Bucket Seat: BMW M340i LCI

You know that slogan from that chip company who make potato chips that come in a can? "Once you pop, you can't stop?" Yeah, well that's the only thing than I can describe the feeling of driving the new BMW M340i LCI, because it has its on pops coming from the large dual tail pipes and the power drive is so addictive, ever since I got behind the wheel of it in March for the local launch, I was waiting like a little kid on Christmas to drive it again! So when BMW dropped it off over the Easter weekend for me to play with, I wasn't bothered about Easter eggs and hot cross buns, I was more interested in putting pedal to the metal in this bad boy! Many call it a mini "M3" and while it does don the "M" badge and is considered to be part of the M Performance stable, it still has its limitations or should I rather say, it's restrictions to not make it too much of a competitor to the pure M3 model but it still delivers tonnes of fun and performance to put a smile on any motoring enthusiast, read more on my time with BMW M340i LCI as I discover what exactly has changed since its pre-facelift model. 

DESIGN

Big talk comes in when it comes to face-lifts and how brands make the cosmetic changes to persuade owners of the first generation models to want to trade-in their older models for this one and to their credit, BMW have always hit the nail on the head with their Life Cycle Impulse models as they like to call. Unlike previous 3 Series, the LCI only comes in two packages, namely Sport and M Sport, with the M340i only available in the M Sport guise. Subtle but big differences come in to the design of the BMW 3 Series LCI, with the trademark kidney grille becoming narrower and wider, as with most new models, this is an active grille which opens and closes when required, this also comes with a silver horizontal style hatch to emphasize the sporty nature of the car. The new front headlamps are also more sleeker with an upside down L directional style LED daytime running lights. The bottom bumper/ diffuser also gets a sporty look with a more larger air in-take for the radiator and more angular shape side intakes which follow the profile of the car to give it a more dramatic look. The side profile of the car remains largely the same with new rim options available to choose from, this model featuring the 19-inch double spoke bicolour jet black rim. Moving to the rear end, the tail lights get the top part of it smoked now with the major difference to the bottom bumper that has a large black style difusser with more angles and lines to make the car look mighty aggressive from the back. Being the range topping M340i, the car has larger dual trapezoidal type exhaust over the conventional round tailpipes found on the rest of the 3 Series LCI range. The interior remains mostly the same as the older model with two very distinct differences, that being the new large curved display which integrates the instrument cluster with the infotainment screen and the new gear selector, which I will touch on later on in the blog. 

PERFORMANCE

Powered by the famed B58 motor which is a 3.0-litre, 6 cylinder TwinPower Turbo that produces 285kW and 500Nm of torque, the car certainly doesn't lack power and when Sport + mode is engaged, it really brings out the true beast of this car. The growls from the motor is invigorating to say the least, couple that with the smooth driving  feel with extra grip from the xDrive, BMW really have something special here. I think this motor, while being used on a number of models in the range is best suited to this chassis, almost feels purpose built for it as with the weight and size makes it feel balanced. While it does weight a bit more than the M240i and the Z4 M30i, the M340i still produces a respectable 0-100km/h time of just 4.3 seconds. the Sport Automatic transmission works like a dream in this car, with the flappy paddles behind the steering working well when called into duty. Depending on your driving style, it can get very thirsty while on the road, with Eco Pro mode keeping things tidy in terms of fuel efficiency but with me only have 7 days with the car, I don't think I took it off Sport + mode hence giving me an average fuel consumption of about 15.2L per 100km, although the brochure says it does average 8L per 100km, we will have to just take their word for it. Big brakes in the front and back help with the stopping power of this car, it has collision detection which warns you first before engaging the auto brake should you not head its request. 

