Bucket Seat: BMW M340i xDrive

Last year I had a brief stint with the range topping M340i xDrive from BMW, and while I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked behind the wheel it was enough for me to give you an impression into the car. Well, after 7 months I got another chance to get behind the mighty brute and this time on my own turf, to say that week was exhilarating is putting it mildly, I'd look for any excuse to go and take it for a spin. Being lockdown made it even easier to just stay in the car and enjoy the environment that is the lush interior of the BMW G20 series.

DESIGN

The car, in Metallic Sunset Orange looked stunning and a head turner of note. There's a lot that differentiates the M340i from the normal 3 Series range and with good reason too. Apart from featuring BMW's four wheel drive system, xDrive the M340i has it's own unique active grille design as well as brushed aluminum inserts for air-intakes which assist in brake cooling. The rear difusser is also more robust and sportier than normal, with the tailpipe area more pronounced. The M340i also receives M Sport  19" bi-colour rims which intensifies the cars overall sporty look. In the interior, it's pretty much your same G20 interior with added sporty elements like chrome and aluminum as well as the seats being more sporty bucket type. 

PERFORMANCE 

Powered by a 3-litre in-line 6 cylinder Twin-Power Turbo engine, this car was never going to be a slouch, I mean its 0-100km/h time is just 4.4 seconds! And its not even the proper M3! The motor delivers 285kW and 500Nm, top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h which is easily achievable seeing how quick this bad boy accelerates but please, stick to the speed limit on national roads. The thing about this car though, is that even though the motor packs quite a punch, it can be a tame beast, comfort or eco mode allows you to cruise around and enjoy relatively decent economy and while this car would be labelled as a performance car, I mean it's even written in bold on the engine cover, it is pretty practical and is a proper family sedan. A lot of people ask me if I can really make out the difference X Drive makes to the overall driving aspect to the car, and the short answer is yes. It all comes down driving dynamics, knowing the cars limits and what is assisting you to achieve what you are doing. While all-wheel drive sounds a bit much for a sedan, getting power delivered to each wheel at different levels when needed gives the driver that much more confidence in entering and existing bends as well as doesn't compromise on the brakes as well as down changing or slowing down. 

COMFORT

The front seats are bucket sport seats with full leather trim, seat heating is an option extra as well as electronic memory seats and I'm pretty sure you can add lumbar support and massage to it too. The rear seats are semi bucket type but can seat 3 people comfortably. The front has dual zone climate control air conditioner with a single zone for the rear passengers. The ride quality is just as good as  normal G20 sedan, there's no stiff suspension feel for this car, even with  X Drive, it soft of softens the entire ride. The car came with a panoramic sunroof, ideal for getting some fresh air in the cabin or enjoy the natural light that comes through it. The luggage capacity in the boot remains the same as the standard 3 series with adequate space for a family trip. 

VERDICT

Well we all know what the new M3 is packing now and while that engine pumps out close to a 100 more kW than the M340i, it was expected. In saying that the price difference will also be quite substantial to this model and in my opinion, if you're looking for something with practical but every now and then get the hairs on the back of your neck standing, this is the perfect car for it. You can't go around comparing it to a proper M model but it comes pretty close, with the beautiful notes that spit out the exhaust and the enthralling performance from the engine, I think M3 Lite has a nice ring to it but call it what it is, M340i!

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	3.0L, 6 cylinder, M TwinPower Turbo
Gear Box	8 M Sport Automatic
Torque	500Nm
Power	285kW
Consumption	7.5L/100km
Price	R1,079,300*

*price without extras

 Pictures by @DBN_Spotter

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 118i

So couple weeks ago I got to spend some time with BMW's all-new 1 Series, when it was first launched I didn't like the look of the car. It seemed like a reconfigured X2. The sharp nose, large grille and the slanted front headlights did nothing to woo my enthusiasm over the new design. The press pictures did little to flatter me, nor did any of the M Performance parts which you could decorate the car with did any convincing. As always I tend to reserve judgement until I see it in the metal, so when the 118i in the M Sports guise came rolling in, it took me just a couple of seconds to respect what BMW did with the design of the car. Yes, I know how can you change your mind so quickly? Well, to use an old cliche,  you have to see it to believe it is all I can add. With COVID-19 still having a firm grip on the country, time with the 118i was less than normal with a test car so I had to make the most of it. With it having the smallest engine in the line-up, it was obvious that the motor was made for economy on mind, so the only real thing for me to test was performance, could this baby still give an enthralling drive like we're so used to with all BMW's? Well read on and find out.

DESIGN

Like I said in the intro, in pictures the 1 Series isn't the easiest on the eye but in the metal, once you take a closer look at the detail in the design, the folds, the curves, the angles as well as the materials, you'll realise very quickly that there is a lot to like and appreciate about the new 1 Series. This being fitted with the M Sport kit has all the necessary bulk to make it look as good as a genuine M model. From the front, the aggressiveness is apparent with it's wide diffuser and the sculptured edges to push the airflow into the intakes either side which cool the wheels and brakes. The side profile maintains this sporty look and while the kit has no prominence apart from the bottom sill it does give a nice blend to the body. The rear of the car has that wide stance and blacked diffuser which is finished in high gloss plastic, this really is great which even for the bottom entry models to have this sort of materials in the finishes gives the car a premium look. The air vents on the back are sadly fake but not a major issue as it's more there for looks than any functionality. Stepping inside the 1 Series, most of it is very similar to the new generation BMW look, with the new M Sport steering wheel and instrument cluster, which is slightly smaller than the other models.

