lastly, just as we went to press, BMW revealed the striking new 2 Series Coupé (below) with a line-up initially topped by the 374hp M240i xDrive Coupé (p6). We can hear BMW enthusiasts everywhere releasing a collective sigh of relief that its styling is far less divisive than some recent offerings from Munich. Are you one of them I wonder? Enjoy the issue.
Simon Jackson, Editor @retro_ jackson The new 2 Series Coupé is a looker which will please many BMW fans.
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CONTENTS
10 Contents
Independently written for real enthusiasts
Regulars Independently written for real enthusiasts
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 What is a “peak BMW” ponders John
028 New Products Shop for 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 minites of fame – did your car make print?
080 Classifieds Find a bargain in our free classifieds
082 Next Month What’s in the next issue of BMW Car?
CONTENTS
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06
46 Follow us on social media: BMWCarMagazine
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September 2021
Features 010 F31 335d Touring Want a BMW that can do it all? There aren’t many better options than a 335d Touring, we explore an F31 generation.
018 E46 M3 Cabriolet There’s a whole glorious summer of sunshine to be enjoyed – and what better way to do so than in a drop-top E46 M3?
046 £15k BMW Buys With the used car market going crazy, our expert Guy Baker recommends five of the best BMWs you can buy right now for £15,000...
053 E24 635CSi From a bright pink bare shell, Dutch outfit Vink Motorsport turned this modified and abused E24 635CSi into a Peter Auto championship-winning car.
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040 F25 X3 Alex Sullivan never saw himself as an SUV owner, but when his needs changed the F25 X3 30d ticked all the right boxes.
SEPTEMBER 2021 5
NEWS
BMW News ALL-NEW 2 SERIES COUPÉ BREAKS COVER The all-new BMW 2 Series Coupé has been revealed with a range-topping 374hp M240i xDrive model...
Initial reaction to the all-new BMW 2 Series Coupé seems positive. Not just because the range-topping M240i xDrive Coupé is the only vehicle in its segment to offer a six-cylinder in-line engine, but also because its styling is far less divisive than the look of other recent new models from Munich. The striking new
coupé, which will be built at BMW Group’s San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico, enjoyed its world premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 8th July. Customers will initially be able to choose from four-cylinder petrol and diesel versions in the standard M Sport specification but it is arguably the 374hp all-wheel-drive
M240i xDrive Coupé that will excite most. Longer by 105mm and wider by 64mm than its predecessor, the new car is 28mm lower with a wheelbase that is 51mm longer, a track width that is wider by 54mm at the front axle and 31mm at the rear (M240i xDrive +63mm front, +35mm rear). This, and almost perfect 50:50 weight distribution, mean the ingredients for excellent cornering dynamics are present and correct. BMW has worked hard at optimising the new car's aerodynamics. An active air flap control system for the kidney grille – adjustable through ten stages – and a lower intake in the front apron, plus air curtains, flush-fitting door handles, aerodynamically optimised light-alloy wheels and an almost completely sealed underbody – channel airflow more effectively. The M240i xDrive
NEW
X3 AND X4 REVEALED
BMW has launched the latest generation of X3 and X4... BMW's new X3 and X4 models deliver a comprehensive refresh for the popular SUV that includes sportier styling together with modern interiors, new equipment and updated infotainment systems. The most obvious aspect of the enhancement is the redesigned front and rear section of
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the latest third-generation X3, and secondgeneration X4 – adopting the new BMW family look. Both models feature modern hybrid technology, in addition to the X3 xDrive30e plug-in hybrid, all four-cylinder and sixcylinder engines in both model series now
use 48-volt mild hybrid technology. All versions feature xDrive all-wheel drive and 8-speed Steptronic transmissions. Both model ranges are topped by the M40i and M40d variants, these can be specified in Pro Edition trim for added dynamism. X3 customers can choose
NEWS
Coupé boasts turning vanes and splitters designed to reduce lift. Following in the tyre tracks of the latest 4 Series Coupé, die-cast aluminium spring struts and an engine side member made from extruded aluminium profiles save weight at the front. An aluminium bonnet and front side panels alone account for a reduction in weight of around 9.6kg. As you can see the styling is largely a good nip and tuck of the old model but it is successful, thankfully the kidney grilles are traditional and do not follow in the footsteps of other recent BMWs. One non-metallic and six metallic exterior hues will be available, a new addition to the range is Thundernight Metallic available exclusively on this model. M Sport specification is standard, it includes a front apron with large side air intakes,
between xLine or M Sport trim on other versions, while X4 customers benefit from M Sport trim as standard. Both the X3 and X4 include enhanced equipment such as the BMW Live Cockpit Professional with 12.3-inch Control Display and automatic air conditioning with three-
M High-gloss Shadow Line trim and 18-inch M light-alloy wheels. The side skirts and the lower section of the rear apron with integral diffuser are painted in Dark Shadow metallic. Meanwhile the M240i xDrive Coupé boasts the usual beefed-up M-specific styling cues, also part of the standard specification on the model is M High-gloss Shadow Line trim and 19-inch M light-alloy wheels. An M-specific boot-lid spoiler painted body colour and a black diffuser between the exhaust tailpipes also appear. Inside standard equipment includes a Sport leather steering wheel with newly designed multifunction buttons – Alcantara/Sensatec upholstery in Black with blue contrast stitching is standard, the BMW M240i xDrive Coupé comes with Vernasca leather. Heated sport seats are also standard, while electric M Seats feature in the six-cylinder model. Adaptive M suspension is available as an option for the new M240i xDrive Coupé, allowing drivers the widest possible spread between sporty and comfort-oriented response – it combines the characteristics of M Sport suspension with electronically controlled dampers. Variable sport steering is fitted as standard to all cars. Optional M Sport brakes (standard on the M240i xDrive Coupé) are said to provide excellent braking performance through a combination of four-piston fixed callipers at the front, singlepiston floating callipers at the rear. The callipers are painted red as standard, a blue finish is available at no cost. Importantly an
zone control. X3 xLine models also include sports seats with upholstery featuring a new generation of Sensatec in the new Ray grain finish. Prices for the new X3 start at £43,370 for the entry-level X3 xDrive20i model, rising to £58,560 for the range-topping X3
M Sport differential is fitted as standard on the M240i xDrive Coupé. Topping the range initially will be the M240i xDrive Coupé, at 374hp its 3.0-litre unit develops 34hp more than its predecessor. Peak torque of 369lb ft is on tap from 1,9005,000rpm, it accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 4.3-seconds. The M model is joined by a 220i and 220d, the petrol uses a 184hp four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol TwinPower Turbo engine which debuts a cylinder head with integrated exhaust manifold for effective exhaust gas cooling, helping to minimise emissions. The 220i generates 221lb ft of torque enabling acceleration of 0-62mph in 7.5-seconds. The 220d develops 190hp and peak torque of 295lb ft. It now features twostage turbocharging and a further developed common rail direct injection system. Mildhybrid technology supports the diesel engine with a 48V starter generator taking up the role of an electric drive system, providing an extra 11hp. This enhances acceleration – the 220d sprints from 0-62mph in 6.9-seconds. The eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission is fitted as standard in all 2 Series Coupé models. Making its 2 Series Coupé debut is the BMW Head-Up Display, available for the first time as an optional extra alongside the standard-fit BMW Operating System 7. Prices start at £34,980 for the 220i rising to £36,900 for the 220d and £45,795 for the M240i xDrive Coupé – the new 2 Series Coupé is due for its UK launch in early 2022.
M40d. The new X4 is priced from £49,010 for the xDrive20d rising to £61,910 for the X4 M40i. The UK market launch of the new X3 and the new X4 will get underway in September 2021, following the start of production at BMW Plant Spartanburg (USA) in August 2021.
SEPTEMBER 2021 7
NEWS
NEW 4 SERIES GRAN COUPÉ LAUNCHED The new 4 Series Gran Coupé follows in the wake of its latest siblings. The second-generation BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé is wider, longer, taller and boasts more rear headroom, legroom and boot space than its forebear. Sharper looks, improved driving dynamics, a superior engine line-up and even more interior space is on offer from the new model which follows its recently updated 4 Series siblings, this third body variant in the range adopts BMW's new design language and will be built at BMW Group Plant Munich alongside the all-electric BMW i4. Based on the underpinnings of the latest 4 Series Coupé, the chassis is said to deliver a more sporty and stimulating driving experience than the outgoing model. It's 143mm longer, 27mm wider and 53mm taller than its predecessor, while the track widths have also grown by +50mm (front) and +29mm (rear). The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé offers 470-litres of boot space –
8 BMWcar
an increase of 39-litres, while load space can be expanded to a maximum of 1,290-litres by folding down the sections of the rear backrest, with its standard 40:20:40 split. A choice of rear-wheel drive or xDrive diesel models will be available at launch across five model options; 420i, 430i, M440i xDrive, 420d, and 420d xDrive – all partnered by the 8-speed Steptronic Sport transmission as standard for the UK market. Mild hybrid technology is a part of the straight-six petrol and diesel engines. A 48-volt starter-generator acts likes an electric drive unit to assist the engine – its offers an electric boost effect that adds an extra 11hp to give greater response. The power used for the electric boost drive is harvested almost entirely through Brake Energy Regeneration and stored in a separate battery that also supplies the electric energy for the 12V on-board power supply.
M Sport trim is standard, M Sport Pro Edition is available as an extension of the M Sport model. Comprising M Sport brakes, 19-inch M light-alloy wheels, M High-gloss Shadow Line with extended features, the M lights Shadow Line and a black M rear spoiler, it delivers striking looks. The M Performance Parts available for the new 4 Series Gran Coupé allow customers to give their car an extra touch. Retrofit items as part of the Genuine BMW Accessory range span 20-inch M Performance forged light-alloy wheels to carbon-fibre exterior styling, the M Performance steering wheel and carbon-fibre interior trim. The UK launch will get underway in November, but the new 4 Series Gran Coupé is available to order now and is priced from £40,465 (420i) rising to £54,670 for the range-topping M440i xDrive.
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F31 335d xDRIVE TOURING
S
o, what’s the best car in BMW’s current line-up? Or from its past? We could literally be here all week debating these questions but for a certain subsection of the BMW community there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a BMW wagon. BMW was actually a little late to the Touring party and it wasn’t until the late 1980s that the 3 Series Touring became a permanent fixture in the model line up. However, once the dam gates had opened there was no stopping the onward march of the Touring and since then we’ve had several generations of 3 and 5 Series models to choose from. BMW has always followed its own path with its estates though and has only rarely
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dipped its toe into what you could call the performance wagon. Audi has done very nicely out of this with its RS4s and RS6s and Mercedes has also had a lot of fun shoehorning monstrously large V8s into various estate bodies. In contrast BMW has only made two M Tourings, both M5s, but in total their production figures are miniscule – less than 2000 examples over two generations of 5 Series would almost go unnoticed in the BMW accounts department. Instead BMW has ploughed its own furrow, preferring to produce Tourings that are superb all-rounders. Many of them have been pretty quick cars but have aimed to retain a decent ride quality, they’ve been relatively commodious but without compromising on
their styling, but most crucially a Touring has never compromised on the Ultimate Driving Machine tag line – the estates drive just as well as their saloon counterparts. If I was forced to choose one Touring from the current BMW range I may well have to move abroad as you can’t buy an M550d xDrive Touring in the UK and it’s equally disappointing that the M550i xDrive isn’t available with the Touring bodyshell at all. Given I’m unlikely to be leaving these shores any time soon then I’d be more than happy with a new M340d xDrive Touring. It ticks a hell of a lot of boxes being ridiculously rapid, surprisingly parsimonious and with the Touring body it’s hugely practical too – the ultimate allrounder? A shame then that it costs over £50k
F31 335d xDRIVE TOURING
Top of the Class?