COMFORT

Stepping inside the new 3 Series LCI makes you feel like you're inside a fancy command center with BMWs new curved screen display. It's part of their new design language which see's all models adapt this feature. While it being one solid component there is a break between the infotainment screen and the driver instrument cluster. This is around where the steering wheel is so it makes sense to not have something blocked out by the wheel. The infotainment screen is touch screen but can also be navigated from the iDrive jog shuttle drive. The new BMW OS is pretty easy to use, via both the jog shuttle and touch screen. It features wireless mobile app connectivity which displays it nice and big on the screen. The vehicle info and other features are pretty easy to find and while BMW have done away with conventional climate control knobs and buttons, and have them integrated into the screen, it isn't as annoying as some other brands who have done the same and it works very well. The car has a 3-zone system for the driver, front passenger and rear occupants having their own controls. The car has electric adjustable seats for the driver and front passenger with the now, much controversial decision of having seat heating as a payable subscription. The car came loaded with a host of optional extras, most of which I am favoured to, I've spoke endless about the adaptive LED lights before and BMW have made them better in this model, what makes you tell them apart from the regular LED is the blue light it has at the bottom. Harman Kardon sound system always impresses me, would have liked to see a B&O option for this model seeing it is a range topping model but the H/K works. The rear occupants have enough space and comfortable leather seats. The luggage capacity is pretty generous as well with me fitting two golf bags comfortably without having to drop the seats. Ride quality is pretty decent as well, considering its sitting on 19-inch rims with low profile tyres and M tech suspension. 

VERDICT

Overall, the M340i to me is the perfect package, a family size sedan that offers a spacious and comfortable interior with plentiful luggage space with an engine that delivers optimal performance for those who like to live life in the fast lane. While some might say the power is an overkill but I disagree wholeheartedly, people who drive BMW's love performance and that is the reason they are drawn to the brand. Giving someone the option to have a 3 Series with the performance that could rival some of the other brands performance models on the market is a genius trick and this one being almost R700,000 cheaper than its bigger brother makes it a no brainer for some. It's a great looking car, with loads of new tech loaded as standard from BMW, a host of safety features for the driver and its occupants and it's just such a great car to drive, be it short stints or long distances, the nice thing is that every now and then when you want to go full send with it, it has the option for you to do so. With the cars computer based traction control and stability control, along with the xDrive system you always have peace of mind when doing so. Apart from the 320d as based purely on a financial basis being my favourite 3 Series, if money was not an option, my pick would definitely be this, the M340i. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	3-litre, 6-cylinder Twin Power Turbo
Gear Box	Sport Automatic
Torque	500Nm
Power	285W
0-100km/h	4.3 seconds
Price	R1,363,206.60

*base price

 

Bucket Seat: BMW M4 CSL

In celebration of their 50th Anniversary, BMW M Performance has launched a rather special-edition car that highlights their success in high-performance models in the premium midsize segment. "The new BMW M4 CSL blends old-school racing passion with innovative technology to create an inimitable performance experience." The first generation M4 Coupe missed out on this iconic badge but had other "hardcore" derivatives such as the M4 Competition, M4 CS and M4 GTS but when it comes to the CSL badge, you know this car is developed with the purist in mind. CSL stands for "Competition, Sport, Lightweight" and that is exactly what this car encapsulates just like the CSL's of before. With this in mind, BMW have an intelligent lightweight design that restricts this special edition cars DIN Kerb weight to just 1,625kg's, with a standout power-to-weight ratio of 2.95kg's per hp. This provides the ideal platform for  dynamically sublime driving experience according to BMW.

Powering this beast is a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder in-line engine with a power boost thanks to the two mono-scroll turbochargers that tweaks the engine management to produce 405kW and 650Nm of torque! The drive torque produced by the engine is relayed to the rear wheels of the new BMW M4 CSL via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic. Model-specific mountings for the engine and transmission ensure the engines power is translated into dynamic performance in exceptionally rapid and direct fashion. The firmer connection of the engine and transmission to the car's structure is clearly perceptible, especially under hard driving. 

Technology highlights include the BMW laserlights headlamps which are in yellow, bringing another head-turning accent to the front end, other than the massive grilles. It gives the car more of a GT racer look to it, especially with all that added carbon and lowered stance. The LED rear lights of the new BMW CSL are equipped as standard with technology making its debut in a series-produced car. Their glass covers have intricate light threads woven into them which are illuminated using laser technology, bringing a vibrant structure to the surface of the lights. This creates a highly distinctive light signature that is recognizable from a long distance during the hours of darkness. Launch colour for the M4 CSL is in an exclusive Frozen Brooklyn Grey metallic, this exterior shade teams up with exposed carbon-fibre surfaces and red accents to create a visually expressive appearance of sporting purity. 

