"M lights" or M235i / M240i

[rabbitstew]

On 30/10/2017 at 08:55, docwra said:

un1eash, look into the M4 lower arms as well, they make a LOT of difference, if you ditch runflats at the same time its like a differet car

 

 

I ran the camber pin mod on my 123d coupe and didnt get around to adding the M3 lower arms etc, but even with the stock dunlop runflats my 123d handled miles better than both my 350z and even my 997 turbo. It just felt perfect. The grip also was really good. So I can only imagine what it would be like with the M3 arms and some decent rubber. Theres some very twisty bends (on a private road) near where I live and I could happily take them at a 3 figure speed in the 1 series with total confidence in what the car was doing. In my 997, it feels all over the shop at nowhere near that speed on the same bends. Ive already upgraded the active suspension module on my 997 and have a GT2 ARB to fit, along with stiffer engine mounts, but whether I will ever get it to the same level of handling my 123d had remains to be seen.

 

One thing ive heard about the M240i`s is that they are being nicked like mad atm though, so that may impact insurance premiums for them.

[rabbitstew]

2 hours ago, Vish8895 said:

The sh*ty thing is, the current market value is approx 12K to get a like for like replacement, but the book value is around 10K for mine in mint condition, which it was.

 

I have been doing hella research and even contacted the financial ombudsman service (who regulate the insurers over payouts) and they say that current adverts are not viable evidence of market value, and unless the car is rare or classic, the book value pretty much is the be all and end all :(.

 

So I won't even be able to replace it with the payout, assuming I get top book value after fighting them on it.

Thats really bad. "Book value" is not "market value", book price is the low trade in price a garage would give you if you sold your car to them. They would then add 25% to that and stick it on their forecourt. I thought that if you claim then they had to put you back into the same car/miles/spec as you had before hand, that`s the whole point of insurance. You shouldnt be any worse off.  Its shocking that they say otherwise now.

 

I remember when my brother had his Golf written off a few years back, the insurance companies initial offer was 50% market price. We sent off some adverts showing what the same year/spec/mileage Golf actually costs at garages and they didnt question it, and just paid out the market value.

 

[docwra]

4 hours ago, Spatt said:

the point we're missing here is running cost. The reason i feel the M lights have a strong (very strong) selling point in my opinion. Is running cost. looks at fuel, sure and we'll see its 'reasonable' but that't not the end of it. start looking into brakes, tyres and servicing and you could argue they are in fact one of the best value for money cars right now? as a box ticker i cant think of anything else

Not really, the C63 etc only came into it as someone claimed the M3 was the "only" choice for a performance car. Not only does an M Lite cost a shedload less to run, and isnt actually much slower, its also a lot more useable than an E46/E92 as the torque is available right through the rev range and its significantly smaller and lighter. I should know, I own one

As VFM goes they are very difficult to argue with, right from the N54 E8* cars through the N55's and including the current B58's, with a few mods they get even better
 

Edited November 2, 2017 by docwra

[Kev]

4 hours ago, docwra said:

Not really, the C63 etc only came into it as someone claimed the M3 was the "only" choice for a performance car. Not only does an M Lite cost a shedload less to run, and isnt actually much slower, its also a lot more useable than an E46/E92 as the torque is available right through the rev range and its significantly smaller and lighter. I should know, I own one

As VFM goes they are very difficult to argue with, right from the N54 E8* cars through the N55's and including the current B58's, with a few mods they get even better
 

Never said that. Just said IMO its the best value performance car for low 30's. Nothing comes close as a all round package and I still think that. The Bentley c etc that you mentioned are ridiculous buys for that price. Wannabe cars IMO with ridiculous maintenance costs. 

 

I dont think you can buy a better new car for £50k than a m3/4 cp either. It's only my opinion though, don't let it upset you. 

 

Only a fool would have a old shape c63 over a current M3/4 IMO. They have aged really badly and the auto is crap. The current gen coupe is a different price bracket. 

 

A 140i is a good car but far from a m car. The 240i is just too girly/camp looking ...again only my opinion. We all allowed to have one....even if it doesn't match yours. 

 

140i leases are ridiculously cheap at the moment. Much better option than buying one.......again my opinion. Not saying it's a fact  

 

Edited November 2, 2017 by Kev

[Cimanu]

For me BM are at the top for interior at the moment the whole F shape range are beaut inside (largely due to them being identical across the range!)

 

I have a friend with a F20 120d which is mapped to 230/320 and keeps my Z honest until I really wind it up through the revs.. then does 60mpg to Germany and is £30 to tax.. how can you compete with that!

I think the 1 is a good looking thing in 3 door guise, 5 is a bit odd. 

[Vish8895]

25 minutes ago, Cimanu said:

For me BM are at the top for interior at the moment the whole F shape range are beaut inside (largely due to them being identical across the range!)

 

I have a friend with a F20 120d which is mapped to 230/320 and keeps my Z honest until I really wind it up through the revs.. then does 60mpg to Germany and is £30 to tax.. how can you compete with that!

I think the 1 is a good looking thing in 3 door guise, 5 is a bit odd. 