Was the F31 335d xDrive Touring the ultimate all-rounder of its generation? With svelte styling, practical accommodation, awesome performance and a brilliant engine it’s hard to bet against it. Words: Bob Harper Photography: Jason Dodd
before you’ve added any options. But there is a solution to be found within BMW’s recent back catalogue in the form of the F31 335d Touring, it might not have an M prefix to its name but in every other respect it pretty much follows the same path as its M340d successor. And with prices for Approved Used examples now starting around the £20k mark it could almost be seen as a bit of a bargain, too. But what makes it so good? For many people the F3x generation of 3 Series is the epitome of what a 3 Series should be and as is often the way the styling of the Touring variant really does hit the spot, somehow looking svelte and athletic despite the practical load-lugging estate car connotations. The F31 Touring was launched in 2012
and initially the 330d was the top dog in the range but this was soon joined by the 335d complete with xDrive all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic gearbox as the only drivetrain configuration. Just as night follows day a ‘Lifecycle Impulse’ (a facelift in nonBMW speak) followed three years later and it’s these ‘LCI’ cars that are the pick of the bunch. Enhanced styling, a revised cabin, more extensive options and Euro 6 compliant engines were the main highlights although the 335d’s engine didn’t change its headline figures. But what figures they were. The 2993cc twin turbo diesel pushed out an impressive 313hp at 4,400rpm and a whopping 465lb ft slug of torque from 1500 to 2500rpm. Its performance figures were impressive with a
0-62mph time of just 4.9-seconds although like all BMWs its top speed was limited to 155mph. The icing on the cake was a combined economy figure of 49.6mpg and a relatively low CO2 figure of just 151g/km, although you’d have to be exercising some enormous restraint to return those figures in normal everyday driving. On the road though it was a devastating piece of kit. The LCI F31 was facing some stiff competition from its rivals so BMW did make a few tweaks to its underpinnings here and there. There were new springs and dampers on both the static and adaptive suspension set ups along with beefier anti-roll bars and thicker suspension top mounts and these all combined together to make the 335d a slightly
SEPTEMBER 2021 11
F31 335d xDRIVE TOURING
The F31 335d was a brilliant all-rounder that had a little bit of both the Jekyll and Hyde to its nature more involving car to drive. The steering was sharper and both ride and handling improved. In short, the F31 335d was a brilliant allrounder that had a little bit of both the Jekyll and Hyde to its nature. But you don’t just have to take our word for it as the owner of the 335d xDrive Touring you can see here was pretty smitten by it, too. Larry Tampkins has owned this Touring for the best part of two years and although he’s recently sold it – we’ll come onto that later – he was a huge fan. Doubly impressive as not only does he like to change cars quite frequently but his previous steed was an F10 M5. Larry takes up the story; “The 335d is only the second BMW I’ve owned – I’ve previously owned VW Group
12 BMWcar
cars, a couple of Golfs and a couple of Audis along with an Alfa Romeo – everyone has to own at least one Alfa during their life,” he says with a smile. “The first BMW was an F10 M5 – if you’re going to go… go big! I’d always wanted an M5 – one of my neighbours had one where I lived previously – and I thought it was astonishing, absolutely loved it. So when it got to the point when I could order one I went for it. It was a factory order, exactly the spec I wanted, and it was one of the last off the production line so it had the Competition pack and I was fortunate enough to get a brilliant deal on the car from BMW. “I had that for a couple of years when I was living in Scotland but then I moved to Kent and
soon discovered that house prices in this part of the world were not nearly as compatible with running an M5 as they had been in Scotland,” says Larry. So the M5 had to go, but what to replace it with? Surely just about anything else was going to be a real let down? Larry knew what he wanted though – a 335d Touring in Estoril blue. He didn’t necessarily need the additional luggage carrying capacity of the Touring, simply preferring the looks of the F31 over the F30 Saloon. Indeed he’s always been a fan of the Touring bodystyle and reckons that if BMW had made an F11 M5 he’d have had his M5 Comp as a Touring, too. The twin-turbo 335d was the ideal engine choice as not only did it
F31 335d xDRIVE TOURING
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F31 335d xDRIVE TOURING
F31 335d xDrive Touring ENGINE: Six-cylinder, twin-turbo diesel CAPACITY: 2993cc MAX POWER: 313hp @ 4,400rpm MAX TORQUE: 465lb ft @ 1,500-2,500rpm 0-62MPH: 4.9-seconds TOP SPEED: 155mph ECONOMY: 49.6mpg PRICE (NEW): £41,665 (2015)
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F31 335d xDRIVE TOURING offer the potential for decent economy when on a cruise its 465lb ft of torque was pretty close to the M5’s 502lb ft, especially as the 3 Series Touring was a bit lighter than the M5. He headed onto the Chandlers website and put in his search criteria – 3 Series, Touring, 335d and Estoril Blue – and the car you see here popped up as the first search result. In the morning he’d told his fiancé that the M5 had to go and by the evening and a couple of phone calls later a deal had been done and Larry was the proud owner of a 335d Touring. “I was particularly keen on Estoril Blue,” Larry tells us, “and I wanted the Shadowline trim and this car ticked both those boxes and as an added bonus it had several M Performance parts on it, too. It had the front splitter, side skirts with decals, rear diffuser and spoiler at the top of the tailgate too, as well as M Performance 19-inch wheels. I particularly liked the M Performance sills as they gave the side of the car much more depth – it’s a little thing, but I think the sills really enhanced the
look of the car.” So what were Larry’s initial reactions to the 335d? “Everyone kept saying to me when they saw the car, ‘Oh, the 335d is really quick isn’t it’, but when you’re coming from an M5 it initially perhaps didn’t feel quite as quick as everyone was saying! But once I’d recalibrated a little the 335d was perfect, especially the torque and the twin turbos which made it super responsive. It did take a few months to bed in with the 335d, but after that I absolutely loved it.” During the two years he’s owned the car it was absolutely bulletproof with absolutely no problems. While Larry reckons it was the perfect all-rounder the only thing he would have been tempted to change if he’d kept it for longer or if it hadn’t been on a PCP would have been to have fitted some lowering springs, just from an aesthetic perspective as he felt it did seem to sit a little bit high as far as its looks were concerned. Had he not been tempted by another BMW he reckons
“It did everything – to a slightly lesser extent obviously – that the M5 did”
he’d have paid Birds a visit for one of its suspension packages. Despite having now sold the 335d Larry is full of praise for the car; “It did everything – to a slightly lesser extent obviously – that the M5 did. I could sit four people in it in comfort, it would cruise effortlessly on the motorway, it had epic torque, even the gearbox was fantastically responsive, kicking down really quickly. It’d pick up from any revs and just went! It was brilliant. The torque and the pick up of the 335d was mind-blowing, I really, really enjoyed it.” Despite the step down in performance Larry reckons there were some circumstances when the 335d was a more effective weapon than the M5. “On big A roads there was nothing to touch the M5, it was phenomenal and I’d go back in one in a heartbeat, but on B roads the relative size of the 335d really helped, you could drive quickly and safely (and obviously legally), but because the 335d was narrower you could actually press on probably no slower than the M5 – the lack of girth with the 335d was pretty helpful. It would wriggle through gaps where in the M5 you’d probably be backing off a little due to its size. It was xDrive as well so you could do all that even
A big part of the 335d’s appeal is its driveability – aided by a torque figure of 465lb ft
SEPTEMBER 2021 15
F31 335d xDRIVE TOURING
It looks like a bit of a bargain that you can buy with both your heart and your head when it was damp, or when it was hosing it down. In what we’ve had of the British summer so far this year I’d have more fun in the 335d with its xDrive than I would have in the M5. In short the 335d was brilliant fun.” While Larry was still enjoying the 335d and despite thinking about what to eventually replace it with it wasn’t actually Larry that instigated its departure. “Chandlers contacted me,” he says, “as they had lots of customers who were interested in cars like the 335d, and I said I’d only consider changing the 335d for something with a badge ending in 40i as I wanted something with a more inspiring exhaust note. In the end they came back to me with a superb deal on an M4 for just a very small increase over what I was paying for the 335d. “I’ve been very impressed with the M4 and to be honest the only thing the 335d was missing was that vocal exhaust note that
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you can only get from a petrol engine,” Larry explains. “What I missed with the 335d was the theatre of a proper M car, while it didn’t ultimately make the noise of an M car it would keep up with a lot of far more sporting cars. The torque and the pick up of the 335d was mind-blowing, I really, really enjoyed it.” Given Larry’s penchant for a fast wagon we couldn’t resist asking him whether the new M3 Touring is likely to be on his shopping list in the near future? “The day BMW launched that teaser image of the new M3 Touring I was completely sold on the idea of one, although I do struggle a little with how it’s going to look as I’m not fully sold on the new kidney grilles. I’m really intrigued as to how the M3 Touring will look, I have a feeling that I’ll end up wanting one – do you really need both kidneys!? A four-wheel drive M3 Touring would be the absolute pinnacle for me. Having driven a new
rear-wheel drive M4 it already puts its power down incredibly well, so an xDrive version will be just phenomenal. An M3 Touring will definitely be where my lottery winnings will be going… although I could also be tempted to an M5 CS too!” Ultimately the F31 335d xDrive Touring is one of those rare cars, a machine whose depth and breadth of ability is seemingly greater than the sum of its parts. It looks great, has plenty of interior accommodation and goes like stink when the mood takes you. The flip side of the coin is that it’ll cruise with aplomb and return impressive economy while doing so. It might not pack the drama or theatre of a full blown M car and misses out on the sonorous exhaust note of a six-pot petrol but these days it looks like a bit of a bargain as a used purchase that you can buy with both your heart and your head O
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E46 M3
O Solar Flair
There’s a whole glorious summer of sunshine to be enjoyed – and what better way to do so than in a drop-top M3? Words: Dan Bevis Photography: Jason Dodd
18 BMWcar
pen-top motoring is a visceral and evocative experience, human and machine as one. If you park the idea of stability or rigidity for a moment, absolutely any car can be improved by removing the roof: convertible versions of the Renault Mégane, Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus or Peugeot 206 all imbue unremarkable shopper hatchbacks with a hint of riviera chic, because the very fact of being open to the elements transcends the everyday act of driving to another emotive realm. Quite simply, there’s something pure and elemental about driving a convertible. On the
E46 M3
right day, in the right scenery, you can feel truly in synthesis with the machine beneath you while the multi-sensory whooshing of nature itself serves to amplify the hedonistic experience. The roar of the engine, the artful rearrangement of your hair, there’s nothing quite like it. Now, with summertime having unexpectedly chewed its way out of the murky chrysalis of 2021’s gloomy spring, we all know what this means: the roof goes down, the serotonin goes up, life is sweet. If you’ve ever fancied the idea of throwing back the hood and soaking up Mother Nature’s splendour and majesty as you slink along
the coastline, hare down your favourite B-roads, or simply pop to the shops for a pint of milk, then all of this lovely sunshine won’t be helping to keep your emotions in check. It follows that there’s a logical path that your brain may start to amble down: if even humdrum cars can be vastly improved by scything the top off, then convertible versions of really good cars must be life-changingly good, right? And this is where we arrive at the E46 M3 convertible – an outstanding sports car, remixed to let the sunshine in. The very ethos of the M3, an all-time icon generally considered to be an automotive good egg, represents different things in its
various generations, depending on the cultural mores that surrounded them at launch as well as the technological variations within. The E30 set out its stall with purity, focus, racebred aggression and a refusal to compromise. The E36 that followed it signalled evolution, reworking the DNA of its predecessor to create a furious and unbeatable racer-for-the-road that also spoke of BMW’s over-arching ethos of luxury and premium accoutrements. And the E46? Well, when that arrived, all bets were off. As this feisty and sumptuously equipped roadand-track weapon hit the showrooms in late2000, it offered a hitherto unheard-of fusion of grand tourer credentials, everyday tactility
SEPTEMBER 2021 19
E46 M3
and motorsport-derived agility. The car boasted an engine of such outstanding potency, it provided a higher specific output than any mainstream BMW motor that had come before. Producing a vibrant and hedonistic 343hp from its 3.2-litre straight-six with a truly sonorous soundtrack, the addictive and accessible 20 BMWcar
performance added a brutish dimension of aggression to the standard coupé’s sober lines. Any discussion of the E46 M3 needs to acknowledge the Coupé Sport Leichtbau, or CSL, of 2004; a true collector’s favourite, it was limited to just 1400 examples and enjoyed race-derived suspension, a tighter
steering ratio, E39 M5 brakes, a 110kg weight reduction thanks to copious use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic and the junking of anything unnecessarily heavy (sound deadening, seat motors, sat-nav, etc), thinner glass, racy bucket seats, a simplified steering wheel that lost all of the stereo and phone controls and had just
E46 M3 It’s possible to buy these cars for seven or eight grand, but you probably shouldn’t... six figures), the ‘mainstream’ E46 M3s are starting to look like remarkable value. Available as either two-door Coupé or Cabriolet, buyers had the option of a six-speed manual or SMG-II transmission to go with their hugely powerful S54; standard kit included 18” M wheels, leather upholstery, xenon headlights (bi-xenons on post-2001 cars), sports seats, sports suspension, Dynamic Throttle Control, cruise control, titanium interior trim, Cornering Brake Control, ISOFIX points and a trip computer. Well-appointed, practical and sumptuously comfortable, yet also able to lap the Nordschleife in 8:22, all available today for the price of a new base-model Ford Fiesta. The example we have before the lens today represents the upper end of the E46 oeuvre. There’s a fair few M3s of this era in existence, and they tend to exist in one of two camps: the good ones that have been pampered and properly looked after, regularly serviced and treated as the premium performance
machines they are… and the bad ones. It’s possible to buy these cars for seven or eight grand, but you probably shouldn’t – cheap cars get maintained on the cheap, and a BMW M3 is something that really deserves proper love and care. Rest assured, then, that CE03 FDM is one of the good ones. It belongs to Max Goff, a serial BMW collector with an eye for quality and a penchant for superior motorcars in the so-called ‘modern classic’ bracket (or ‘youngtimer’, if you happen to be in continental Europe). It’s not just about collecting like Pokémon and boasting figures like Top Trumps either; Max has an inherent affinity with the concept of tactility, having spent a youth karting and now, in his latetwenties, tutoring competitors across the world. So he’s not just an appreciator of the form, but an exploiter of the dynamics too, and that’s exactly how the purchase of this drop-top M3 came about. Max already had
Searching for a BMW M car that will excite and which won’t break the bank? Look no further
one button for ‘M Track Mode’, and a handful of extra horses under the bonnet. Externally it sported the single eye-catching addition that many E46 owners crave: that ducktail spoiler. But as collectors start to shell out silly money on CSLs (£40k+ is the entry point, low-mileage examples are creeping towards SEPTEMBER 2021 21
E46 M3 Available 24/7
TABLET • MOBILE
From £2.31 pocketmags.com shop.kelsey.co.uk/bmc
It’s been a case of stowing the hood, donning the sunnies, and haring for the horizon
22 BMWcar
E46 M3
an E46 M3 Coupé in the collection, and thus was well-versed in what a magnificent platform this is, and the idea of being able to enjoy that vocal S54 with the roof down hugely appealed. It’s worth an aside at this point to consider the nature of this engine, as it really is something special. The M3’s S54B32 is essentially a development of the 330Ci double-VANOS M54 straight-six, upgraded with a lightweight crank and graphite-coated aluminium pistons to allow it to rev to 8000rpm. It has individual throttle bodies and drive-by-wire, and the peak power of 343hp arrives at 7900rpm. As is characteristic of naturally-aspirated sixes of this era, the torque is relatively low at 269lb ft, although this peaks at 4900rpm so it’s very exploitable. It’s a remarkably strong engine and, if serviced with the right consumables at the right intervals, can achieve huge mileage – we’ve seen M3s
with 200k+ miles on the clock and still being regularly enjoyed on road and track. But the most important aspect from an enthusiast’s point of view has to be those individual throttle bodies; above all else, this motor howls. And in a convertible, you can properly hear it. As is his wont, Max was keen to find an example with a manual gearbox rather than the SMG-II – not always an easy task, given the popularity of the latter at launch – and his fastidiousness and insistence upon perfection meant that the classifieds received a good scouring before he unearthed this peach of an example. In generally superb condition throughout, all he’s had to do during his ownership is carry out a few minor tasks to remedy the inevitable age-related marks and wear-and-tear of an early-2000s car. Beyond that, it’s simply been a case of stowing the hood, donning the sunnies, and haring for the horizon on a wave of Bavarian hedonism. In
post-lockdown Britain, this sort of behaviour has an extra dimension of freedom and carefree whimsy to it, acting as the perfect antidote to all the strangeness we’ve had to endure recently. So the E46 M3 convertible isn’t just a car, it’s a tonic. An artful expression of passionate engineering, but also a snapshot in time – both of the performance market of the early2000s, and of the modern-classic enthusiasm of the present day. For the fabulous summer of 2021, the perfect accompaniment. And as befits a moment in time, Max sees this as a transient member of the collection; once the leaves start to turn brown, he’ll be trading it in for an 850CSi. Because if the last year or so has taught us anything, it’s that living for the moment is vital for our mental wellbeing. In this case when the sun comes up, the roof goes down, and man and machine become one O
E46 M3 Cabriolet ENGINE & TRANSMISSION: S54B32 3.2-litre straight-six, 6-speed manual EXTERIOR: All-original spec INTERIOR: All-original spec
SEPTEMBER 2021 23
COMMENT
BOB HARPER
Bob wonders how we can improve some of our driving standards
“You could get a bus through there” says Bob, but could you?
I
t’s gratifying when you can finally get your own back on your kids and these days I like to try and get as many lifts as possible with the Harper offspring doing the chauffeuring. I hate to think quite how many hours and miles I’ve spent ferrying the kids to sport, band practice, endless parties and the like, and now that two out of the three have driving licenses and a car I like to make use of them as a taxi for dad rather than being a dad’s taxi. Ideally I like to drag them out late at night to pick me up from some far flung corner of London after I’ve had a few sherbets but even through a slight alcoholic haze I like to see how years of being driven about by me has rubbed off on them. The other night my son made me proud when he came out with one of my favourite lines, and one that I’m pretty sure I picked up from my father; “You could get a bus through there!”, directed at a MINI driver struggling with a width restriction. And this got me thinking – why is it that so many people have absolutely no idea how wide their cars are? It crossed my mind recently during two weekends away, one in Scotland and one in north Norfolk. In the relatively remote part of Scotland we were in the locals had no problem with width perception, flying down narrow lanes and through small gaps without even the merest hint of a lift. However, Norfolk seemed to be mainly populated by folks on their holidays who were incapable of negotiating their faux-4x4 through a village without having at least a foot of clear air either side of their vehicle. It makes progress painfully slow when they’re stopping every few yards to let someone come the other way. I’m sure things were never this bad when I was younger, but given the ‘bus’ phrase was picked up from my dad it’s obviously been going
on for some time and I’m convinced it’s becoming more of a problem. Is it just a case that our spatial awareness is significantly deteriorating, or are the latest car designs making driving harder? There’s no getting away from the fact that cars are getting wider and wider – a 3 Series for example has added nearly 22 centimetres to its girth since the E21 was first launched. But it’s not just the physical size that’s the problem, so much of a car’s width now seems to balloon out below the window line which does make it harder to position a car on the road. And with the size of a car’s glasshouse seemingly becoming smaller, viewing a vehicle’s extremities isn’t the easiest proposition either. I’m always amazed when I jump from my wife’s X3 into my old E3 saloon at how much better visibility is in the car designed in the 1960s! That’s progress for you… So, what’s the solution? Perhaps we should all install those little flagpoles on the front wings that embassies used to use on their diplomatic cars to fly little flags? It would certainly help folk to know where their car’s extremities were and we could display flags on them too – mine will say “You could get a bus through there”. Alternatively, and I think this is a better idea, we could introduce a new section to the driving test, the driving through a width restriction at 30mph without lifting manoeuvre – far more useful than being able to do a three-point turn, surely? Although now my third child is about to start learning to drive I might leave that part of his driver education to his instructor, or move to Scotland where they still seem to know how wide their cars are. I’ll stick with the important stuff, like getting him to tell other motorists, “You could get a bus through there!” O SEPTEMBER 2021 25
COMMENT
JOHN GLYNN
John shares his thoughts on what constitutes “peak BMW”... Can a classic model represent ‘peak’ BMW?
