BMW and M Power Owners

The M cars really do feel infinitely more special than non M cars. Chris Harris’s review at the time pointed out how different they are in reality behind the body. I need to go back and watch it to refresh my memory.
 
ChrisD. said:
We went to BMW today mainly to look for a replacement for my mrs's ageing 1 series. While I was there I had a good look at an M340i touring and while it is lovely, it didn't give me that wow factor I was expecting, certainly not for the £60k price tag it carries all optioned out.
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I know not the same league but I have a brand new 320i touring at the moment as a loaner. While it's really pleasant to drive and I like it, there are some things that niggle me with it. Some of the interior seems a bit cheap and the bit that really got me is the rear parcel shelf that you have to open and close manually, the F11 had both an opening and closing shelf ten years ago and the E61 auto opened in the generation before that. Just seems a bit stingy and penny pinching.
 
hurfdurf said:
The M cars really do feel infinitely more special than non M cars. Chris Harris’s review at the time pointed out how different they are in reality behind the body. I need to go back and watch it to refresh my memory.
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Has he done a video review of the F80? Never mind, found it.

I totally get it though, the M140i doesn't feel that special to drive, it's nice but if you push on you soon realise it's just a normal 1 series with a massive engine shoe horned in. The F80 today felt special and I loved how I felt driving it. I can also see me driving it on track which means I could sell the FD2 and run the one car, I'd also be paying less out a month and own it rather than have one on a stupidly expensive used PCP. Currently looking into my options.
 
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Dandle said:
Some of the interior seems a bit cheap and the bit that really got me is the rear parcel shelf that you have to open and close manually, the F11 had both an opening and closing shelf ten years ago and the E61 auto opened in the generation before that. Just seems a bit stingy and penny pinching.
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But there has to be a point which separates a 3 Series from a 5 Series and things like this are it. I know it sounds trivial but without those little touches you call into question the point of the next model up - it isn't purely a space thing. Each successive climb up the range needs to feel a bit better than the one below it.

Once you take this into account the current 3 Series is a really impressive car, it is a massive improvement on the previous two generations which really did feel like quite cheap cars. The F30 in particular felt like a big 1 Series, the G20 is once again a small 5 Series.
 
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i know i should be technically asking this on a dedicated BMW forum, or any car forum for that matter, but i haven't signed up to any... and worth a shot asking here, as some of you may be mechanics etc.

I have a later 2015 435i GC and whilst i passed my MOT recently, i had an advisory: Both front brake reaction arms inner bushes starting to perish

Typically i would send my car to direct to a BMW dealership for a full service and any other authorised garage for MOT.

My question is:

Even though this is an advisory, is this something to worry about short/long term... typically how long am i safe for whether months or even years? Perish in my mind is a word of concern.

It obviously gets expensive if i send the car to BMW for fault finding so in this particular instance, would it be best for me to send the car to any garage authorised to deal with BMW to resolve the issue, or is it safer/better for me to send to BMW to fix?

Any how much would these bushes usually cost to replace?

Thanks
 
WBAC offer for my M140i is now £26500, that's hard to turn down so I've booked it in to BMW to have the original diff put back on and I'll sell the M Performance one on the Facebook group.
 
ChrisD. said:
that's hard to turn down
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Until you realise everything you'd want to replace it with is inflated by a similar margin, so what is the benefit unless you're downgrading or don't actually need a car (or manage to do a Tom and a find a car being sold by a dealer who didn't notice the prices had all gone up)?

I wonder where the ceiling is for these prices - its getting more and more crazy. For there to be any profit in this for them, which I don't doubt there is, it means there are people out there paying 30k retail for the old shape 1 Series. Absolute madness.
 
[TW]Fox said:
Until you realise everything you'd want to replace it with is inflated by a similar margin, so what is the benefit unless you're downgrading or don't actually need a car (or manage to do a Tom and a find a car being sold by a dealer who didn't notice the prices had all gone up)?

I wonder where the ceiling is for these prices - its getting more and more crazy. For there to be any profit in this for them, which I don't doubt there is, it means there are people out there paying 30k retail for the old shape 1 Series. Absolute madness.
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Not only that, but there will (possibly) be a wave of people trading in cars once new cars are on the market again, meaning there might be a crash. I wonder how many dealers will be left holding the bag of massively inflated stock?
 
[TW]Fox said:
Until you realise everything you'd want to replace it with is inflated by a similar margin, so what is the benefit unless you're downgrading or don't actually need a car (or manage to do a Tom and a find a car being sold by a dealer who didn't notice the prices had all gone up)?

I wonder where the ceiling is for these prices - its getting more and more crazy. For there to be any profit in this for them, which I don't doubt there is, it means there are people out there paying 30k retail for the old shape 1 Series. Absolute madness.
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True but it gives me enough to be able to get a loan and a used F80 M3 and be free from PCP.
 
turbot1984 said:
Ah well, great engine the 3L diesel. Alpina got 400hp out of it.
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G30 M550d had 400PS
G30 540d had 320PS
Facelift 540d has 340PS

LCI Alpina D5 has 408PS
pre-facelift had ~390.

M550d has been discontinued :(

Does the UK even get the 540d?
What about the M340d?
 
mjt said:
G30 M550d had 400PS
G30 540d had 320PS
Facelift 540d has 340PS

LCI Alpina D5 has 408PS
pre-facelift had ~390.

M550d has been discontinued :(

Does the UK even get the 540d?
What about the M340d?
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Yeah, thats the weird thing, there is a M340d for uk punters and same engine in 7 series, X3 etc. I would have 100% got a 540d rather than 'weedy' 260hp 530d, but no choice as needed an estate with space.
 
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