[i.milapsan]

This is a great ownership thread and very informative. In light of the recent GT clearance from BMW india - do you feel the 42.5 L ex-showroom price for a slightly dated platform is worth the investment today?

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by i.milapsan

This is a great ownership thread and very informative. In light of the recent GT clearance from BMW india - do you feel the 42.5 L ex-showroom price for a slightly dated platform is worth the investment today?

Hey sorry I completely missed this message. Thank you for the kind words.

I think if you plan to keep this for a long haul it would still be worth buying. The thing with the GT is, it is slightly unique in its positioning with no direct notchback rival - so if that works for you by all means go for it.

Having said that, it will depreciate fast, so I would suggest you should seriously consider buying maybe an 18-24 month used model if you can. It will be FANTASTIC value and given the model is phasing out you can hopefully drive a harder bargain in the used market as well.

Happy to try and address any other specific Qs you may have.

Cheers

[i.milapsan]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Hey sorry I completely missed this message. Thank you for the kind words.

I think if you plan to keep this for a long haul it would still be worth buying. The thing with the GT is, it is slightly unique in its positioning with no direct notchback rival - so if that works for you by all means go for it.

Having said that, it will depreciate fast, so I would suggest you should seriously consider buying maybe an 18-24 month used model if you can. It will be FANTASTIC value and given the model is phasing out you can hopefully drive a harder bargain in the used market as well.

Happy to try and address any other specific Qs you may have.

Cheers

Appreciate that insight. I'd love to pm you on a couple of questions I have, but I don't think the system lets me - do contact me if you're able to.
Thanks!

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by i.milapsan

Appreciate that insight. I'd love to pm you on a couple of questions I have, but I don't think the system lets me - do contact me if you're able to.

Thanks!

I tried sending you an email through the app but I think you can't have that feature either way till you are 25 posts old. Same with private messages. Neither of us can send a PM until you are 25 messages old.

Happy to exchange contacts with you via PM once your PM status is activated. I can see we're both mumbai based (and similar aged). Conversation should be easy. 😂

[i.milapsan]

Axe77 - Interesting. You live and learn, I guess! I hope it doesn’t violate forum rules for me to hope that the message in a bottle washes ashore, and to let the universe know that my email address is i.milapsan@gmail.com! Perhaps we can connect.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Been a little over 38,000 kms and a shade over 4 years almost to the day.

Wow, just saw this post from 31st October, 2019. I am now at 42,500 kms approx. Car has done all of 4500 kms in the last 10.5 months, thanks to Covid 19!! And I haven't exactly kept myself locked up in solitary. Have moved around when and where I can.

[Axe77]

I though this is as good a time as any for a significant update.

The car completed 5 years in early early October this year at around or about the 41/42000 kms mark (It is currently a little past 43000 clicks on the ODO.

Final BSI update

I had taken the 5 years 60,000 BSI package. Got a final service done from BMW to check whether there was anything that needed attention. In the recent past one of the sensors had given up yet again which was duly replaced under warranty. As a last service, all 4 shock absorbers were also changed by BMW (2 were gone and 2 had become hard). I am really pleased at this outcome from BMW as this would have been a major expense outside of BSI (about 1.2 Lakh approx at A.S.S rates).

The car is absolutely tight at the 5 year mark as well and hopefully it should serve the second half of its ~10 year journey now incident free.

Engine remap update:

I also got the engine remapped from a fellow BHP’ian who had also worked on GTO’s 530d. It has now moved from stock (184 BHP / 380 NM I think) to about 225 BHP and 480 NM levels.

The car feels smoother somehow, fuel consumption remains as it was and i can definitely feel the surge in power, specially given that a lot of my driving off late has been frequent Mumbai Pune expressway runs.

Other than that, absolutely nothing adverse to report. I have shifted temp residence between Mumbai to Pune and its been stellar moving large items of luggage, my bicycle etc on multiple trips. Love the notchback’s practicality for exactly this reason.

Detailing and paint restoration.

In my brief few months in Pune I also stumbled (via Team-BHP) on Aquatint Detailing Studio at Aundh. Decided to do give some detailing love to the car given its crossed the 5 year mark. I was so impressed with them that I also gave them my bike for a relatively more modest job. Both vehicles came out absolutely dazzling. A more detailed report is at the link below. Below are some pics of the car from a recent Mumbai Pune run as well as one of the bike just to show the detailing (although the pic of the bike is several days post the detailing when I had gone there just to pick up something).

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/other...ml#post4939786 (Detailing Studio - Aquatint (Pune))

[androdev]

Thanks for the update. Looking like new even after 5 years. Isn't it early to require a suspension job at 43K km, that too shock absorbers?

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by androdev

Isn't it early to require a suspension job at 43K km, that too shock absorbers?

It was well shy of being outright in replacement territory but i think they just did it as a preemptive discretionary thing. I am happy. I would rather they do it now and I have a clean set rather than have to pay for it from my pocket at 55k or so.