A
recent discussion on The Intercooler Instagram feed sparked some discussion, when journalist Andrew Frankel opined that the E46 M3 CSL was not ‘peak BMW’ (as many would have it) and instead proposed that the title should go to the E24 M635CSi, for a perfect blend of style, balance, power with four-seat practicality and RWD manual configuration. Feedback varied. Some respondents commented along the lines of “I’ve had both and you’re right/wrong”, others asked why a 1980s model would be ‘peak’, or agreeing that the ‘80s were peak due to present-day bean-counter management and some argued the case for seemingly less plausible alternatives, such as the 316 Compact, 540i Touring or 750iL. The conversation spoke of an older demographic: it was all looking backwards. The proposal that peak BMW has already occurred is an odd one to start with. The replies contained much yay/nay from people who had never driven an M3 CSL or an M635, both being rare cars to start with. Having driven both, I don’t think either represents peak BMW, if such a thing even exists. The question is entirely subjective, so every answer is the right one, depending on who is asking the question. Ferry Porsche used to say that the best Porsche ever made was the newest one. Ferry’s automotive tastes were eclectic, and his autobiography notes some of the cars from other manufacturers that he loved to drive. They were not always upmarket models, as he had a passion for good engineering, as demonstrated by the thousands of tractors Porsche built. In theory I agree that the best of a thing should be the latest example, but this is not always the case. There are many examples of how the latest models can be a poor relation to the earliest, as so many interesting small cars increase in size over time, lose that energetic lightweight dynamic and get overly complicated. Park an early Golf, E21 3 Series or an air-cooled Porsche 911 next to its modern equivalent and it is hard not to wonder how little of the fresh, original ethos might have survived the gradual ageing into an overblown form. Flipping the question around, how can a marque’s earliest cars be the peak? What would be the point of developing anything, if all that developed was mediocrity? So, later cars have to be a little bit better, even if they need to be bigger to achieve that. Peak anything ties back to economic theory: growth and decline. Perhaps the best-known example is M King Hubbert’s peak theory of oil production. Hubbert’s theory said that all oil production in a region 26 BMWcar
follows a bell-shaped curve. The theory was extrapolated to the entire planet and thus we got the idea of peak oil. Hubbert’s theory was first published in 1956 and, for many years, production followed the predicted curve. US peak oil was achieved in the early 1970s at around 10M barrels a day before output began to decline. However, the introduction of new technology eventually reversed the decline and brought new production increases, such that, in October 2017, America once again achieved daily production of 10M barrels of oil. The idea of peak anything experiences a radical shift when new technology is introduced. Driving back from a classic car valuation inspection this afternoon, I was following a Tesla Model 3 on an A-road at 60mph. I was happy with progress, but the Tesla clearly felt it could go a bit quicker. The speed at which it overtook the car in front and pulled back into safety (time exposed to danger) was just another eye-opening example of how much more responsive even a modest electric drivetrain can be compared to old-school internal combustion. Regardless of who is posing the question, the idea that peak BMW motoring was achieved in the mid 1980s by putting a supercar engine into a svelte but indulgent GT bodyshell feels misguided, particularly as so many smaller-engined BMWs have proved such wonderful cars to drive. If a great car is still about moving people from A to B in a comfortable, characterful way, and a great BMW is all about elegant, sophisticated and sustainable engineering, then, for me, peak BMW is currently realised by the modern i3. Although I have owned more than twenty BMWs over the years everything from a basic but brilliant E28 518 to my current duo of E36 M3 4-door and Z4 Coupé – and am a classic car enthusiast and used car man to the core, I am also a fan of science and progress. While the basic design is now many years old, the current i3 still encapsulates the clean design, innovative engineering and use of sustainable materials that I expect from the always progressive BMW brand. For you, peak BMW will be something different but, whatever you deem it to be, the peak must be an ever-moving target, depending on what the latest technology brings to the party and what the prevailing motoring landscape requires of a car. Every new goalpost brings a new peak. Much as I love my old cars and despite driving hundreds of different cars in the last thirty years, the idea that motoring – particularly BMW motoring – peaked in the 1980s is a rose-tinted notion that soon starts to fracture when put to the test O
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New Products Roof Tent
How Much? From £995.00 Where: tentbox.com The UK’s leading roof tent company – TentBox – is making waves by offering perhaps the most innovative way to spice up your "staycation" this summer. The roof-mounted tent systems from TentBox offer hasslefree, cost-effective, camping – enabling you to turn your car into a camper van in under half an hour. This fast growing trend offers comfort, flexibility and freedom. With travel restrictions still affecting many of us, a homegrown holiday is likely the only available option, hotels, B&Bs and campsites have reported surges in bookings. A TentBox roof tent provides you with the
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E30 Suspension How Much? £1277.11 Where: gazshocks.com GAZ has just re-released its popular GAZ Gold suspension kit for the BMW E30, but now the dampers and struts are coated in the company's latest tough Black Zinc finish. The new protective finish will ensure that the dampers remain in good order for years to come despite whatever the track and road can throw at them. As usual, ride height is altered by means of adjustable spring seats and, in keeping with the theme of durability, the height adjusters have a coarse thread for ease of adjustment even when caked in dry mud. Damper bounce and rebound rates are adjusted by means of easily accessible adjuster knobs on the damper body. The GAZ coilovers come with integral gas cells filled with a high viscosity index multi grade oil to prevent cavitation and reduce fade under racing or trackday conditions and, for extra peace of mind, all the units are individually tested and certified before leaving the factory. The GAZ GOLD kit for E30 1982-91 (including the M3 model) can be ordered as part number GGA300 priced at £1,064.26 + VAT. Solid race top mounts are also available priced at £127.34 per pair + VAT. 28 BMWcar
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How Much? £20.00 Where: shop.bmw.co.uk This stylish BMW Unisex 5-panel Baseball Cap is a one-size fits all affair, BMW calls it 'Flex Fit'. Available only in Black it is made from 96% Polyester, 4% Elasthan. The BMW logo is laser engraved on its metal clip, and the logo is also woven into the design, a Giugiaro-stripe also features. Order using BMW Article number 80162466301.
LED Rear Bulbs How Much? £47.99 (pair) Where: www.bettercarlighting.co.uk Following two-years of development Better Car Lighting has a solution for those wishing to upgrading to brighter LED stop and tail lights that won't trigger bulb check systems. Typically car systems don’t recognise LED bulbs which results in warning lights and fault codes. The most commonly used bulb is the 380 (1157 / BAY15D). These new LED versions are extremely bright and will work happily with bulb check systems. Available in red only, they come with a two-year guarantee and if they do trip your warning systems, Better Car Lighting will refund you in full, including return postage. 380 Super CanBus bulbs are pictured with a standard bulb for a size comparison.
E30 Book How Much? £25.00 Where: crowood.com BMW E30 – The Complete Story is a new book covering the E30 3 Series. The 176- page hardback book tells the story of the cars from when work first began on the successor to the original E21 in 1976, to the E30's transition to modern classic status in more recent times. Containing 200 colour photographs, the new book drills down into the nitty gritty of why and how the compact saloon was created – from its styling and engineering aspects to detailing specification changes introduced over the model's lifetime. With full technical specifications, including paint and interior trim choices, there's even a whole chapter on the special US variants. It's safe to say that this is a comprehensive publication. Naturally every model is covered off, including the E30 M3, together with details of the cars produced by the leading German tuners of the time, and there's also a chapter on buying and owning the E30. ISBN: 9781785008726.
Upholstery Material How Much? £140.37 Where: designengineering.com Finding headlining material that not only looked good but also insulated your vehicle's from exterior heat and noise hasn't been easy in the past. Now DEI has released its new Universal Upholstery Material, it combines a leather-look perforated vinyl with a sound-insulating foam backing and DEI's decades of heat insulation know-how. An ideal solution for any custom interior project, it is also suitable for door panels and package trays and is simple to install using DEI Hi-Temp Spray Adhesive which, unlike general carpet spray adhesive, won't let go in extreme heat. Available in 54" x 79" sheets enabling most project to be completed without joins or seams, it can be ordered as part number 50028 at £140.37 – considerably cheaper than having to buy heat shielding foil, sound proofing felt and a quality headlining material. DEI Hi-Temp Spray Adhesive is available as part number 010490 at £13.37. SEPTEMBER 2021 29
NEW PRODUCTS F22/F23 M2 Competition-Look Kit How Much? £994.99 Where: mstyle.co.uk M-Style has launched a complete M2 Competition-Look Kit for all F22/F23 BMW 2 Series models. The kit includes an M2-style front bumper, rear bumper, side skirts and all grilles and trim as pictured here. The kit is suitable for both the LCI and Pre-LCI models, and Parking Distance Control (PDC) is also available, but it must be specified at the time of ordering. The complete kit is priced £994.99, a painting and fitting service is available at M-Style's BMW specialist workshop in Essex. For painting and fitting add £650.00, for just painting, £450.00. For further details e-mail info@mstyle.co.uk or call 020 8598 9115 and tell them you saw it first in BMW Car!
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Men's V Neck T-Shirt
Webcon Fuel Regulator How Much? From £100.21 Where: webcon.co.uk Webcon has announced the introduction of a range of anodised aluminium finish EFi regulators to complement its blue and red versions already available. The regulators are technically the same as the existing versions but are visually more appropriate for a 'business like' natural-metal engine-bay theme. They are supplied complete with a mounting bracket and 8mm push-on unions. The 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 bar versions are priced at £100.21, the 4.0 bar variant at £139.14, the 4.3 bar at £106.21, 4.5 and bar 0-5 bar adjustable items at £103.25. They are available directly from Webcon and appointed Webcon dealers around the world.
30 BMWcar
How Much? £30.00 Where: shop.bmw.co.uk This V-neck T-shirt from BMW is made of high-quality Pima cotton and features an embossed BMW logo and a decorative copper-look logo stud at the back. The stylish number is ideal for the summer and comes in a range of sizes but only one colour – grey as pictured. It is priced at £30.00 and can be ordered through your nearest BMW dealer using BMW Article number 80142454579.
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MOTORSPORT MONTH
Motorsport Month Formula E
Points for BMW in Mexico The second half of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship season got underway in Mexico with the eighth and ninth races of 2021. Saturday's race – the first of the weekend – looked promising for drivers Maximilian Günther and Jake Dennis, both made it into Super Pole for the first time this season. Dennis secured third, Günther fifth place on the grid. At the start of the race Günther moved into second position right ahead of Dennis and when leader Wehrlein pulled his Porsche into the Attack Zone the two BMW iFE.21s moved to first and second for a time. Both drivers remained in contention for a podium until just a few laps before the end of the race when they lost ground. Following a safety car period the field was bunched together, Dennis struggled for pace and was forced to activate Attack Mode which cost him a few places. Günther struggled with energy problems and his misery was compounded by outbraking himself on the final lap. Dennis came home in fifth position with Günther
32 BMWcar
The second half of the 2021 Formula E season got underway in Mexico where the BMW i Andretti Motorsport cars finished in the points for the first time this season...
down in twelfth place. Race nine of the season took place the very next day in Puebla. Dennis dominated qualifying, recording the fastest time by some margin, but then had problems with grip in Super Pole and would ultimately start the race from fifth on the grid. Günther continued his difficult weekend finishing qualifying in eleventh – missing out on Super Pole. Both drivers improved during the race but chose to consolidate their positions in the top ten with some consistent lap times. In the end, Dennis received 11 points for finishing fifth and recording the best time in qualifying, while Günther scored six points in seventh place. It's the first time this season that both BMWs have finished in the points. Dennis said: “Mexico race two done – I should be pretty happy. It was quite a technical race with the energy but I think we did the best job possible. We got a bit unlucky when Edoardo Mortara got to attack mode and then he ended up catching me at the wrong point
so we dropped back down to fifth. But overall had a quite a clean race and I think we did the optimum. So I am happy. The team has done a great job all weekend and we had two guys scoring points today which is super important for the championship.” Günther commented: “A great result for the team. We can be really pleased with fifth and seventh positions. Starting from eleventh on the grid made my race anything but easy with all the hustle and bustle. I moved up a few places at the start. We then managed the race intelligently and did not lose our cool when we dropped back a place or two. We were then able to make good use of Attack Mode and had the pace required. Compared to yesterday, we made really good progress today.” The two BMW drivers now sit in eighth (Dennis) and 18th (Günther) positions in the drivers’ standings. In the team championship, BMW i Andretti Motorsport is now in sixth place with 82 points. The next stop on the calendar is the New York City E-Prix.
MOTORSPORT MONTH
BTCC
BMW Wins! Team BMW's British Touring Car Championship campaign continued at Snetterton and Brands Hatch where glory awaited...
Colin Turkington would start from pole position in his BMW 330i M Sport for the first of the Snetterton weekend's races following the disqualification of rival Gordon Sheddon in the Honda Civic. Tom Oliphant lined-up on the row behind in third while team-mate Stephen Jelley recorded his best ever Snetterton qualifying performance to start sixth. Come the race track temperatures were soaring in Norfolk, reaching 43 degrees, but nonetheless Turkington put on a display of force to take his 57th BTCC win, Jelley came home in fourth with Oliphant crossing the line in eighth. Turkington entered the weekend's second race with the maximum 75kg of success ballast aboard, that made his second-place result all the more impressive – he crossed the line just 0.451 behind winner Ash Sutton in the Infiniti Q50. Oliphant took the checkered flag in sixth with Jelley just behind in seventh. In the reversed-grid finalé Jelley was the driver on pole position, the Leicester racer would finish the race as the highest placed BMW in fifth. Having started second, Oliphant was on course for a podium finish in Race Three until he was spun by another car at a quarter race distance. Tom dropped to 22nd but battled back
to 16th, missing a third points finish by under a second. Turkington took seventh to round-off the weekend. At the 1.2-mile Brands Hatch Indy circuit Oliphant led the BMW charge qualifying fourth with Jelley in tenth and Turkington a lowly 14th. Oliphant took the lead into the first corner and stormed to his first victory of the 2021 season – the second of his BTCC career, holding off the advances of rival Shedden. It was also the second win of the season for the WSR-designed, built and run Team BMW 330i M Sport. Jelley was left disappointed after a start-line infringement resulted in a five-second penalty that dropped him from ninth on the road to 15th in the Race One results. Four-time BTCC Champion Turkington made progress in Race One before being spun off by a rival and finishing down in 20th spot. The weekend's second race almost saw a repeat of the first for Oliphant, he led from pole position – despite carrying the full 75kgs of success ballast – until the very last lap, when a tap to the rear of his 3 Series led to him dropping him to third at the line. Turkington climbed to 17th in Race Two with Jelley eliminated through contact.
In the final, partially-reversed grid race, Turkington improved again to finish 14th, Oliphant starting the race from 10th with 57kgs of ballast, he finished 15th. Jelley overtook seven cars in Race Three, climbing from 29th on the grid to 22nd by the chequered flag. Following the weekend in Kent Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “It was a very good day for Tom; a win and almost a double. That’s just what he needed. For Colin that’s probably the hardest two points he’s earned in a long time, but carrying weight in qualifying at Brands Indy makes it hard and set the tone for his day. Back in the pack with such a small gap in lap times, it’s always going to be hard to overtake, so we have to make sure we qualify higher up. Stephen had a rough time and suffered being in the pack just like Colin. We have a two-day test coming up at Oulton Park ahead of the races there, so we’ll aim to improve so that we can challenge to score our 100th BTCC win there.” Indeed, Team BMW now sits third in the Teams’ standings, it needs one more race win to reach a magic 100 BTCC victories. Turkington now sits fourth in the driver standings, Oliphant sixth and Jelley 15th but there is an awfully long way to go in the season yet...
SEPTEMBER 2021 33
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You Write... Modified BMWs
Though it’s not the sort of thing I would do to a BMW (it’s a bit extreme for my tastes), I quite enjoyed your feature on Beth Halsey’s F80 M3 in the August issue. I used to dabble with modified cars around a decade or so ago but I have since lost touch with the scene, things have certainly moved on. I’m glad to see that there’s a culture of high workmanship standards being employed too, I think a lot of people assume that these cars are lashed together on the cheap, as Beth’s car demonstrates that’s far from the case. I’m sure there will be readers who perhaps don’t understand the motivation of modifying a car like the M3 in the style Beth has, and perhaps don’t have an interest in reading about it, but I for one am interested in all aspects of the BMW enthusiast world so I welcome it – I would urge others to do the same. If we all liked the same things life would be a terribly boring. Gareth Day, via email While heavily modified BMWs are not our bread and butter – we leave that to sister title Performance BMW – we’re glad you enjoyed our feature on Beth’s car and we welcome feedback, both good and bad, on its inclusion in these pages. What do you think? Do get in touch with us via the usual channels!