As mentioned, this is a limited production car with only 1000 examples being produces worldwide, only 15 of these will be coming to South Africa, with quite a hefty price tag and certain requirements I'm sure. So if you're wanting to add this model to your collection, best get your cheque book out because they will be gone before you know it.

Bucket Seat: 2021 BMW M3 & M4 Competition

It's probably the most talked about car/s this year, and for one particular reason which has nothing to do with the overall performance of the car...its about the grille. From spy shots early on, most of the internet came to terms that the new M3 sedan will be featuring the same front end as its two-door partner in crime, the M4, that meant having the large, elongated grille. This news didn't go down well with majority of the fan-boys online though, in fact many of them kicked up a fuss and said how it's ruined the new cars for them, so much so they won't be buying one (whether or not they had the financial means to do so in the first place is up for question). In any case, BMW stuck to their guns and with the official reveal of both cars this morning, it's confirmed, both the G80 M3 Sedan and the G82 M4 Coupe sport the new elongated grille with extends from the top of the bonnet right down to the bottom of the front diffuser and you know what? I think it looks great! Even though I would have liked the M3 to have still sported the original 3 Series front, I don't think its that bad for it to having the same front as the M4, it makes the car easier to differentiate from a normal 3 Series sedan and also has custom shops scratching their heads on kits to transform normal 3 Series sedans into ones that look like an M3. 

I don't want to get into the font end too much because the rest of the car looks great too, with added lines and creases, including a vent just behind the front wheel arch, featuring the M badge of the respective model. The wheel arches are accentuated more stronger than the normal 3 Sedan as well as the rear diffuser, with a blacked our bottom where the four tail pipes are, the rear lights are also tinted in back to give it a sportier look. The roof of both cars come standard with CFRP with two fins running longitudinally along it, obviously to help in aero. The cars have racing inspired extended side sills in high-gloss black and have forged M light-ally wheels, 19" at the front and 20" at the rear axle. On the inside, its very similar to the current G80 interior but with a host of M inspired interior textures and trims to choose from, with optional interior trims in carbon fibre to make the car look more racer ready. There's even the option to choose M Carbon bucket seats with structure-based design, racing functionality and full electric adjustment, with an illuminate M badge integrated to the head restraints. From the looks of things, there are loads of ways for each owner to personalise their car, with so many options available, this is bound to be a unique experience for anyone. 

Lets get down to the business end of things for these new cars now, the heart that powers it. BMW SA have confirmed that we will only be getting the Competition models of the cars, both the M3 and M4 Competition will be power by a six-cylinder in-line motor with signature high revving style which produces 375kW and 650Nm of torque. That is mammoth figures for both cars which translates to a 0 to 100km/h time of just 3.9 seconds! Extra variety in the powertrain offering gives one an authentic performance experience in the new BMW M3 and M4 Competition, with them having an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and both car offered with M xDrive all-wheel-drive system for the first time. Dynamic Stability Control including M Dybamic Mode and for the first time, integrated wheel slip limitation and M Traction control adjustable through ten stages. The M3 and M4 will come with the BMW live cockpit professional digital display, which displays powertrain and chassis settings which can be individually configured. It also has the M Drive Professional which includes drift analyser. 

Both cars will be launched in the country, next year March with official pricing still be announced but if we would have to have a guess, I'd say bank around the R1,8 million for either of them. Adding the optional extras could easily see that price hike over the R2 million mark. 

BMW also revealed pictures of the official M Performance parts available for the M3 and M4 Competition. 

Bucket Seat: BMW M135i X Drive

After spending some time with the new BMW 118i, I was eager to see what the range topping M135i had to offer. This is the range topping variant currently available on the market for the 1 Series and their hot hatch competitor in a market that is becoming fiercely competitive. From what seems to be the norm on all new M models, the M135i comes with X Drive which is BMW's four-wheel drive system, which balances out the power delivery from the engine to all four wheels in Sport mode. Also it will have the purist happy knowing that it won't just be front-wheel drive like the rest of the 1 Series line up. Having put my demons to bed about the looks when I had the 118i, I was quite looking forward to checking this model out and see what modifications and additions in the design BMW will add to beef the look up of the M135i and I was not disappointing as you will soon find out. 