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by Axe77

It was well shy of being outright in replacement territory but i think they just did it as a preemptive discretionary thing. I am happy. I would rather they do it now and I have a clean set rather than have to pay for it from my pocket at 55k or so.

How did they determine they were gone? Just with a road test, or with some real damper testing that determines the exact damper life left in % terms? Were you feeling anything yourself, and did you feel any change after the replacement?

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by d3mon

How did they determine they were gone? Just with a road test, or with some real damper testing that determines the exact damper life left in % terms? Were you feeling anything yourself, and did you feel any change after the replacement?

Felt better post the replacement for sure. Honestly I did not second guess them too much on this. At my request, this last service was overseen by a very senior person at the A.S.S who I trust implicitly and completely on these matters. Since I did not pay for it and it was covered under my last BSI service I also think it was only beneficial to me.

[Axe77]

The GT is now about 5 years and 2/3 months old with the ODO standing at approximately 47,000 kms.

Got my wheel balancing and alignment done by Pal Tyres in SantaCruz. I’m a bit miffed that they botched up the wheel alignment a bit and I could only get that sorted post my return from about 2000 kms of driving. The whole purpose of getting this job done before my various highway runs was a bit defeated.

I also just did the first service this week post my BSI expiring and it cost me about 53k INR with taxes. I will really consider doing routine service with a trusty FNG going forward as it will cost me less than half that amount outside.

My rear brake disc and brake pads are also due for replacement for which I will use an FNG anyway. Plan to complete this during this week itself.

In other news, the car has seen a lot of highway running in the last 12 odd days of December. I went Mumbai - Nashik - Thane - Pune on one day totalling about 450 odd kms.

From there the car did Pune Goa Pune during Xmas week and finally after spending a couple of days in Pune we returned to Mumbai on 1st January. The only incident I had was an unfortunate puncture caused by a small screw around 10 kms before Ajara. I had to inflate air using my Michelin tyre inflator and slowly drive to Ajara to find a small local tyre puncture repair wala. Luckily being the front wheel I didn’t have to remove the wheel even and could just turn the tyre and have it checked and repaired.

Total running from 20th Dec till 1st Jan was approximately 2000 kms. Mileage was approximately 14.5 kmpl.

The car has been remapped to ~225 BHP as well and is a complete hoot in the mid to high range. Combined with the M Sport Steering wheel which allows me paddle shifters, the car brings an absolutely stupid grin on every highway drive, be it the expressway or the narrow twisties of Amboli ghat.

Some pics which are mostly in Goa only. Didn’t really click the car anywhere else

[graaja]

Your car does not look like a 5 year old. You have maintained it superbly

That picture under the banyan tree is a classic! And with the remap and M sport steering wheel, the car is a keeper.

Can you list the work done during the service that cost 53K? This is quite steep for a regular oil service.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by graaja

Can you list the work done during the service that cost 53K? This is quite steep for a regular oil service.

Thank you for the kind words graaja. The car is certainly a keeper and fingers crossed I have an uneventful ownership journey for the next 4- 5years too.

Honestly I just took that amount as annual service cost as what was quoted and also understood no discounts at this stage are available. I think for older cars they give some discounts perhaps- not sure.

Here are extracts of the detailed invoice which largely makes very little sense to me purely borne out of my own technical illiteracy. Short point is since I have a trusted FNG as well, for very routine stuff like this I would use my FNG going forward as the bill would be less than half the amount.

I do want to keep the ownership cost as lean as possible without cutting any corners as such in the quality of up keep.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by Axe77

I just took that amount as annual service cost as what was quoted and also understood no discounts at this stage are available.

You could have avoided a lot from this, at least 50%. Did they explained to you what’s fumigation and ionization? Also, they have charged you for Diesel additive bottles, have they given you these bottles? I also find the labour charges higher, more lines have probably been added. When was the fine filter replaced last time?

Drop a mail to service advisor and keep copy to BMW asking about all these additional jobs and specifically if these jobs are mandatory or done as optional in which case, did they tried to explain you before carrying. If not, ask a refund.

And, No, don’t take car outside. Just stick with mandatory jobs or better post estimate here and let other members help you before you give an approval.

Originally Posted by Axe77

Honestly, considering I have a good friend who runs a reliable FNG - and the fact that the car is out of warranty, I actually see no reason to not take it to the FNG itself.

No, don't go that route at all. BMW keeps pushing some updates and also even if you are out of warranty, if your vehicle is serviced at dealership, BMW will support you. Your resales also stays better.

While I recognise that some of the optionals could have been avoided, on aspects like additives etc, I have enough comfort with my service lead to know that if something is said to have been added or done it would have been done.

Go through the invoice again, what's fumigation and interior ionisation? Nothing but a quick spray of 3M disinfectant

Diesel additives, if you have bottles in the trunk, its fine. Add on regular intervals. They have charged you for 9 bottles.