YOU WRITE Motorsport Madness? This isn’t specifically BMW related, but bear with me as I need to vent! I’m a keen British Touring Car championship (BTCC) fan and BMW owner, so it might go without saying that I follow the Team BMW guys with a keen interest – I get to as many races as I can to cheer them on. However, the government’s rules on fans watching motorsport in 2021 have been nothing short of crazy. While fans have been permitted to enter football grounds and horse racing venues by the thousands as Covid rules are relaxed, crammed shoulder to shoulder in grandstands, motor racing venues such as my local circuit, Brands Hatch, have only been permitted to allow 4000 spectators – at a vast open air venue! It’s difficult to see the rules as nothing short of favouritism and populist politics, we know how involved those in high society tend to be with horse racing, while the football crowds would likely turn the country upside down if they were denied the chance of watching their match in person in great numbers. The motorsport community is far more reserved and, sadly, less influential I fear... I’m sure it will be old news by the time this is printed but it’s just madness. David Short, via email
E36 Problem My E36 323i Saloon has developed a misfire while idling and I’m a bit stuck with how to fix it. I changed the spark plugs as my first port of call but that didn’t help, I read online that unplugging the MAF sensor for a few seconds might help so I tried that and the next day the problem was gone. However, the misfire returned, I repeated the process of unplugging the MAF and the same thing happened, I’ve tried cleaning the sensor but that hasn’t worked either. Any ideas? Shaun Stanton, via email We’ve heard of this issue before and while
it might not be the same problem here we’d recommend the same course of action. The MAF would be our first port of call, but the crankshaft position sensor might also be the cause of your misfire. An independent BMW specialist will be able to connect the car up to diagnostic equipment to help you find what is causing the problem – it’s far easier than chasing your tail around the car in our opinion. You don’t say where you are based in the country but you’ll find plenty of regional specialists advertising in this issue of the magazine so check them out.
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
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.
SEPTEMBER 2021 35
FIRST DRIVES
F90 M5 CS
Like the F90 M5 Competition? You’re going to love the new CS – BMW’s complete supersaloon... Words: Shane O’ Donoghue Photographs: BMW
T
he planning meeting must have been a riot. I picture the project leader at the top of the room with a whiteboard and markers asking his team to throw ideas at him. “Nürburgring stitching on the seats,” shouted one of the younger lads from the back. “Ve must ‘ave more power,” said the serious looking engineer sitting up front, “and tyres that can cope with our suspension changes,” he added after the initial embarrassment of speaking up in public. All this is being furiously conveyed to the whiteboard in multi-coloured markers. “Aero” is underlined, “weight reduction” is written in caps and then a quiet voice from the corner pipes up: “yellow lights.” The room goes quiet. Then erupts in thunderous applause. The concept for the ultimate incarnation of the F90, the M5 CS, is born. Fast forward to our chance to drive the car for the first time. And it’s difficult not to be seduced by the combination of the ‘Frozen Deep Green 36 BMWcar
metallic’ paintwork, ‘Goldbronze’ accents and yes, those sublime yellow lights. BMW’s Laserlight technology is standard on the M5 CS, with darkened surrounds, while the regular daytime running lights are white. However, if you switch on dipped or main beams, the L-shaped LED tubes turn yellow, giving this 5 Series an incredibly distinctive light signature. It’s a nod to BMW’s GT racers, which feature yellow lights so that drivers can tell which class the car behind is in – as introduced for Le Mans. The racer-for-the-road theme goes further than that for the M5 CS, though it’s not an overtly obvious exterior makeover. Saying that, there is a new bonnet with extra vents made from Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP), while carbon fibre is also used for the more jutting splitter up front, the aerodynamic diffuser at the back, a new boot spoiler and the same door mirror caps as fitted to the BMW M8 Competition. Pop open the bonnet and you’ll
discover a large ‘M5 CS’ logo within the weave on the underside, while the engine is covered with a stylised carbon fibre panel and the intake silencer is exposed carbon fibre, too. Meanwhile, it’s impossible to miss the Goldbronze 20-inch wheels, and the same colour is applied to the kidney grille surround, the M gills on the front wings and the model badging. As standard, those rims wear Pirelli P Zero Corsa track tyres, measuring 275/35 R20 at the front and 285/35 R20 at the rear. A glance within those wheels in our test car revealed red brake callipers, which might lead some to suspect that M Carbon ceramic brakes are not fitted, but actually, they’re standard, and the buyer can choose red or gold paint for the callipers. Red is the right choice. Incidentally, the brakes, bonnet, carbon fibre parts and other measures result in a useful 70kg weight reduction in comparison to the M5 Competition. It sounds like a small number
FIRST DRIVES
The M5 CS gets a tactile M Alcantara steering wheel with a red-stitched 12 o’clock marker and gorgeous carbon fibre gearchange paddles behind, along with the two red M mode buttons to quickly activate your favourite group of driving settings that are found on all current BMW M cars. In the centre console, the M Steptronic transmission shifter is chunky, with its Drivelogic switch on top, the rotary iDrive controller is to
one side, while an M-specific set of buttons allow access to the various driving sub-systems, key to customising the M5 to your liking. Press the button marked ‘SETUP’ and a clear menu pops up on the centrally-mounted touchscreen to choose your preferences for the damping, power steering, all-wheel-drive system and engine map. This is where you set up the M1 and M2 buttons, as well.
against the 1900kg kerb weight, but it’s still a significant amount of mass for the engine and chassis to not have to deal with. Especially as some 23kg of that comes from the brakes, counted as ‘upsprung’ mass. More weight reduction is found inside the M5 CS, where it follows the lead of other CS models with the removal of the regular underarm cubby. A bespoke dashboard finish features the CS logo, which is repeated in the space between the rear seats. This model is a strict four-seater, and even the rear seats look and feel seriously supportive. The front two chairs are M Carbon seats, with big holes where padding isn’t needed, presumably to allow the fitment of racing harnesses. Even so, full electric adjustment and heating is included. Thanks to electric adjustment of their width, they’re exceedingly comfortable over a long duration at the wheel, though we never did get used to the odd carbon fibre lump in the seat between your legs. SEPTEMBER 2021 37
FIRST DRIVES
The chassis of the M5 CS is based on that of the Competition model, but with tweaks to the spring and damper settings to allow for the lower weight and stickier tyres. There’s a seven-millimetre drop in ride height to lower the centre of gravity and the adaptive dampers from the M8 Gran Coupé have been fitted. BMW claims that these allow a wider range of abilities, including greater comfort at one end of the
spectrum and better body control at the other. As our time at the wheel of the M5 CS was restricted to the track, we can only confirm that the big saloon feels better tied down than ever, even in the Comfort or Sport damper settings. The Sport+ mode is so firm that you’ll need a particularly smooth circuit to make the most of it. A special mention should be given to the steering of the CS. We prefer it left in the
F90 M5 CS ENGINE: twin-turbocharged V8 petrol, longitudinally mounted CAPACITY: 4395cc MAX POWER: 635hp at 6000rpm MAX TORQUE: 553lb ft at 1800-5950rpm 0-62MPH: 3.0-seconds TOP SPEED: 189mph ECONOMY: 5.0mpg EMISSIONS (CO²): 57g/km WEIGHT (EU): 1900kg PRICE (OTR): £140,780
38 BMWcar
FIRST DRIVES Comfort mode for assistance, as the Sport modes offer too much resistance and actually disguises the otherwise clear stream of communication between your hands and the front tyres. It’s quite ludicrous how much frontend grip this car generates, and how detailed the feedback is. Turn-in is lightning-quick, yet somehow without any nervousness, and there’s no waiting a split second for the car’s weight to settle on the outside springs, either; it’s sublime. This composure and responsiveness give you the confidence to lean on the chassis and that’s when you’ll discover how balanced the whole car is. Hard braking into a slow corner with a little steering lock on? No problem. Need to trim your line on a long sweeping bend that tightens at the exit? A minute flex of your right ankle does the trick. And, while the M5 CS is supremely capable, it also manages to engage the driver fully in the experience rather than make it feel like the car is doing all the graft. Of course, like all versions of the current M5, the way the CS goes through a bend depends on which of the M xDrive settings you’ve chosen. By default, the car is in 4WD mode. This has been designed to make it feel like a rear-drive car to a certain extent, but it’s a very safe setup. If
you push on, the chassis feels more neutral than rear-drive. It’s a good default setting and ideal for wet or icy road use. To access the other options, you must first disable the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). Then you can choose our favourite mode, 4WD Sport. This sends much more of the engine’s power to the rear wheels more of the time and it feels like a rear-drive car with an incredible amount of traction. It will make most drivers feel like a hero on track, as it offers huge adjustability at the limit, plus a little helping hand to pull the car out of corners from the front when needs be. It’s possible to drift the car in this setting if you have the skill, space and tyre budget. But if that’s your cup of tea, there’s always the 2WD setting to play with, sending all power to the rear wheels without any electronic driver assistance to help you out. The car isn’t as unstable in this mode as you might expect, but in truth, it doesn’t make it any more involving than the 4WD Sport setting, unless you want to smoke the tyres at every corner of course. As ever, the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 is a willing and able accomplice to such hooliganism. BMW M has upped peak power by 10hp to 635hp, while maximum torque of
553lb ft is produced all the way from 1800rpm to 5950rpm. That tiny increase in power works with the weight reduction to drop the 0-62mph time to three seconds dead, which is quite something in a vehicle that is, in effect, a large luxury saloon. It’s a monster of an engine, roaring through the restyled stainless steel quad exhaust system from idle to redline with significant acceleration on tap seemingly at any speed. The eight-speed automatic gearbox is well up to the job of dealing with its output, too, though some people might hanker after a more engaging transmission. There you have it. The M5 Competition was already a brilliant, exciting sports saloon. Now, is the CS worth the near-£40,000 premium? Perhaps not by any logical measure, but buyers in this stratosphere are unlikely to have value at the top of their list of priorities. If you’re in the market for a new M5 now, then surely the CS is the only option to consider? And those in such an enviable position will be mighty glad that every idea raised in that initial planning meeting made it through to production. This will go down in history as one of the great M5s. Let’s hope its owners get as excited about it as we assume the people that created it did O
This will go down in history as one of the great M5s...
SEPTEMBER 2021 39
F25 X3 30d
r e t p o d Late A
needs changed the s hi n he w t bu r, ne ow V mself as an SU dd n Photography: Jason Do Alex Sullivan never saw hi so ck Ja on m Si s: rd Wo right boxes. F25 X3 30d ticked all the ually impressive
B
X3 has elieve it or not the BMW two been around for almost cond se its decades now. Even t over 10jus iteration – the F25 – is t still tha V years old and for an SU t might surprise a looks pretty darn fresh tha inly not a flop – selling few. Though it was certa UK alone, automotive 32,000 examples in the F25’s forebear as a history might record the g was not to all tastes. little divisive for its stylin was immeasurably The recipe for the F25 X5-esque looks, better with stylish, F15 s – borrowed in part improved underpinning increased space and from the F30 3 Series, inside. In much the greater levels of luxury
40 BMWcar
every new car must same way that practically electrified today, diesel be either partly or fully the moment at the power was very much of s that BMW offered F25’s birth, and so it wa of four-cylinder diesel the model with a range xDrive 20d. In 2011 engines, starting with the citing six-cylinder along came the more ex came only with an engine, the N57 3.0-litre d the first time we eight-speed automatic an th 258hp and 413lb saw it was in the 30d. Wi to reach 62mph in just ft of torque it was able achieve a top speed 6.2-seconds going onto ording 47.1mpg. of 130mph while also rec figures even to this Those remain impressive pping model, the day. There was a range-to
xDrive 35d which was eq s the sweet spot but for many the 30d wa with the right levels of – blending affordability y. performance and econom date offering up I LC an In 2014 came proved levels of refreshed styling and im features – chief comfort and convenience ated seats, an electric amongst those were he vigation. While the tailgate and Business na e was replaced with four-cylinder N47 engin 7 six pot remained, the improved B47, the N5 rmance allowing it to albeit with uprated perfo hmark in 5.9-seconds. now hit the 62mph benc el – xLine which sat Enter too a new trim lev specifications – and between SE and M sport
F25 X3 30d
SEPTEMBER 2021 41
F25 X3 30d nt is cheaper than the curre X3 e “Th by d ere t as ine off lvo XC60, it’s probably no Vo en the 2017 X3 30d xL wh ion rat t’s ne tha ge d ce ed pri d 30d models as an approved us but it has much more was available on 20d an Stratstone Derby BMW refined or comfortable ne xLi nt, ch Ke Su l. in d de se mo ba ers four-cylinder SE ing rmance as Volvo only off at £1500 more than an rfo BMW caught his eye. Be pe o a m ls, -de ee ex wh the ch performance but 18-in now. If you seek similar bought the car unseen ls x vehicles afforded buyers se Ale die ide lly ins tua ac trim s or copper example wa got to look into leather interior, and alloy plus one private owner elsewhere then you’ve e Th . ng ch cti su e pe on ex s is wa re he he e and out. What you se in better condition than Porsche territory.” e to care 5 X3 30d xLine ton F2 ats e Str lin purchased the X3, ed the us of d t ha las r a ne – example It’s early days since Alex previous ow a s X3 ha x er Ale oth . an an ed lliv rney from x Su rchas we photographed his jou t the car and recently pu owned by 39-year old Ale fac for in th bo x’s W Ale BM s th ile in Kent trade wi dealership. At 38,000-m it in Derby to his home the ng cti m background in the motor lle fro co e id tiv sa t rac tha att that ting side, but d all the right boxes, its but in the weeks since ke e, tic tur e fea as s rch on the sales and marke thi pu for he e conclusion that w he’s finding the part too; Space Grey it was far from a foregon otoshoot we wonder ho specification played its ph 8his 60 en ch wh -in W 19 r, BM in a leathe would invest his money Metallic paint with black ownership experience? bits to buy e le ab tim s sir warnings de wa it er t oth tha of ed st tat ho have been a few random ere circumstances dic “Th style alloys and a Pro , t they’ve era ard in the early days bu such as a reversing cam bo s sh ce da pie d an SUV. the an on in fact I never we’re told. “I assume tection glass. “I never wanted an SUV, nav media and sun pro all resolved themselves,” I ut , “B nt. d. lle tte ce mi ex ad x ile or perhaps Ale e engine and gearbox are d been sat for a little wh “Th saw myself buying one,” ha r ca d an red in ide t ns ge co to under the have was easy a little too enthusiastically reported, “I just wouldn’t ed x needed something that an Ale cle ch ma of sto ce ors off!” n’t an her, I could had set some of the sens refinement and perform ich the wh d, et out of for my disabled fat 20 nn a bo e new leagu thing similar! obviously happy with his engine are in a different is x re -lit Ale ile 3.0 a Nissan Qashqai or some Wh the – sub £25k for to keep it and what s of economy. The “With the budget I had r, we wonder if he plans with little penalty in term ca et ark m es do the it t – V bug bitten? old lace it – has the BMW SU g is decent for an SUV bu lin rep t nd something under 4-years gh ha mi nt ce de an a tate ing ing car with expense of the ride. Be fer a regular saloon or es pre the ll at sti e for a spacious, high-rid m “I’d co ere it’s t Th pretty small. suspension, bu of view, but that turn of speed is actually xLine it’s on the softer SE from a dynamics point th er wi off e t on tha ve rs ha tito moment,” Alex I’d pe y are no immediate com ll a touch choppy. Ideall esn’t suit my needs at the sti do to d. le un ab aro ing be few t ry higher-riding whils there ve “If I can get away with a the pace of the X3 30d id. adaptive dampers, but sa en wh es t tyr d or Volvo y.” r, such as an Audi Allroa probably junk the run-fla ca I’ll e d return decent econom tat An es a the th e wi tak t I have eo Stelvio , then I’d be tempted bu for change which should try e un du e Alex drove an Alfa Rom Co y’r s os the Cr s ich he reports wa ge. Although used 280hp petrol engine wh immediate plans to chan edge off.” no t tha ed to inc d nv ad co ”, is pg x m Ale ent which does 30 s are strong at the mom In the battle with its rivals “fun, but struggled to do lue va n W: lia Ita BM the the d for an d space e opting a lack of rear access an he’s made the right choic d An s. itie bil ssi po of was struck off the list
“I never wanted an SUV, in fact I never saw myself buying one”
42 BMWcar
F25 X3 30d
F25 xDrive 30d xLine ENGINE: Straight-six, turbocharged CAPACITY: 2993cc MAX POWER: 258hp MAX TORQUE: 413lb ft 0-62MPH: 5.9-seconds TOP SPEED: 144mph ECONOMY: 47.9mpg EMISSIONS (CO²): 156g/km PRICE NEW: £37,600
Available 24/7
TABLET • MOBILE
From £2.31 pocketmags.com shop.kelsey.co.uk/bmc
Practicality is a major benefit of X3 ownership for many...