I thought the same until I got myself a 2012 C Class AMG. That slightly topped the F's for me. That being said, they are still up there as being top 3 in my mind!

 

As for the 120d, all very impressive, and all so very tempting. But for me, most diesels lack the character of a proper sports car. You can't wind them open down the lanes, and there is no drama to the noise. I had a 3 series coupe m sport with the 3L inline 6 diesel and a giant turbo. The thing was putting 520nm of torque down and was amazing for about 1.5K revs per gear, but just didn't bring the same joy of winding open a big petrol engine.

Edited November 7, 2017 by Vish8895

[Cimanu]

20 minutes ago, Vish8895 said:

I thought the same until I got myself a 2012 C Class AMG. That slightly topped the F's for me. That being said, they are still up there as being top 3 in my mind!

 

As for the 120d, all very impressive, and all so very tempting. But for me, most diesels lack the character of a proper sports car. You can't wind them open down the lanes, and there is no drama to the noise. I had a 3 series coupe m sport with the 3L inline 6 diesel and a giant turbo. The thing was putting 520nm of torque down and was amazing for about 1.5K revs per gear, but just didn't bring the same joy of winding open a big petrol engine.

Oh absolutely, they're impressive but certainly not sporty!

A brilliant do everything car.. which the Z simply isn't, boot space is truly woeful. The friend with that 120 is currently looking at E92 335i or 330i as he's often out alongside my Z and another friends R34 GTT.. the lack of noise upsets him

 

335 seem to have all kinds of issues though, we looked at one last weekend with some weird hesitation bang on 4k rpm.

 

I'm looking to swap my Z out for something cheaper to run as I'm almost there with house deposit, pretty much sold on 120D from being in his. I've looked at 330D coupes before too, ridiculous figures for the running costs but the F interior is a big step from the E. Open to suggestions for things I should look at instead though!

 

 

[Vish8895]

3 minutes ago, Cimanu said:

Oh absolutely, they're impressive but certainly not sporty!

A brilliant do everything car.. which the Z simply isn't, boot space is truly woeful. The friend with that 120 is currently looking at E92 335i or 330i as he's often out alongside my Z and another friends R34 GTT.. the lack of noise upsets him

 

335 seem to have all kinds of issues though, we looked at one last weekend with some weird hesitation bang on 4k rpm.

 

I'm looking to swap my Z out for something cheaper to run as I'm almost there with house deposit, pretty much sold on 120D from being in his. I've looked at 330D coupes before too, ridiculous figures for the running costs but the F interior is a big step from the E. Open to suggestions for things I should look at instead though!

 

 

Yes, certainly a good run around family car, I wouldn't mind one for the misses that I can toy with lol!

 

I would recommend any N54 powered 1 or 3 series, but they are riddled with stupid little problems which add up. Mine ate a High Pressure Fuel Pump and an ABS pump weeks after buying it. Costing me over a grand in pumps in the first month, and about 6 hours of on the drive DIY fitting them (intake manifold has to come out for the HPFP... stupid much!).

 

But when the work, they are insane fun. All of that headache can be resolved by taking out BMW Warranty. I did this after spending the grand and wish I did it before!! It was £60/month on mine, but sub 60K mile cars are cheaper, and it is comprehensive, the same warranty they sell on their AUC cars. Includes wear and tear too!

Edited November 7, 2017 by Vish8895

[Cimanu]

5 minutes ago, Vish8895 said:

Yes, certainly a good run around family car, I wouldn't mind one for the misses that I can toy with lol!

 

I would recommend any N54 powered 1 or 3 series, but they are riddled with stupid little problems which add up. Mine ate a High Pressure Fuel Pump and an ABS pump weeks after buying it. Costing me over a grand in pumps in the first month, and about 6 hours of on the drive DIY fitting them (intake manifold has to come out for the HPFP... stupid much!).

 

But when the work, they are insane fun. All of that headache can be resolved by taking out BMW Warranty. I did this after spending the grand and wish I did it before!! It was £60/month on mine, but sub 60K mile cars are cheaper, and it is comprehensive, the same warranty they sell on their AUC cars. Includes wear and tear too!

Now that's interesting!

 

I'll let him know.

 

That one we went to look at had the ABS pump and HPFP in the history.. so certainly a thing on the e92 aswell as 87

 

Zs are certainly simpler, they have a few common issues but nothing that expensive really. They're a bit clunky to drive, gearbox isn't a quick changer..

Some of the early cars really do burn oil.. my first was a 53' DE which used a lot. I came from Hondas so was used to a bit.. but that was a lot. Was on 28k when I bought it too...

 

My current one is a 57' and it's a much better engine in these later cars, you really do notice the difference.. but then you need to be aware of the oil gallery gaskets which are these useless paper gaskets, they will eventually fail and cause low pressure - I had mine changed just as a precaution so I could forget about it.

 

If your budget lets you I'd seriously look at the later HR cars, lots of subtle tweaks the whole way through the car which just make it a lot nicer.

 

Shame your about 2 hours west from me otherwise I'd say you're welcome to come look round and drive mine, get a feel for what to look for!