PERFORMANCE

The 118i has BMW's smallest engine in their line-up, it's powered by the 1.5L TwinPower Turbo, an engine you can find in the Mini Cooper, not very exciting right? But believe it or not its also the same combustion engine in the BMW i8 so it has some cred to it. Given that the 1 Series is bigger and heavier than the Mini, this engine does seem a lot more pluck in the 118i, delivering 103kW and 220Nm of torque is rather impressive from a 3 cylinder motor while achieving a 0-100kph time of just 8.5 seconds. The car itself feels pretty solid on the road and picks up speed well, coasting is a charm in this car, one slight gripe I may have with it is with it being front wheel drive, the car does tend to jump on take off, so keep those hands firm on the wheel. The 1 Series comes with BMWs standard cruise control, it is pretty simple to use and set but does have the auto braking feature. The car is very nimble and easy to navigate through tight spots, so parking in a congested parking garage is enough for everyone. Parking not your thing? You can just opt for parking assist option which will do the tough work for you.

COMFORT

While the 1 Series is the baby in the line-up, it is a decent size when compared to the hatchbacks, the cabin is spacious and very roomy, the seats are lower than usual but gives you a nice view of the cockpit from the drivers perspective. As mentioned its pretty much what you would expect in a new BMW with a similar set up, albeit a bit scaled down. The car has dual zone climate control for the driver and the passenger as well as a single zone system for the passengers at the back. The red leather "Dakota" interior really was a great contrast to the Alpine white exterior and the choice for colours and materials from BMW is quite vast for you to chose from, while you could have a similar spec to someone else, there are details in which you can change, from the stitching to the types of textures you want on the dash and doors. The 1 Series has its ambient lighting built-in to the dash where as the likes of the 3 Series have it underside the beading. Boot space is decent, it can fit my golf clubs so that is all that matters to me!

VERDICT

Overall, I was left pretty impressed with the 118i, look I know it's the smallest engine in the BMW stable so for me seeing if it was economical wasn't on the top of my agenda, seeing if it could still deliver the performance we know and love from the German manufacturer was and it delivered with a charm. While my foot was pretty heavy with it, the fuel usage wasn't too bad if I have to say so myself. Base price on this model is a tough one to swallow but if you look at what you getting and there is zero compromise on luxury, I say its worth it given that that the competitors use inferior materials and line up similarly in costs so the value is there.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5L Twin Power Turbo
Gear Box	Automatic Steptronic
Torque	220Nm
Power	103kW
Consumption	5.9L/100km
Price	R619,800*

*Base Price

Bucket Seat: The new BMW 4 Series

It's been a hot topic for the past few months in the motoring world, will BMW really have that massive grille on the new 4 Series? Well last night it was confirmed, as BMW announced the reveal of their second generation premium midsize coupe which will be launched globally in October this year. Amongst all the noise, the design of the new BMW 4 Series is unique and distinctive, separating itself from the rest of the line up with key design characteristics that is true to this model only. With most of their latest designs, there's always one aspect that gets a lot of attention, that is the grille. For the first time in a long time BMW have chosen to elongate the iconic kidney grille, which harks back to sports models of the past from the brand. There's an element of history and nostalgia to this and in my opinion it looks fantastic. The overall design is sharper and has a lot of character compared to the out going model which simply follows the lines of its 3 Series sibling. The wider body line, more aggressive front and smooth back really make the new 4 Series Coupe look agile and capable. 

Engine wise, the range will be flagshipped by a 440i xDrive which has a six-cylinder in-line petrol engine delivering 275kW and 374bhp. Two other petrol engines will be available in four-cylinder configurations with another diesel option. BMW will make use of mild hybrid technology for the six cylinder engines which will help reduce emissions as well as fuel economy. A big plus with the new 4 Series is that the diesel engines will have two-stage turbocharging. The gearbox that will be fitting in these cars is an eight-speed Steptronic with optional sport transmission available as an extra. 

Interior wise, not much is different from the G20 3 Series with similar styling and cockpit design, I'm glad they kept it this way as its a form that works, the large 10.25" infotainment screen is easily navigable either by touch screen on the joggle dial, the digital instrument cluster is also available as an optional extra on the 4 Series, I feel that this feature should have been standard on this model, seeing that it is a sports model but any way to keep the price down I guess. The car comes loaded with all the fancy tech and the list of optional extras that we've come to known with BMW over the past year, nothing really sticks out as new. The car will be made available in the various packages with the M Sport being the most popular as always, they have even launched a range of M Sport parts for the model. Overall the model looks good, there's still a while to go before sales start around the world, so maybe by then the emotions over the radical design of the grille would have died down. I can see this one doing well in the market, the lines on the model are simply breathtaking and synonymous of coupe's that hark from Italian shores.