SEPTEMBER 2021 43
F25 X3 30d
Left: 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine offers a great mix of power and economy
out what I paid mean the X3 is worth ab for it – that’s a bonus!” an for quite a As a BMW company m amusing that the time, some might find it Munich, but that X3 is Alex’s first car from not immune to the doesn’t mean that he’s nd. charms of the BMW bra my all-time of e on “The E39 M5 is the older cars were favourite BMWs, I think with no electronic purer driving machines , but times have steering or run-flat tyres level that criticism changed and you could x said. “I don’t at any manufacturer.” Ale t I find the tha g think I’m alone in sayin Ws challenging current generation of BM is no oil painting, stylistically, the F25 X3
44 BMWcar
either. Still, beauty but it’s not wilfully ugly lder!” is in the eye of the beho seems to be ip rsh BMW SUV owne and while the treating Alex pretty well, performance F25 is no E39 M5 in the its package – for stakes, he’s happy with ation is proving now, though one modific of it: tempting by the sounds ons yet, but “I’ve made no modificati appealing!” Alex a cheeky remap is very gine is famously laughed. “The 3.0-litre en ped potential...” strong with a lot of untap V in the UK The dominance of the SU y made these the marketplace has certainl ny, even those vehicles of choice for ma e themselves who could never quite se
th its unique driving one – like Alex. Wi lity, equipment, blend of space, practica ce, the 30d economy and performan in the F25 X3 ot was indeed a sweet sp ay as a second range at launch, and tod ll much to like. hand prospect there’s sti x and the F25’s Add reliability into that mi ll. Good, average case is made stronger sti the 30d model mileage, LCI examples of d £20,000 today, can be bought for aroun versions like the car with low mileage xLine BMW’s approved you see here offered via in at closer to used programme coming y new, capable £30,000. That’s a relativit re to please – ‘do it all’ vehicle, that’s su t SUV adopter O even if you’re a reluctan
£15K BUYS
£15K BUYS
With the used car market going crazy, our expert recommends five of the best BMWs you can buy right now for £15,000... Words: Guy Baker Photography: Various
F
ifteen grand may not seem like a big budget, but it does give you access to a whole range of appealing BMW models – including M cars, modern classic BMWs and contemporary diesels. And all, of course, will offer far better value than a new BMW. However, it’s important that you buy a well-cared for example, so make sure you do your research thoroughly before splashing your cash.
We’ve scoured the classifieds to unearth five of the finest contemporary BMW models available for £15,000. Each offers something different so there should be at least one that takes your fancy. And with a sizeable chunk of depreciation already under their belts, you can enjoy years of happy motoring without worrying about residual values. Just make sure you follow our top tips to buy the best possible example...
OUR PICKS E46 Alpina B3 3.4 Coupé
F10 535i M Sport Saloon
E46 M3 Coupé
E64 650i Sport Cabriolet
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E70 X5 xDrive 40d M Sport
£15K BUYS
Modern Classic: E46 Alpina B3 S 3.4 Coupé A desirable modern classic that’s great to drive and set to appreciate in value. Make sure yours has a pristine history...
Buying: You should be looking for a cherished Alpina with a low number of previous owners. Oil consumption from the engine can be a little variable and watch out for blown head gaskets – these should really be replaced every 100,000 miles or so. Put the transmission through its paces – an autobox rebuild will be very expensive, manuals will require a flywheel/ clutch replacement eventually. Suspension components and bushes inevitably fail in time, and the bespoke Alpina set-up is costly to replace so some owners have fitted aftermarket replacement dampers and springs instead.
The Facts: E46 Alpina B3 S 3.4 Coupé ENGINE: 3346cc six-cylinder POWER: 305hp at 6300rpm TORQUE: 267lb ft at 4800rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual / 5-speed auto 0-62MPH: 5.4-seconds TOP SPEED: 168mph Fuel consumption (combined): 25.9mpg £15k buys: 100,000-mile 2002 Alpina B3 S 3.4 Coupé
Alpina’s range-topping E46 Coupé is not only more exclusive than an M3, but it’s also more comfortable and lower profile. Fast, fun, and yet relaxed at the same time, with just 224 examples ever built it’s a rare sight on UK roads. Manufactured from 2002 to 2006, Alpina’s B3 S was first revealed at the 2002 Paris Motor Show and packs an enlarged 3346cc six-cylinder engine under the rear-wheel drive E46 bonnet. Output is 305hp at 6300rpm, with 267lb ft of torque available at 4800rpm. Originally buyers could choose between a Getrag 226 six-speed manual transmission and a five-speed Switchtronic auto, with both offering a derestricted 168mph top speed and a 5.4-second 0-62mph time. Engine goodies include a 7000rpm red-line, a bespoke Alpina cylinder head, crankshaft and high-strength Mahle pistons.
Alpina logos and badges, Alpina door sills, and heated Alpina sports seats were also part of the package, as well as some tasty 18inch Alpina alloys, a front chin spoiler, Alpina dampers with Eibach springs, a small rear spoiler, Xenon headlights, heated door mirrors, a third high level brake light, climate control, cruise control, parking sensors, a Harman Kardon sound system and Bluetooth phone preparation too. Cars don’t come up for sale that often, so be prepared to move quickly when one does. This Sapphire Black Metallic car is a typical example, advertised for £13,995 at Fairmont Sports and Classics in Essex (fairmontsportsandclassics.com). A 2002 B3 S Coupé with 113,000-miles and three owners, it looks to be in good condition and has seen its front panels
repainted recently to rectify stone-chip damage. Build plaque number 007, it has an interior is finished in Grey leather with walnut trim, and boasts widescreen navigation. A complete service history is accompanied by its original owner manuals in an Alpina wallet, three keys and a folder detailing all the maintenance history.
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£15K BUYS
Sports Saloon: F10 535i M Sport Saloon Often overlooked, the F10 535i makes a great used BMW buy. It is ripe for tuning too.
Buying: You must make sure your 535i has a complete service history – with no gaps at all – and ask whether it has been tuned, some have. We recommend you buy a car in standard factory tune and then arrange any modifications yourself. There were some recalls on the F10, so check the car you’re looking at has had the relevant remedial work carried out and watch for any oil leaks from the valve cover and gasket, oil on the spark plugs or a low oil level. Water pumps and fuel pumps can fail, as can VANOS solenoids and cooling fans.
The Facts: F10 535i M Sport Saloon ENGINE: 2979cc 6-cylinder turbo POWER: 302hp at 5800-6000rpm TORQUE: 295lb ft at 1200-5000rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual 0-62MPH: 5.8-seconds TOP SPEED: 155 mph Fuel consumption (combined): 35.3mpg £15k buys: 75,000-mile 2013 535i M Sport Saloon
Spacious, quick, tunable, great value and well equipped, the rare F10 BMW 535i M Sport Saloon is a great all-rounder. Comfortable and well-equipped, with plenty of power when needed, it’s also a lot cheaper to buy and run than an equivalent M5. Despite being a relatively rare choice with first buyers, there are quite a few 2009-2017 examples advertised for sale at the moment. But when they’ve gone, they’ve gone – so if you are tempted, we’d recommend you don’t hang around. The 535i’s powerplant uses a single twin-scroll turbocharger to improve throttle response, low-rev torque, exhaust emissions
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and to reduce fuel consumption whilst pumping out a weighty 302hp at 58006000rpm and 295lb ft of torque at 12005000rpm. The six-cylinder 2979cc six-cylinder motor is mated to a 6-speed manual (or an 8-speed auto) transmission and propels the 535i Saloon from standstill to 62mph in just 5.8-seconds – and on to a limited 155mph top speed. Bought mostly by private enthusiasts rather than company car drivers (who preferred the 530d/535d), most examples have been well looked-after and have had been through a low number of owners. That’s true of this Carbon Black three-owner
2012 535i M Sport Saloon we spotted at Euro Brand (eurobrandrushgreen.co.uk) in Hertford. Advertised for £12,495, it’s a 2012 model with 78,600-miles and the optional 8-speed automatic transmission. A plush specification includes Individual Merino Oyster leather upholstery with Ash wood trim, satellite navigation, climate control, cruise control, electric heated sport seats, 19-inch M Sport 351M alloys, heated folding mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, Xenon lights, telephone USB audio interface, a sixmonth warranty and it comes with a full service history. As one of the lowest mileage examples of this age it looks like a great buy.
£15K BUYS
M Car: E46 M3 Coupé Arguably the ultimate M3, the E46 Coupé is still affordable – but it won’t be for much longer.
Buying: Prices of used E46 M3s actually vary quite widely and are mostly influenced by mileage, condition, and specification. But don’t be tempted to pay too much for a low-mileage car, high-milers are fine as long as they boast a full service-history and are in excellent condition. All electrics must work properly, suspension components inevitably wear with time. Make sure your M3 is free from rust, the floor and rear subframe are the most likely areas. Check there are no problems with the SMG transmission, if fitted. The rear axle carrier panel can suffer stress cracks, whilst the engine should be free of rattling from the VANOS system, have no misfires or knocking noises and no leaks from the head gasket.
The Facts:
Cool, fast, and appreciating in value, the E46 M3 Coupé is a long-term collectable classic. More polished and comfortable than its E36 predecessor, the E46 is also more driver focused – despite the premium feel to the cabin. And it looks the business too, with wide flared arches, a bonnet bulge, front wing air intakes and a quad-pipe sports exhaust. Produced as a coupé and a convertible, rather than a saloon, the E46 claims a stiffer chassis than the previous E36 M3 and improved performance – with its 3246cc sixcylinder motor pumping out an impressive 338hp at 7900rpm. Double VANOS valve-timing enables the E46 to hit 62mph in just 5.2-seconds, yet still
offer strong acceleration at lower revs in higher gears. With a maximum of 269lb ft of torque available at 5000rpm, the engine likes to be revved (and produces an intoxicating metallic howl all full throttle) whilst the car’s flexible suspension and responsive controls mean you can get the most from the E46 chassis. BMW sold both a six-speed manual version and a more controversial clutch-less SMG transmission with steering-wheel paddles. All cars are very well equipped as standard while the premium cabin and sensible ride quality mean you always feel comfortable. Manuals are more popular, with fifteen grand bagging a 2003 90k-miler like this Phoenix Yellow Coupé we spotted at Car
E46 M3 Coupé ENGINE: 3246cc 6-cylinder POWER: 338hp at 7900rpm TORQUE: 269lb ft at 4900rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual 0-62MPH: 5.2-seconds TOP SPEED: 160mph Fuel consumption (combined): 23.7mpg £15k buys: 92,000-mile 2003 M3 Coupé
Connect Ltd in Walsall (carconnetuk-ltd.co.uk). Advertised for £14,495 this 03-plater has covered 92,110-miles and has never been modified which is a real bonus. It comes with a full service history (including a recent service), a full BMW book pack with all manuals, automatic air conditioning, 19inch M Sport alloys, cruise control, electric front windows and a limited warranty. Note that manual M3s like this usually attract a premium of between £500 and £1500 depending on their age and condition.
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£15K BUYS
Convertible: E64 650i Sport Cabriolet Plush, potent and exclusive, the flashy V8-powered E64 650i drop-top is fun to drive and great value.
Buying: Good examples will have had only a few owners and been well cared-for – with no expense sparred. They will also have a low annual mileage and come with a file full of old receipts and MoTs. Potential problems include faulty coils, oil leaks (check the valve cover gaskets) and coolant leaks–- generally on higher mileage cars. Valve stem seals are expensive to change (if blue smoke comes out of the exhaust pipe the car might have a problem) and check that there are no leaking hoses. Battery and charging systems problems have also been reported, listen out for noises from the rear suspension (the active anti-roll bars can fail) and check the roof works and the windows close properly.
The Facts:
A poseur’s paradise, the lusty E63 650i V8 Cabriolet is smooth, rapid and luxurious. And if you’re happy being the centre of attention then it could well be the ideal BMW for you. The V8 engine sounds fantastic too. More of a GT than a sports car, the 650i Cabriolet is brilliant for weekends away and right now it’s excellent value too. The E64 650i Convertible is a rare beast and packs a 362hp 4799cc V8 under its bonnet. With 361lb ft of torque at 3400rpm the rear-drive 650i can reach 62mph in just 5.8-seconds, whilst top speed is limited to the usual 155mph. Six-speed manuals and automatics were produced and both were supremely well-equipped as standard.
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Although the 650i Sport Convertible is quick it’s far from being a focused sports car and is best suited to leisurely, or rapid cruising – rather than blatting along British B-roads. And you’ll need to have fairly deep pockets for fuel too – most owners struggle to better 20mpg in real-world motoring. But with that mighty V8 engine, a luxurious specification, stylish looks and a high-tech interior you are sure to glean envious glances from other road users. Cars don’t come up for sale very often, so you’ll probably need to make a quick decision when one does. This Black 2010 650i V8 Sport Cabriolet we found was on sale for £13,999 at MSK Cars Ltd in London (mskcars. co.uk) and is pretty typical of what you could
E64 650i Sport Cabriolet ENGINE: 4799cc V8 POWER: 362hp at 6300rpm TORQUE: 361lb ft at 3400rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual 0-62MPH: 5.8-seconds TOP SPEED: 155mph Fuel consumption (combined): 19.2mpg £15k buys: 70,000-mile 2010 650i Sport Cabriolet
expect to pick up for around fifteen grand – this particular example has covered a lowerthan-average 77,000 miles. And it looked to be in excellent condition, too. BMW individual extended Pearl leather with Piano Black individual trim, Bluetooth telephone preparation, active cruise control, TV, adaptive headlights, comfort access, the Interior Lights package, Dynamic Drive and 19inch double-spoke style 288 alloys all feature in a very comprehensive specification here. Exactly what you’d expect of such a BMW.
£15K BUYS
SUV: E70 X5 xDrive 40d M Sport Hugely capable and surprisingly economical, the E70 40d is also pretty quick and impressive value too.
Buying Advice: With a full BMW or 4x4 specialist service history, your X5 40d should boast 20-inch alloys, the Media pack with sat nav, Xenon headlights and heated leather seats. And no more than three previous owners. As a complicated piece of machinery there are some potential problems, these could include rattling timing chains, failed injectors, failing turbo actuators, worn wheel bearings, DPF failure and broken glow plugs – which can require removal of the inlet manifold to replace. And watch out for broken sunroof mechanisms (this can be expensive to fix), air suspension issues, EGR valve problems, worn bushes and off-road underbody damage.
The Facts: E70 X5 xDrive 40d M Sport ENGINE: 2993cc 6-cylinder turbodiesel POWER: 302hp at 4400rpm TORQUE: 443lb ft at 1500-2500rpm TRANSMISSION: 8-speed auto 0-62MPH: 6.6-seconds TOP SPEED: 147mph Fuel consumption (combined): 37.7mpg £15k buys: 84,000-mile 2012 X5 xDrive 40d M Sport
As well as boasting a commanding road presence, the E70 X5 40d M Sport is also rapid, reassuringly grippy, capacious (it can seat seven if required) and claims good fuel economy for a big SUV. And its competent enough off-road, too. An upmarket image, robust build quality and a comfortable ride add to the X5’s benefits – and at fifteen grand it offers great value as a family car. The cabin is eerily quiet for a big diesel too, despite the X5 40d possessing plenty of performance when pressed – the 302hp sixcylinder turbodiesel packs a mighty 443lb ft of torque from just 1500rpm and can propel the 2185kg SUV to a top speed of 147mph.
And the benchmark 0-62mph dash takes only 6.6-seconds – impressive. The factory 8-speed automatic transmission can deal with anything you’re likely to throw at it and all examples are well specced – although almost every X5 seems to have had slightly different options fitted – so do check that yours possess all the things you need. Standard M Sport specification cars come with leather trim, electric sports seats, climate control, M Sport alloys, cruise control, foglights, parking sensors, metallic paint, front and side airbags and roof rails. Our budget bags a 2012 X5 xDrive 40d in M Sport trim, with around 80,000-miles – like
this impressive-looking Metallic Grey example at Westside Cars in Wednesbury (westsidetc. com). Stickered at £14,950 this particular car has covered 84,000-miles and comes with all the accoutrements you would expect – like black leather upholstery, the Media pack, a reversing camera, 19-inch M Sport alloys, Dynamic Stability Control Plus, front and rear Park Distance Control, Hill Descent Control, heated headlamp washers, roof rails, brushed aluminium interior trim and Xenon headlights. Happily Westside Cars can also help with bespoke modifications and fit a host of aftermarket electrical options should you wish to spice things up further still.
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1 Regis Road, London, England NW5 3EW
+44 203 092 0425 sales@mskcars.co.uk
IF WE DON’T STOCK IT – WE SOURCE IT 2019 “69” – BMW 8 Series 3.0 840i Steptronic (s/s) 2dr Fantastic opportunity to own this stunning low mileage example BMW 840i G14 Cabrio presented in the unique Dravit Space Grey Metallic with the individual extended “Merino” black leather interior. Vehicle has only covered 1,800 miles and has just had a service completed by BMW in July 2021.