DESIGN

With the 1 Series design being a bit different from the outgoing model, this new one is pretty refreshing and on closer inspection you will appreciate with the guys in Bavaria have done. This particular car came in Misano Blue and being their performance model, it was evident they had to add some additions to the design to make sure it stands out from the line up. First thing you will notice is the blacked out fused kidney grilles, which feature the trident design instead of the parallel lines on the standard models, the same design which is featured on the M340i. The grille is also active, so opens and closes when airflow is required. The front difusser is changed, with a bigger air-intake in the bottom and more dominant air-scoops leading to the brake duct. 18" M Sport V style bi-colour rims make the car stand out even more, with the clean lines leading to the rear where the rear difussor is more pronounced with high-gloss black bottom and large twin-exhausts that amplify that this is not a car to be messed about with. On the inside, the layout is identical to a normal 1 Series with a lot more brushed aluminium and silver accents, what you will notice immediately is the sport seats which are stunning and mighty comfortable if I have to say so myself. 

PERFORMANCE

Big talking point about this new M135i is the engine, previous model used a 6  cylinder while this new one is a 4/4 layout. While this may be the case power delivery has been increased with the 2-litre TwinPower Turbo motor producing 225kW and a torque figure of 450Nm to propel from standstill, achieving a 0-100km/h time of just 4.8 seconds. It's quite blistering and with the four-wheel drive quite an experience to the driver. With the 4 cylinder motor, there is a considerable drop in the fuel consumption and while BMW brochure quotes the average being 7.5L per 100km, I did two long distance journeys with it and on the first one managed to get 7.7L per 100km but the second I got 7,2L per 100km! So I'm very impressed with how is cruises and sips fuel, not as thirsty as other hot hatches tend to be. Now with a hot hatch you don't want me ranting and raving about how good it is when driving slow, select Sport+ and unleash the demon in this bugger, the tone in the pipes get louder, X Drive is active and this thing plants itself on the tarmac like a clingy ex-girlfriend. The way the car hugs the corners at high speed with power distribution shifting to the wheels that need the most is something to be amazed at. Just when you think you've reached the peak in terms of cornering speeds, the car tells you to give it more because it can handle it. They say this is just something to whet the appetite since there is a M140i rumored to be in the works, but if this thing is anything to go by, that M140i will be mental. 

COMFORT

When it comes to a sporty hot hatch, the last thing you want to hear is how comfortable the car is but even with the sports racing seats the M135i is blody cosy. The car came spec'd with the cloth 'Trigon'/ Alcantara Black blend for the seats and upholstery trimming, so it looked the part with all the detailed stitching. The seats were fully electric with 3 memory settings, with adjustable lumbar support and seat heating. So yes, the full package for the front passenger and driver. The rear passengers also get this fine textures and trims along with their one zone aircon. While it is a sporty vehicle with stiff suspension the general drive is pretty good, not as bumpy as you would expect. The cabin like all BMW's is properly sealed so there is very little road noise. Like the 118i, the ambient lighting is worked into the panels and really look stunning at night. There's nothing I can really pinpoint and have fault with, what I love is that whether you're sitting in a 1 Series or a 5 Series, the quality of materials used inside the cabin are of similar quality, so you're not being shortchanged just because you're driving the "entry level" model. 

VERDICT

Overall, the new BMW M135i really has raised the bar in terms of hot hatches on the market, while the figures might not be blistering as some others, it has a decent offering that should not be easily overlooked. Couple that performance with the knowing that this car can perform equally well when driven properly so it will keep your visits to the fuel station less frequent, then you know you have a winner on your hands. Cabin space is generous for a hatchback as well as luggage capacity. The list of standard equipment is great on this top of the range model so you won't be ticking a lot of boxes on the options list. It's a great little pocket rocket if you want something small and exciting to drive. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2L, 4cyl Twin Power Turbo
Gear Box	Automatic Steptronic
Torque	450Nm
Power	225kW
Consumption	7.5L/100km
Price	R763,300*

*Base Price