£58,999
BMW M3 4.0 V8 M DCT 2dr Convertible 2008. Presented in factory Jerez Black with a Red Fox Novillo Leather interior. £17,249
BMW 3 Series 2010 335i M Sport DCT 2dr 52,000 miles. Factory Space Grey with an Immaculate Black Dakota interior. £16,999
BMW 3 Series (08 reg) 335i M Sport 2dr 80,000 miles Coupe in factory Sapphire Black with an Black Dakota Leather interior. £10,495
BMW M3 2004 3.2i Sequential 2dr 95,000 miles.Presented in the iconic factory Phoenix Yellow with Full Black Leather interior. £17,999
BMW M3 2009 4.0 V8 M DCT 2dr 53,000 miles. Presented in factory white with a Red Fox Novillo Leather interior. £20,495
BMW 3 Series 2011 335i M Sport DCT 2dr 47,000 miles. Presented in factory Mineral White with Immaculate Black Dakota interior. £18,999
www.mskcars.co.uk
E24 635CSi
Vink of an eye
T
he E24 635CSi “Sharknose”, a venerable and sought-after classic today, was once the flagship of BMW’s worldwide motorsport presence. It didn’t bring in as much silverware as the subsequent E30 M3, the most successful touring car the world has ever seen, but the E24 was no on-track slouch, taking three outright European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) titles in the early ‘80s, as well as three of the Munich marque’s 21 Spa 24-Hours wins, and two of its epic 19 Nürburgring 24-Hours victories. The mid-’80s are arguably more remembered for the insane Group B rally cars and the Group C prototype sportscar racers, but although outwardly the Group A cars resembled what you saw on the road, under the skin a serious amount of performance upgrades were allowed. The main rule was the stipulation that 5000 units had to be made, the road car version had to have a back seat, and the wheels were under the wings… But apart from
From a bare shell, Vink Motorsport turned a modified and abused E24 635CSi into this Peter Auto championship-winning car – all in less than a year. Words & Photography: Robb Pritchard, Vink Motorsport
those general restrictions Group A touring cars were out and out competition cars. “It’s easier to say what of the original car is left rather than what is changed,” Ton Vink of Dutch firm Vink Motorsport explains. “The glass, the dashboard. Erm… steering column, prop shaft, the steel wings and door skins and a few other little things.” This particular car seems to have had a rather chequered history. How anyone could paint an E24 bright pink, with a brush, is anyone’s guess. But on the other hand, it was also fitted the very desirable M88 engine from an M635, which would have improved its road performance considerably. For the strict Heritage Touring Cup regulations, a Group A homologated 3.5-litre straight-six was needed. In standard road-going specification the M30 engine produced just over 200hp, not bad for a nearly 40-year old sedan. But with a ported head, forged pistons, remodelled camshaft, strengthened conrods and valve springs, it is now producing 320hp. This
would be a serious undertaking for an amateur mechanic, and needing this work done to the absolute highest standard, Vink outsourced all the engine work to another local company – Bosch Tuning. Not many road car components could hope to survive the rigours of being bashed around circuits by the best tin-top racers in the world, and so the transmission, brakes and suspension would be upgraded. This recreation has the same type of Getrag 5-speed dogleg gearbox as the works cars, sending drive to a 210mm ZF LSD rear diff. Vink has re-manufactured many parts from the original BMW Motorsport items. “We were lucky to find an original suspension set for the car, and we made our own jigs, so now we can produce everything we want for future 635 builds,” Ton says. Damping is provided by a set of Koni shock absorbers, the much bigger brakes are from AP Racing. An electronic control system is by DTA Motor Management, while the loom is a lightweight racing version with a lot less
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E24 635CSi
wiring for surplus things such as central locking and the radio. The rollcage was fabricated by a local company called Multitech to strict FIA Historic racing safety rules, while the driver sits safe in a carbon Recaro seat. Most car builds include stories of parts that were difficult to source and frustrations with complicated installations, but Vink Motorsport’s slick operation, with many years of experience, mean nothing on this car caused the outfit any real headaches. Before being painted the car was built up with every component given stringent tests to make sure it was mounted correctly and performed as it should. It was then stripped down (with all traces of pink gone!), and the bare shell was ready for paint. In stunning black and gold, evoking Jim Richard’s Australian Touring Car championship JPS car of 1985, Ton thinks it looks amazing. “At the races I would say that at least 95% of the cars are white with the three blue and red BMW Motorsport stripes, so in black it really stands out.”
Close up the car is even more spectacular, every aluminium part is gold anodised – even those bits you’ll only see if you’re lying on the floor: “Such attention to detail makes the scrutineers smile, and the BMW fans happy.” The lucky owner, Jan Schouten, Ton’s long-time friend and former racing team mate, entered the (Covid-truncated) 2020 Peter Auto Heritage Touring Cup, a very well represented series where pre-1985 Volvo 240Ts, Rover Vitesses, Ford Mustangs fight it out at some of Europe’s most hallowed race tracks. At the first event, at France’s Paul Ricard circuit, Jan demonstrated the potential of the car by getting to the front of his class in a few laps. “I knew it would perform straight away as Ton makes amazing cars, for the Peter Auto series you can only have a very good car as you’re racing against Europe’s best. But honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to be this good! “It’s just so easy to handle and drives like a dream. Ton and I are competitive in everything we do and we love to win, but winning in a car you’ve built yourself, and against such
“Winning in a car you’ve built yourself, and against such good teams, is a very special feeling!”
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good teams, is a very, very special feeling!” But that didn’t last until the end of the race as a small crack in a brake calliper pipe brought a premature end to their day. The next event was at Monza, one of Italy’s most historic race tracks, and one where Jan could stretch the BMW’s legs on the straights… but their high hopes seemed to be dashed when a propshaft UJ failed in qualifying. “The part itself was a 10 Euro joint, as the shaft has to be a standard part.” Ton explains, “But the damage it did while flailing around under the car was terrible.” Things like the gear linkage were easy enough to repair, but the gearbox output shaft was beyond repair… and with no spare it looked as though their race was over before it had even begun. Ton had a contact a few hundred kilometres away, and although they’d not done business before, he decided it was a good time to start. “The guy started building the new gearbox while we were driving there, we had a pizza with him, drove back to the circuit and installed it.”
Here: Standard dashboard and door cards have been flocked. Left: VDO gauges sit in original binnacle
Who are Vink Motorsport?
Ton Vink is an utterly dedicated BMW fan. Before deciding to turn his attention to preparing motorsport-ready BMWs for a living, he ran a successful Dutch karting team – so he already knew the racing industry inside and out. Ton’s passion for BMWs started in the 1980s watching the WTCC and DTM, around the turn of the Millennium he started building his own E30 M3. The process involved buying as many original Group A parts as he could, studying every photo he could find, reading all of the books and watching all of the videos around… When Ton took his car to its first race it was a dream come true, especially as he was up to third and about to take home some silverware at his first race behind the wheel. But then he span... “The whole field managed to miss me,” he sighs. “But then the last guy just drove right into me at racing speed.” The car was heavily damaged and not having the heart to go through the whole rebuilding process again, it was repaired and sold it. As a sideline to the karting business, Ton worked on friend’s cars, preparing one or two per year. In 2014 he built an accurate rally M3 and got the creative bug back – he has never looked back. Ton now gets his kicks managing and preparing race cars...
A couple of runs on a service road later to check the clutch and it went to the grid. After the green light, Jan didn’t have much trouble getting to the front of the class, but then the car started to smoke. “I was watching it from the pit wall and trying to think what it could be,” Ton says. “But I was 100% sure that every nut was tight. Oil on the exhaust is something that can go very wrong, very quickly so I had my finger on the radio button ready
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Championship is run to strict Group A specifications. M30B35 is the party piece under the bonnet
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E24 635CSi
to call him in.” Fortunately, it was just a seal settling itself in with the heat and pressure and Jan went on to take the car’s first category win. “A well built car, a good engine and a good driver – a winning combination!” Ton smiled. The last round of the shortened series was at the far end of the continent, at Portugal’s Estoril. They weren’t thinking about any championship glory… until they realised that many of their closest competitors hadn’t
undertaken the long trip. Jan was still there to have some fun and the car was so good he was mixing it with the big Capris and CSLs in the class above… He was even fighting for third overall until he spun after tangling with a Ford, Fourth overall, and his second class win, was enough to take the 2020 Group A Heritage Touring Cup championship. The Group A class cars share the track with a field of a lot older but more powerful Group
2 cars, such as the BMW CSLs and 3-litre Ford Capris, as much fun as it was winning the class in the E24, Jan kept seeing these spectacular cars lapping him and it sowed a seed. Now a stunning new Group 2 CSL is in the works. Another no expense spared Vink build, this 24valve monster is being prepared for one sole purpose – winning the overall championship in 2022. Don’t worry, we’re already booked it for a photoshoot and test drive... O
E24 635CSi ENGINE: M30B35, Complete tuned bij Bosch Tuning to Gr.A specifications, 326hp, stainless steel side pipe, 110-litre endurance fuel tank with quick fillers, lightweight race wiring loom, 210mm diff with cooling CHASSIS: Total race ready weight: 1180kg, 17-inch BBS centre lock wheels on Michelin slicks, Koni shock absorbers, full Gr.A-spec suspension with rose joints, Gearbox Getrag 265 Gr.A, Lockheed brakes airjacks INTERIOR: Standard dashboard and door cards flocked in black, combi cluster replaced for dash with analog VDO meters and rev counter, Recaro Profi carbon seat, Schroth harnesses
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MARKET WATCH
Market Watch
E89 Z4 sDrive 35iS
BMW’s Z4 sDrive 35iS Roadster is stylish, fast and tunable. And with no E89 Z4 M Roadster produced, the 2010-2016 35iS is a sure-fire future classic Words: Guy Baker
A
relatively rare sight on UK roads, BMW’s E89 Z4 35iS Roadster looks a lot more purposeful than the standard Z4 35i, it’s also slightly longer, sits 10mm lower and comes with larger alloys, bespoke bodykit and a larger exhaust. But its real forte is the brilliant tunable N54 335hp twin-turbo straight six motor that sits beneath its elongated bonnet. The benchmark 0-62mph dash takes just 4.8seconds and with only 400 or so examples ever registered it’s an exclusive ride. BMW chose not to produce an E89generation Z4 M Roadster, so the 35iS (sold from 2010 to 2016) was the nearest thing you could get. It’s more of a GT than an out-
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right M Roadster though, so its comfortably equipped – but the outright performance is damn near as quick. The engine is the same one that powered the 1 Series M Coupé, with acoustic flaps in the exhaust and a modified silencer, and it delivers a rorty, aggressive bark whenever roused. All cars come with a DCT seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the engine has a computer-controlled overboost function available in third to seventh gear – temporarily raising torque from 332lb ft to 369lb ft should the need arise. Factory cars produce 335hp at 5900rpm, but the engine is ripe for tuning with a simple remap releasing 390hp or more. A relatively
light weight chassis means combined fuel consumption is a reasonable 31.4mpg and the dual-clutch gearbox allows some pops and bangs on upshifts. The acceleration borders on electric, but the 35i M Sport does lowspeed cruising extremely well too – with a surprisingly pliant ride and an enticingly throaty growl when required. And it’s well equipped too, with most examples boasting leather alcantara upholstery, 19-inch alloys, heated electric seats, comfort access, Bluetooth phone prep, cruise control, headlamp washers, folding mirrors plus front and rear parking sensors. Some owners have also added a Quaife limited-slip diff and all 35iS Roadsters come with Dynamic Driving Control – with Normal, Sport and Sport+ modes and different shift speed times and shift points. BMW introduced a LCI facelift in 2013, with redesigned LED headlights and side indicators, black surrounds for the central air vents, and better quality switches, control panel and buttons. But the car’s performance remained
MARKET WATCH
unchanged. With so few cars around they tend to sell pretty quickly, with prices starting at around £12,000. The vast majority have covered a low mileage and been cherished – late-plate low-mileage 35iS Roadsters can fetch even more than £25,000. Especially if they come with the added reassurance of a BMW Approved Used warranty, like the Melbourne Red 2014 Z4 35is sDrive DCT at Sytner BMW in Leicester (sytner.co.uk/bmw). Priced at a high £27,500 it has covered a mere 24,907-miles and looks immaculate. Trimmed in Canberra Beige Kansas Leather a comprehensive spec includes the Comfort Package, the Media Package, 18-inch Star-spoke 248 alloy wheels, a heated steering wheel, Comfort Access, Voice Control, Professional Sat Nev, enhanced Bluetooth, the Extended Light Package and front and rear parking sensors. We doubt you’ll find a better example anywhere. But you will find better value examples, like the same-age Alpine White 35iS sDrive DCT Roadster at Vogue Auto Group (vogueautogroup.co.uk) in Mansfield. It has a similarly-low mileage (just 26,544-miles) comes with a full BMW service history and has had just two owners. Upholstered in black leather it comes with a similar spec to the previous Melbourne Red Roadster, including professional navigation, heated seats, cruise control, alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control and 12-month’s MoT. Look even harder however and you might even find a low-mileage one-owner example, like the cherished Silver 2010 Z4 35is Sport DCT sDrive Roadster at Forza Cars (forzacars. co.uk) in Hampshire. Priced at £20,995 it’s barely run in with just 32,213- miles and boasts a full and up to date BMW main dealer
service history. With PPF paint protection, Kansas leather and a plush specification that’s a match for the previous two cars, plus immaculate 19-inch M Star Style 326 alloys, it’s available with a sixmonth warranty and 12-month’s MoT. Another stunning example. Z4 35iS reliability seems impressive, so as long as yours comes with a full BMW and/or specialist service history and a low number of owners you should have little to worry about. Problems reported by owners include failed
Recent E89 Z4 sDrive 35iS Roadster auction prices* Model Transmission Reg Year Mileage Sale Price BMW Z4 Roadster 35is sDrive Automatic 2010/10 37,893 £11,500 BMW Z4 Roadster 35is sDrive Automatic 2012/12 100,768 £9,050 BMW Z4 Roadster 35is sDrive Automatic 2014/14 62,482 £17,600 BMW Z4 Roadster 35is sDrive Automatic 2014/64 68,961 £12,800 BMW Z4 Roadster 35is sDrive Automatic 2015/62 10,606 £19,100 BMW Z4 Roadster 35is sDrive Automatic 2016/66 6,112 £25,400 *Sale prices of good-condition examples sold recently at British Car Auctions
BMW Car retail price guide Poor: Under £12,000 Good: £12,000 to £20,000 Excellent: £20,000+ Special editions: None
coil packs, adaptive suspension problems, failed roof switches, misbehaving door locks, handbrakes stuck on, rare oil leaks, fuel pump or injector failures and rattling wastegate actuators and water ingress into the boot and rear lights. And check that all gear changes are smooth, too O
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) their help with this feature.
SEPTEMBER 2021 59
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Workshop Wisdom
WORKSHOP WISDOM
E39 Ignition Switch Replacement
I
We address a common issue on the E39-generation 5 Series, if yours is playing up here’s how to save yourself a bit of money with our easy fix.
gnition switch failure was one of the first problems that cropped up on the E39, and it took some working out what the problems were. No doubt they were similar to the ones I experienced recently driving a 1997 528i on a 150-mile journey; the car started off with everything working and the first problem I found was that the previously working cruise control was missing in action. I hadn’t had the radio on otherwise I would have noticed it going off, and a further check revealed that we had no
clock, very intermittent wipers, no washers and that the interior lights were constantly fading in and out. Oh, and the driver’s window had lost its one touch feature. Over the remainder of the trip, the wipers would occasionally work before stopping halfway up the screen. All hallmarks of a faulty ignition switch and these faults can also manifest themselves on the E46 3 Series that has the exact same switch (part number 61328363706 – that has been superseded by part number 61326901961). This switch
has also been used on the E38 7 Series as well the first generation X3 (E83), X5 (E53) and Z4 (E85 and E86). The cheapest new ones are around £16 delivered and the most expensive are of course from BMW, although it may now be NLA. Lots of sellers claim ‘OE’ and ‘genuine’ but we didn’t see any with the BMW or Valeo logos. It’s up to you which you buy – I bought a 16 quid new one and ended up fitting a known working Valeo original, carrying the new spare in the car just in case.
SEPTEMBER 2021 61
WORKSHOP WISDOM
1 The first job is to drop down the
lower steering column trim cowling and you do this by removing the centre screw in the plastic rivet in the centre of the trim cowling. Using light pressure only, the cowling comes down. It’s also secured by two tiny Torx screws but you can leave the cowling like this. You can remove the upper cowling if you like but it’s not essential.
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2 We can now see most of the ignition
switch. It’s covered by a very thick and strong bit of plastic that has to be slackened off so that the switch can be pulled free past it. You can also see here some steering wheel airbag wiring – do not disconnect this as you’ll have to reset the light. Carefully cut off the tie wrap (see blue dot) holding the two yellow wires, and fit a new one on reassembly.
3 Cutting off that tie wrap enables the
airbag wiring to be extended enough for the orange/black airbag connector to be unclipped from the plastic bracket. Use a tiny screwdriver to push the small locking tab sideways (see the green dot one the previous photo) and push the connector away from the wheel. Pull this tab seen here to the left and the ignition switch connector will slide up and out.
WORKSHOP WISDOM
4
Seen here, the steering wheel and airbag connectors have been disconnected from the black plastic bracket and tucked to one side. The red dot here show the position of one of the two ignition switch retaining screws. At the factory they are covered in a red paint so you just use a very small flat blade screwdriver to dig the paint out and slacken (but not remove!) the screws.
5
The black plastic bracket is secured to the top part of the alloy steering lock housing by a T30 Torx screw. This needs to be removed so that the plastic bracket can be moved enough to get the ignition switch out. It’s quite fiddly and I find the best tool is 1/4 inch drive but you can get a skinny 3/8 drive socket in there. The screw isn’t done up very tight so it’s not hard to remove. In photo 4 you’ll see the lower T30 screw – just slacken that but don’t remove it.
6
With the bracket loose, you can access the upper red paint covered screw securing the ignition switch into the alloy lock housing. Slacken this until the tiny screw is just proud of the housing and the switch will come out. Don’t remove the screws as they are a sod to refit assuming you can find them once dropped. Shown here are the original pale grey and replacement black switches.
7
Inside the switch are six spring loaded brass contacts and over the years they oxidise and begin to lose contact so they sometimes work but begin to fail as they get hotter. Forget trying to repair one because they are hard to dismantle and reassemble again. SEPTEMBER 2021 63
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
Matt Robinson
Jason Dodd
2007 E61 M5 Touring
2017 F87 M2
Patty Harper
2014 F25 X3 xDrive20d SE
Rob Richardson
1973 2002
Mani Singh Hayer
Bob Harper
2006 E61 530i SE Touring
2003 E46 325Ci Sport
1976 E3 3.0L
2002 E46 330i Sport
2003 E39 530i Sport
70
SEPTEMBER 2021 65
OUR CARS Rob Richardson 1973 2002
In Alignment
Rob continues to finesse the 2002’s chassis set-up, and drinks coffee... I do all the work on my cars myself, but despite years of collecting tools and equipment there are still two things left I can’t do: fit tyres and wheel alignment. I’ve had a few goes, with a basic string-box set-up, at aligning the 02 but without turn plates I’m a bit limited to how accurate I can get it. It has however let me get the car in the ballpark and driveable without destroying the tyres, but with all the amazing hardware under the car from
Gaz and Powerflex allowing adjustment to get it exactly right, it was time to get it booked in for a proper alignment session. As with all my cars I took the 2002 to Ian at Lakeside Service Centre (01527 66737) in Redditch. He’d previously transformed the way my Porsche 911 drove when we set it up on his Hoffman alignment rig and I knew he could work the same magic on the BMW. Lakeside can cater for anything from basic
servicing to full car set-up and always have tasty metal in to look at; on this visit there was a roadlegal Radical SR3 (see right)! With the car on the alignment ramp and the rig attached I talked through all the points of adjustment with Ian (notably the rear trailing arms with eccentric Powerflex bushes making them adjustable for camber and toe) and what I wanted to get out of the car. We settled on a good fast road spec, with a little extra
camber in the rear to help clear the wide wheels: -2.5 degrees camber and 0 degrees toe on all four corners. Yes, for the road I should run a little less camber, but with the miles the car does tyre wear isn’t a big issue. Initial measurements showed I was ~1 degree toe out on both nearside front and rear wheels and the rear offside had over -4 degrees of camber. No wonder the car felt a bit blunt and pulled on the road. The adjustment
2002 YEAR: 1973 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 300 TOTAL MILEAGE: 2350 MPG THIS MONTH: Still not counting COST THIS MONTH: £POA depending on alignment requirements
Cars and coffee in Morton-in-Marsh
66 BMWcar
OUR CARS In association with
was really straightforward: top mounts and tie rods at the front and loosening off the trailing arm bushes to rotate them at the rear. Ian quickly had the car squared up and ready to go. A cursory once over underneath picked up on a couple of issues: the handbrake cables were close to the wheels which was easily rectified with a ziptie, but we also spotted a slight oil leak at the back of the engine; looks like it’s coming from
the dizzy drive housing gasket… a problem for another day as it’s only a slight drip. Immediately on the short drive home it felt like a different car, but I couldn’t wait to get out and drive it properly. Following an early start the day after, I took the long-way, via some of the best roads in the Cotswolds, to my favourite coffee stop Grouch in Morton-in-Marsh (grouchcoffee.co.uk) – highly recommended!). Transformed is
Rear trailing arm bushes were rotated
an understatement; from blunt and wandery to scalpel sharp. Straight line driving is a joy with finger-tip turn in and instant response. It’s the first time I’ve had the car aligned so I’d sort of come to live with how it was thinking “this is what an 02 feels like”. How wrong I was. What a chassis. The car is at a really good level now and I don’t want to stop driving it. Two years into ownership I’m having a real
second honeymoon; it’s the 2002 I always dreamed of! So, what’s next? Enjoy it even more! Though I want to get some paint done on the driver’s side to make it perfect but I’m reluctant to have it in a body shop during the summer, so I’ll save that until closer to the end of the year. For now, my only plans are glorious drives to coffee shops and car meets. Rob Richardson
Some small adjustments had the 2002 aligned
SEPTEMBER 2021 67
OUR CARS Mani Singh Hayer E46 330i Sport Individual 530i Sport Champagne Edition II
The Story So Far... Mani fills us in on the story with his E39 530i Sport... In the last issue I introduced my 2003 E39 530i Sport Champagne Edition II which I had just purchased. Top of the ‘to do’ list was to get it checked over by my BMW Independent Specialist who I also use for my E46 330i Sport Individual. On the drive back home I had noted a vibration coming from the steering wheel when braking so I certainly wanted the specialist to take a look at that. The car was also due an Inspection II as well as brake and coolant fluid replacement so wanted this doing too. Eventually, the big X marked on the calendar soon came and I anxiously drove the car up the M1 and a junction or so later, arrived. After a few hours, I received a text message from the specialist with a link to a video which showed what it had found. With me expecting the video to be several minutes long and deliberating about getting the popcorn ready, I decided to hold off on the snacks and click on the link. Surprisingly, it was just under 2 minutes 40 seconds long and had me letting out a sharp exhale of breath that would make my GP very proud. First up, the technician showed the intake pipe had split and Garage inspection went well, much to Mani’s surprise
68 BMWcar
had a small hole in it. For the vibration and following a test drive by the technician, I was advised both front control arms needing replacing (followed by Hunter 4-wheel alignment which needed tie-rod ends replacing too due to seizure) and since the vibration in the wheel gets worse when the brakes are warm, they recommended both front brake pads and disc replacement. Finally, moving to the engine bay, they noticed a fluid leak coming from the PAS reservoir. On closer inspection, they had actually found the reservoir cap seal had split so recommended a new cap. For a nearly 20-year-old car, I did not think that was too bad given that it was just the intake hose and PAS reservoir cap that needed replacing. I expected it to be a running gear issue with regards to the vibration so that was kind of pre-empted. Naturally, whilst my wallet was having a mild panic attack, I authorised all of the work to be done which was around the figure I had budgeted for to have this work completed anyway. So, whilst the car was receiving its new parts, I decided to make
myself feel better by finishing the to-do list in an Excel spreadsheet. Whilst the Inspection II and wheel vibration issue were in progress, new items I added included getting the pixels fixed on the instrument cluster display, fixing the navigation screen, new tyres all round, refreshing the door seals, investigating and putting some energy back into the washer wiper jets, taking a look at the front parking sensors as a couple of them decided to take early retirement, refreshing the cooling system, replacing the water vapour barrier seals, professional detail of the bodywork and a refresh of the interior champagne leather. Whilst it is quite a big repair list, a lot of it is preventative maintenance or beautification of the car and will be done over several months. As I continued to wait to get the car back from the specialist, I started organising all of the service and MoT history and obtained redacted copy invoices of the Sytner service invoices that were missing. The end result was a service history folder that could rival a Haynes manual. Since I love my spreadsheets, I transferred all of the service and MoT history
into a spreadsheet so there was an electronic copy of it too that I could refer back to if needed. One thing I have always wanted to know about the car was the reason for its low mileage. Whilst the online MoT history clearly points to the fact that the car was not used between 2014 and 2019, I was absolutely thrilled when I had the chance to have a call with the previous owner. He explained to me that although it was a Sytner Leicester registered car originally, he purchased it back in 2003 from Sytner Nottingham then having covered 300-miles. During his ownership – which involved no problems – he made one modification to the car which was to ask Sytner Nottingham to install the factory CD Changer in the boot. Whilst it was regularly serviced at Sytner Nottingham, in 2014 he put the car into indoor storage since he did not need to use it (he had another car) but gave it a run now and then. So, this explained the low mileage. In 2019, he regretfully decided to sell it and after spending some money on it for it to pass its MoT, he sold it back to Sytner. We discussed many other
OUR CARS In association with
Left: replacing the faulty instrument display involved removing the cluster
things about the car but I have to say that I really enjoyed that 30-minute or so call with him to really understand the history behind it and the fact that it really was well looked after, it just helps paint a picture of the early life of the car. Equally, he has said to me that he would love to see it again so Covid-19 permitting, I hope to meet up with him someday. A couple of days later, I received a phone call to say that the car was ready to be collected from the specialist and so headed straight down the M1 to pick it up. After dealing with all of the paperwork, driving it back home and taking the scenic route, was
an absolute pleasure. Thankfully, the wheel vibration had gone and handling wise, it was as if the car was on rails when going through corners (helped by the wheel alignment). I do not know if it is the placebo effect of new fluids and parts but even acceleration seemed to have improved. After further treating the car with a drink of Shell’s finest, it was time to help my eyes and brain process what was being displayed on the instrument cluster display and so decided to get that fixed. I did lots of research and made contact with some specialists who all advised that they could not fix the E39 instrument
cluster since the ribbon that they receive is of poor quality. Fair enough I thought, but then I found a local auto electronics shop. It advised that not only do they have the higher quality ribbons, they also put a lifetime guarantee on the display. The only downside was that I had to remove the instrument cluster and either ship it to them or drop it off. I decided to use their mobile mechanic to come to me and remove the instrument cluster since I envisaged horrific scenes of screws being lost deep in the bowels of the dashboard and trim pieces breaking if I did it. Once removed (which was
actually pretty straightforward after watching the mobile mechanic), I dropped it off at their workshop since it was local. A week or so later, the part was ready and after fitting the instrument cluster back together, it was great to see the display come to life crystal clear with my eyes and brain breathing a sigh of relief and no longer having to struggle. So that’s it for this instalment. On the next update on my E39 – which will follow soon – we will take a look at the navigation screen, tyres and trying to avoid being drowned when attempting to fix the car’s washer jets. Mani Singh Hayer
Right: Hunter 4-wheel alignment followed replacement of both front control arms and tie-rod ends...
E46 330i Sport individulal YEAR: 2002 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 0 TOTAL MILEAGE: 83,000 MPG THIS MONTH: 0 COST THIS MONTH: £0 (sat idle this month)
E39 530i Sport Champagne Edition II YEAR: 2003 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 104 TOTAL MILEAGE: 38,041 MPG THIS MONTH: 24 COST THIS MONTH: £1,718.46 (Inspection 2 + repairs + instrument cluster display)
SEPTEMBER 2021 69
OUR CARS Jason Dodd F87 M2
Style Council Jason’s M2 has received some further attention in the styling department... I am pleased to announce that all is going well with the M2. When it was purchased just over two months ago it had 10,500-miles on its clocks, pretty amazing for a nearly four-year old car. Now it is just over 17,500! Being a freelance photographer takes me all over the country, especially for car magazine shoots and the M car has been a great all round daily driver, 27mpg seems to be its default average and while running on super unleaded isn’t cheap the car appears to be running better than ever. Appearance wise the Sapphire Black paintwork looks great, it gives those rear haunches an edge and the alloys set it all off well with their chunky split spokes. I’d been contemplating changing the wheels, but supply at the moment due to a mix of Covid and Brexit is very poor. Darren from the bodyshop at Barrett’s BMW in Kent mentioned about getting the wheels painted, now this was a dilemma; silver, a gold effect (like the M2 CS), or play it safe and go for a metallic grey? I opted for a different finish by going for a Honda paint colour with a metallic fleck to it, the gun metal grey sets it off nicely against the dark paintwork and bright blue M callipers, and makes the car a little different. While we’re on the subject of making the car stand out a little I visited Autoid in Essex. Main man Josh and I had been in conversation about some cosmetic tweaks to the M2 and, being one for a bit of carbon, the
team fitted M4 style carbon wing mirrors, carbon side fender trims and Sterckenn carbon bumper inserts to the car. I was a bit worried about the inserts but I needn’t have been as against the black paintwork they blended in really nicely. The team at Autoid have a great knowledge of BMW products and the in-house design team only use the highest quality materials, take a look at the website to see what I mean: www.autoid.co The new styling tweaks and changes to the alloy wheels meant it was time for a new set of photos of the car – I’m happy with the side and front of the car now, but I feel that a rear diffuser in carbon might be the next addition, just to lift the back and to match with the quad-exit exhausts. It seems that the M cars have a lot of respect and love from the people I’ve met, especially after hopping out of my modified Ford Mustang V8 in to the baby M – I was expecting more people to be surprised at my switch, but I think everyone knows that the M2 especially is a great driver’s car and likely to be a future classic. Next time I’m hoping to have some upgrades to the brakes and engine to report, then it’ll be onto my second track day with the car. Also, with the weather starting to brighten up at the time of writing, the car’s going to be attending a few shows and as a result it will be getting plenty of detailing sessions and – of course – it’ll be the subject of yet more photos. Jason Dodd
Carbon parts are subtle yet effective
70 BMWcar
Autoid carefully fitted new parts
BMW M2 YEAR: 2017 TOTAL MILEAGE: 17,865 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 2603 MPG THIS MONTH: 27.2 COST THIS MONTH: £900
OUR CARS
Wheels now painted in Honda metallic
SEPTEMBER 2021 71
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TROUBLE SHOOTER
Trouble Shooter T
he BMW E36 3 Series had already been in production for over four years when the M52 engined 323i and 328i replaced the successful and highly regarded 325i. Out went the iron block M50 first seen in late 1990 and in came a new alloy block M52, a lighter revised version of the M50. This was available as a 1990cc version with 150hp as before, a 170hp 2.5 as the 323i and 193hp as the new 328i. Given that the previous 325i had 192hp, this didn’t seem like much of a step forward but the 328i had quite a bit more low and medium range
Words & Photography: Andrew Everett
torque. This is because BMW developed a new long tract inlet manifold that was shared with all three capacities, allowing the 320i to breathe well enough but restricting the 323i and 328i for insurance reasons. The M52’s alloy block also featured new Nikasil coated bores. Nikasil is a very tough nickel/silicon coating that had been successfully used by Porsche and less successfully by GM in the Cosworth Vega in the seventies – indeed, US market 328i and 528i E39s retained the 325i iron block to guard against high sulphur fuel until steel liners arrived in 1998. The 328i arrived here in May 1995 on an
Nikasil This used to be a real problem but today, less so. The problem was that the sulphur in much of the UK’s petrol would attack the Nikasil coating. It would start at the top of the bore and make its way down as the coating flaked off. As the hard piston rings started to work away at the soft alloy underneath, oil consumption would increase and compression would drop leading to rough running. Whilst initially replacing engines like-for-like, BMW eventually replaced Nikasil with a steel liner block and new pistons. This was introduced starting March 1998 and it cured the fault. These blocks are often wrongly called ‘Alusil’ by those who don’t know any better, but Alusil was used on V12 and later V8 blocks. It’s alloy impregnated with silicon and the cylinders are bored and honed to expose the hard silicon particles that the pistons run on. The steel liner M52 blocks were given a small steel tab under the starter motor secured by a small bolt – Nikasil blocks just have the pear shaped casting lug. If you have – Nikasil car, the key is to use proper fuel and, once the engine is started, don’t shut it off until it’s good and warm. Cold starts were the killer of these as the cold start fuelling is quite aggressive.
74 BMWcar
We look at the common issues you need to know about if the E36 323i and 328i are on your driveway, or your wish list...
M registration and whilst the saloons were discontinued in early 1998 to make way for the replacement E46 saloons, the Coupés, Convertibles and Touring estates were built for another year until their E46 replacements were ready – you’ll find 1999 examples on T and sometimes V registrations. E36 six-cylinder prices are now well on the way up for many good reasons. Some say they were a better drive than the E46 and whilst that’s a matter of opinion, there is no doubt that the older car is far simpler and easier to work on with less of the infuriating problems that afflict the E46...
M52 Engine Issues The M52 was and still is a really good engine. Nikasil apart, they reward maintenance with a very long life and 200,000 plus miles is achievable. Everything was solidly built and timing chain failure is practically unheard of. However, whilst the cooling system is tough and reliable, overheating an M52 is bad news. The threads in the block for the head bolts can weaken and even when the head is skimmed and the block face cleaned up, the threads can pull out on the first or second 90 degree angle tighten of the stretch bolts. In the good old days we would have just replaced the engine but single VANOS 2.8 engines are like gold dust now. So now, the block will need to have the threads drilled out, tapped and long helicoil or TimeSert steel thread inserts wound in. This requires real skill do complete successfully and you really should do all fourteen threads. You need to use the longer type inserts (M10x1.5 30mm) and they must be fitted so that the top of the thread is about 6mm recessed. Of the two, TimeSerts are more expensive but are a better bet. Helicoils are a steel wire coil and a TimeSert is a complete steel thread tube.
TROUBLE SHOOTER Cooling system Early M52s used a plastic impeller water pump that could be a problem – the plastic could either break up, or start spinning on the water pump shaft. A plastic impeller pump was used until the end of M54 production around 2006 and once they were sorted out were very good – I’ve seen them at 15- years-old and still perfect. M52 pumps are very easy to change and there are various aftermarket pumps with plastic, pressed steel or cast iron impellers. I’ve used the Febi branded plastic impeller pumps with success and they seem as good as the OE units. Bleeding the cooling system can be a pain but the secret is to let air out as fast as coolant goes in. Pouring it in and expecting air to vent out via a tiny bleed screw at the same rate isn’t happening. There are various ways of doing it – some pour coolant in via the top hose disconnected from the radiator, and it can be done with the brass plug or fan switch unscrewed from the side of the rad. Pour it in slowly, a pint at a time. If you get really stuck, disconnect the long hose that goes from the base of the radiator under the inlet manifold and into the heater – disconnect from the heater end and pour coolant in there with the rad cap fitted until full and it starts to dribble from the heater. Radiators are cheap and easy to replace and the air con version is deeper with more coolant capacity. Replace a grotty old viscous fan coupling with a nice new one and think twice about the ‘viscous delete’ mod where you rely solely on the air con fan. Probably okay in winter but in summer, not so clever. An idle viscous fan absorbs next to no power anyway so why remove it?
Gearboxes All 328i models use the bigger ZF unit (310 or 320) from the 3.0 M3 and E34 525i. These are almost unbreakable but a few will now be getting a bit rattly at idle due to worn layshaft bearings. But the box was used on the E46 328i and 5-speed 330i, various 2.5, 2.8 and 3.0 E39s… there are thousands about and £200 is plenty for a good one. 323i’s mainly use the small Getrag 250G 'box from the 318i and 320i (and 325i) but some models such as Touring can use the ZF box. The Getrag box is again very strong and they cost pennies to replace there are loads on eBay for £50 or less. Most of these cars use either a solid flywheel with extra balancing weight (twin mass) or a dual mass flywheel (DMF). DMF equipped cars tend to be those with air conditioning and it’s really only the early cars with a 325i-type solid flywheel. The auto box on these is the ZF 5HP 5-speed, a good gearbox that works well and is reliable. They are also practically worthless secondhand so if yours goes wrong, forget rebuilds but just install a good used 'box. After around late 1995 the oil spec changed from Dexron II to synthetic and on older cars it’s important to change the oil and filter every 30,000-miles or so – it’s cheap to do. It’s not quite so important on later cars but even so, we’d be dropping the sump, fitting a new filter screen and topping up with new oil.
Suspension Most cars used standard Boge suspension with all Coupés and some Convertibles having the ‘M Technic’ Boge set up on stiffer dampers and shorter springs. 328i Sport models used the Bilstein ‘Avus’ set up with thick tube yellow dampers and different rate springs as well as offset M3 wishbone bushes and the 25.5mm front and 18mm rear anti-roll bars used on M Technic Coupés. Standard E36 front wishbones are used with the rubber sleeved outer balljoints – these can be pressed out and replaced with all-steel versions but these are becoming harder to find. Instead, you can use E30 wishbones that all used the all-steel balljoint. The offset wishbone rear bushes give increased steering castor and improve steering feel. Steering racks are easily replaced by either an E46 four- cylinder post-2001 ‘purple tag’ rack for quicker steering, or even better a Z3 rack with 2.7 turns lock-to-lock. Front struts can be a real pain to replace if the two 18mm bolts either side snap off. At the back, the Z axle is very tough and not much goes wrong: the Z wishbone rear outer bushes eventually wear out as do the hub to upper wishbone swivel bushes.
Brakes These cars all have ABS and post-1996 ones have ASC traction control as well at which point the limited slip diff was discontinued on the 328i Sport. Some cars have an all-in-one ABS block and ECU in the engine bay but more commonly have the ABS block under the bonnet and the ECU tucked up behind the glovebox where it can be damaged by a screen leak. The ABS system is self-learning so after replacing a component or an ABS sensor, the light will go out on the move even if you don’t car the fault code. ABS sensors can be a real struggle to change and it’s best to remove the disc, calliper and hub (front only) if it becomes a nightmare. ABS sensors are available from as little as £10 and I’ve found cheap ones work just fine. Discs and pads are all cheap enough to buy. Brake pipes rust and replacing a front one can be a nightmare because you cannot see where they go behind the engine – instead, use a proper brake pipe cutter and join the new pipe behind the plastic arch liner. Like any old BMW, the handbrake requires yearly attention to keep it working.
SEPTEMBER 2021 75
TROUBLE SHOOTER
Body After outlasting the E30 for so long, the E36 is now firmly in the grip of ferrous oxide – the newest one has seen over 20 British winters. Bolt-on stuff like the front wings isn’t hard to fix although good used panels are now getting very hard to find. Rear arches rust from the inner lip edge outwards so by the time it’s showing on the main arch, it’s a case of either grinding all the rust out and replacing ansy bad bits or welding new arches in – expensive. The rear panel between the bootlid and bumper can rust as can bonnet outer edges, door corners as well as Touring tailgates. But the real killers are sill rot as well as advanced rust in the floor pockets where the trailing arms bolt in, when doing a trailing arm bush replacement you should really clean it all up in there and rustproof it. Cars with plastic sill covers are always worse for sill rot and you should expect to find rot with the covers removed. Very often they need complete sill replacement and at the least, a lot of fabrication and welding in new sections as well as the rear inner sill. It’s essential that the four circular plastic/rubber jacking plugs are fitted as if they are missing, that’s an open door for road muck and water to get in.
328i Sport The UK-only 328i Sport was launched here in May 1995 shortly after the 323i and 328i but you couldn’t actually buy one until late ’95. The Sport was a 328i Coupé with a special Bilstein ‘Avus’ suspension package, 25% limited slip diff and 17-inch BBS RC041 split-rim wheels. As well as this, the Sport had M3-style bumpers with a two bar grille replacing the mesh in the front bumper, ‘twisted’ side skirts, front foglights, M3 type side mouldings and inside, sports seats in half leather, black headlining and an M Technic sports steering wheel. For 1996, ASC+T traction control replaced the limited slip diff and clear indicators were added.
Other problems... E36 headlights were always prone to misting up and other than removal and replacement of the rubber seals there’s not a lot you can do about it. The E36 central locking system is simple, working from the body control module behind the glovebox. Be aware that if the central locking doesn’t work it can interfere with the starter and fuel pump circuit leading to intermittent ‘no crank’ issues. Instrument clusters very rarely fail and as long as you match part numbers, are a straight swap without coding. E36 steering lock problems (key spin) is a fault with the post-January 1995 locks and can be fixed with a small hole drilled on the lock body just behind the plastic EWS ring connector and a small screw wound in.
76 BMWcar
Interior By the time the 328i arrived the early E36 trim problems were well sorted. Even so, E36 door trims do need a periodical rebuild, gluing the plastic retaining clip brackets back on with Araldite Rapid (nothing else works as well) as well as tightening up the various screws. The same goes for the rear trim panels on Coupé and Convertible models. Seats last well and it’s easy to fix a knackered drivers seat using a good passenger seat for the swap over front cushion and the bolt on backrest. Be aware of different airbag seat sensor connectors though. Once removed, the glovebox takes some skill to refit correctly and they normally don’t fit right around the lock – if it really doesn’t want to know, trimming off the two plastic lugs by the lock sorts it out. It should be in the body section really, but the fully automatic Convertible hood can be a nuisance when it doesn’t work properly. The semi-auto version featured a manual front hood top screen clamp and the manual hood is rare – many will be troubled power hoods with the hydraulic pump disconnected. Rear hood plastic windows are not ‘zip in’ but require hood removal and properly stitching in. They take a while to settle into shape and you can remove wrinkles after the hood is raised with some hot water.
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SEPTEMBER 2020 Cover Story: 2002 Turbo tribute Inside: E36 Ultimate Guide, suspension guide, Z3 M Coupé, Hartge E39 528i
JANUARY 2021 Cover Story: E30 325i Inside: Birds 340i Touring, E93 M3 Convertible, BMW 1M coupé, 128ti driven
OCTOBER 2020 Cover Story: E36 and E46 M3 Cabriolets go head-to-head Inside: M535i, E61 545i/550i Touring, G12 740Li, E70 X5
FEBRUARY 2021 Cover Story: 2002tii Inside: Alpina B3 Touring drive, E36/5 Compact, Classic buys: 850 Vs M3, M440i drive
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
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Cover Story: 2002Tii at 50 Inside: F40 128ti meets E46/5 Compact ti, E30 M3 racer, E39 530i, E46 330Cd, G30 530e
Cover Story: E36 Alpina B2.5 Inside: Neue Klasse at 60, E53 X5, E38 7 Series, modified F80 M3, F86 X6M
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Reader’s Rides
READER’S RIDES
H
James Jefferies’s E82 135i
ere’s a very special car indeed, owned by James Jefferies who lives in Norwich. James has custom built his dream BMW. A self-confessed car magazine addict from a young age, James grew up around his father’s collection of inspirational automotive magazines and his dad’s string of true petrol head cars – from the stables of TVR, Porsche, BMW and Alpina. “It was inevitable I was going to become a petrol head!” James says. “I left school and went straight to working for a local garage, making my way through the ranks and becoming Head Technician and Workshop Manager. I then found myself opening my own workshop specialising in BMWs – although the company is still in its infancy stage we have grown very quickly.” A personal project for James has been the car you see here, completed in the last couple of months. Based on a E82 135i, the car has received a 1M-style makeover, James has fitted an S65B40 engine and DCT gearbox from an E92 M3 together with 1M Coupé body panels. “I always wanted a 1M but never had the ability to pull the trigger on one,” James explains, “So I built my very own out of my two childhood halo cars – the 1M and E92 M3” James calls the car a “1M3” which we think suits it nicely, it has become something of a showcase for his business – Mkraft – demonstrating just what can be achieved on behalf of his customers.
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
SEPTEMBER 2021 79
BMW 1 SERIES
BMW 320
2008, 18000 miles, £9,995. 3.0 125L SE, two door, automatic, petrol, convertible. Cashmere silver metallic exterior. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West. 107289
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. 109152
BMW 330
BMW 1 SERIES
BMW 2800
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 318TI
2005, 38000 miles, £4,495. 1.6 116I ES, five door, manual, petrol, quartz blue metallic, air con, Bluetooth, ABS and DTC. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West. 107295
BMW 3 SERIES
86000 miles, £12,995. Rare low mileage Alpina B3 3.3 Convertible. Factory removable hardtop. Alpina Factory made car #117, a full spec B3 3.3 convertible with full service history and old mots etc. Finished in Estoril blue with grey leather electric heated seats. Blue electric hood, climate control, cruise control, wind deflector, etc. Superb condition, one of a very few made. Moted until 26/02/2022 just 168 miles in the last year. Please call 01932 241843, South East. (T) 108189
BMW 330
2005, 54000 miles, £5,495. 2.0 318TI Sport, 3 door, manual, petrol, mystic blue metallic exterior, air con, BMW 18" MV MKII alloy wheels, sport seats, sports suspensions, cruise control, rear park distance control, electric heated mirrors, spare wheel. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West. 107294
BMW 323
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.
2002, £6,995. Titan silver with full black leather and Alu Black Cube interior mouldings, anthracite headlining, high gloss Shadowline, automatic transmission, dynamic stability control, sports suspension settings, alarm system, M Sports package II, warning triangle and first aid kit, interior mirror with auto dip, smoker package, electric memory front seats, front armrest, sports seats, rear centre headrest with three point seat belt, headlight cleaning system, park distance control (rear), and more. Please call 07711645465, South East. (T)
1996, 115000 miles, £1,500. Beautiful original condition. One previous owner, one hundred percent reliable. Full service history, well maintained, appreciating modern classic, reluctant sale due to bereavement. Please call 07817 780273, North West.
108907
108213
107029
BMW 530
BMW M
BMW Z3
1985, 870 miles, POA. Alpine white with black Merino leather and Alcantara. One of 200 edition
2000, 62000 miles, £5,995. 2.0 Roadster, two
cars produced. Please call 02083485151, Greater London. 108370
BMW M5
door, manual, petrol, steel grey metallic exterior, BMW 16" V spoke alloys, electric front seats, electric mirrors, M Tech gear knob and steering wheel.
Please call 0161 476 5915, North West. 107293
BMW Z3 1999, Offers. 530D (E39). Manual, two owners from new, full service history, MoT Feb 2022. Sensible offers considered. Please call 07546 712761, Scotland. 107434
BMW ALPINA 2000, 37100 miles, £47,995. Le Mans blue metallic with black/blue leather. 6-speed manual transmission. Please call 02083485151, Greater London. 108371
BMW X6 M
1999, 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 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. There is no rust anywhere on the car and the headlamps are clear. Please call 07711645465, South East. (T)
2011, 24000 miles, £29,995. Titanium silver with black Nevada leather interior. Please call 02083485151, Greater London. 108369
BMW Z3
109008
BMW ISETTA
2001, 60800 miles, POA. 2.2 Z3 Sport Roadster, two door, manual, petrol, Dakar yellow II, BMW 17" X spoke bolted alloys, power hood, sport seats, sports suspension, brushed aluminium trim, electric front seats, electric mirrors, and more. Please call 0161
476 5915, North West. 107296
BMW Z3
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
2000, 19584 miles, £14,995. Straight Six. Topas Blue with Black trim. Auto. 1 Previous owner. Owned from new and used as a second car. In the last 6 years the car has only covered just over a 1k miles. Drives like new. Please call 01636812700, East Midlands.
1999, £65,000. Roadster, 2.0, two door, manual, petrol, Oxford green II metallic exterior. Electric front seats, power hood, BMW 16" radial style alloys, leather upholstery, roll over protection. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.
108301
107292
NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: 27 AUGUST 2021 Pre-order your copy at shop.kelsey.co.uk
WHAT’S INSIDE THE OCTOBER 2021 ISSUE? O The M2 is the car of the moment – find out everything you need to know about owning this BMW M pocket rocket. O Coveted in any guise, the E39 is a
sought-after beast these days, we meet a striking 185,000-mile B10 Alpina variant. O 35-years on we trace the origins of the
E36/8 Z3, and find out how BMW South Africa cloaked 39 of the last examples in a Schnitzer package. O Our self-confessed Goodwood obsessive gets to drive the famous circuit for the very first time in a selection of BMW metal to discover how you can too... O Is the 6 Series many have forgotten a decent prospect in 2021? We examine an E64 645i to find out. O How is the market for BMW’s G30 540i xDrive M Sport Saloon today? We delve deep to find out.
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