Team-BHP - Review: BMW 330i (G20)

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Thank you!!
Cognac, yes. The interiors look beautiful with the exterior colour. I was in touch with this dealer for a while. We spoke about X1 first and later 330i M Sport. But my mind was fixated on the sport variant. 3 months later he called me on his own owing to a decently good relation I was able to maintain with the SA

Have they added Ambient Lighting as well to the Sport trim? I know it's not a big deal but having this in my 2019 Octavia, feels like a obvious miss when I test drove last month.

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Originally Posted by SrikantDora (Post 5343315)

Have they added Ambient Lighting as well to the Sport trim? I know it's not a big deal but having this in my 2019 Octavia, feels like a obvious miss when I test drove last month.

Yes there is Ambient Lighting, its a set of fixed colours that you can choose from, not like the Mercedes where you can pretty much set it to any colour you want..

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Originally Posted by iliketurtles (Post 5323860)

Welcome, mano!

That they are, no two ways about it. I remember the IPE exhaust (full system with downpipe and quad exhaust setup, valvetronic) costing in the ballpark of 2 lakhs, and the Armytrix exhaust (identical setup + an upgraded turbo and intake, absolutely mega, sounded like a 6 cylinder) costing about 3 lakhs.

My opinion; Armytrix is epic, but costs a crazy amount of money. Check out IPE, or even Milltek (if they have something). Here's a small taster of the IPE exhaust on the B48. And as always, remember that videos don't do justice to how they sound in real life, it should sound even nicer than this.

Yes, that would be prudent. If I were you, I'd explore getting the ECU+TCU tune (the latter from xHP) to begin with, and look at an exhaust down the line. You could even look at a catted/catless downpipe (from say Wagner) for a bump in performance, and sound as a midway step.

Full disclosure; I myself couldn't justify spending the big bucks for an exhaust setup on my 328i (read, I didn't want to get divorced), and got my catless downpipe + exhaust done at this shop, Mark Performance. I'm quite happy with the work he did (I paid approx. 50k total), and will keep that setup on the car until the time I sell it off.

Hey! Thought I’d give you an update:

Quoted cash price for Res - 2.2L and Fi - 2.7L at Redline.

N1 quoted 2.4L for the Supersprint without Valves.

Was hoping for Res to be 1.5 and I could’ve stretched and gone for it.

The other option is going for Magnaflow Tips and Mufflers along with in house pipes without the resonator. Can’t replace the downpipe as we can’t tune the B48.

Magnaflow setup should crave my itch, I just hope it’s a nice deep tone much like the catback exhausts.

I’m highly confused haha. I’d also lose out on valves.

What do you think?

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Originally Posted by rbp25 (Post 5344847)

Hey! Thought I’d give you an update…

…What do you think?

Good to hear!

In your shoes, I’d stretch a bit and go with the RES exhaust, since it’s imperative to get this right. This is not something you can simply write off as not to to your taste and start over, since it’s a considerable expense. Supersprint doesn’t make sense to me at that price, especially minus the valves.

I would avoid the Magnaflow idea; not an apple’s to apple’s comparison, but I remember the previous owner of my ride had installed the Magnaflow endcan (albeit on the N20 engine) and had it undone since he wasn’t happy with it.

Any other brands you came across that were considered? Milltek, Remus, etc?

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Originally Posted by iliketurtles (Post 5344862)

Appreciate the advice man. I’ve been so torn what to do. I was expecting Res to be cheaper honestly. Then I thought the only major acoustic components of a catback would be the resonator and mufflers so a custom Magnaflow job shouldn’t be that different from a full catback if using shop fabricated piping.

As of now it’s just the Supersprint, Res and Fi. 4S is yet to get back to me on any catbacks from their vendor.

But based on options available right now I guess Res is the best. Would you argue Supersprint is better being Italian made vs Res being china manufactured?
2.2L is cash only so with 28% markup it would be 2.8L.

Appreciate your help man!

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Originally Posted by rbp25 (Post 5344866)

I thought the only major acoustic components of a catback would be the resonator and mufflers so a custom Magnaflow job shouldn’t be that different from a full catback if using shop fabricated piping.

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Originally Posted by rbp25 (Post 5344866)

Based on options available right now I guess Res is the best. Would you argue Supersprint is better being Italian made vs Res being china manufactured?

I can see where you’re coming from, but I’d say you shouldn’t be worried. IPE, Armytrix, and probably even RES are all made in Taiwan to very high standards, I wouldn’t sweat on the quality of it at all.

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Originally Posted by rbp25 (Post 5344866)

2.2L is cash only so with 28% markup it would be 2.8L.

It’s a good thing I was sitting down when I read this.

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Originally Posted by rbp25 (Post 5344866)

Appreciate your help man!

Anytime, bud.

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Originally Posted by iliketurtles (Post 5344877)

It could be as you say, but then you’d have to trust the shop to replicate whatever schematics you share with them perfectly, using any exhaust video you share with them as a reference for sound. There’s a lot of variables there, would you really wanna spend on it only to be underwhelmed, and end up back at square one? I’ve been down that road man, don’t go there. Results might be less than what you hoped for, so don’t throw good money at a probable thing. Do it for a sure thing.

I can see where you’re coming from, but I’d say you shouldn’t be worried. IPE, Armytrix, and probably even RES are all made in Taiwan to very high standards, I wouldn’t sweat on the quality of it at all.

It’s a good thing I was sitting down when I read this.

Anytime, bud.

Very true. I guess I underestimate the engineering that goes into the connecting pipes as well to get the signature tones. I’ve asked for more quotes , let’s see what I get back with, I’ll give you my options when I know more then you can help me make a final decision :)

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Originally Posted by Exile (Post 5347402)

Speaking of exhausts for the 330i, has anyone tried checking with the dealership if they fit the M performance axle-back exhaust to the 330i as well. M340i owners can get this done without voiding warranties, and since it's available in international markets for the 330i, shouldn't it be offered here too?

Very much possible and already installed on multiple BLR 330i vehicles. Similarly plug and play fitting in ~45 minutes as in the the M340i. Currently priced at ~2.6L

Only issue is that the original exhaust tips are not an exact fit for the MPE end-pipe. However, they can be made to fit with a little jugaad. Alternative is to additionally buy the MPE tips which are astronomically priced at 50K++ for a set.

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Originally Posted by itwasntme (Post 5347557)

Very much possible and already installed on multiple BLR 330i vehicles. Similarly plug and play fitting in ~45 minutes as in the M340i. Currently priced at ~2.6L.

My word, that is steep:disappointed ! The SA at the Kolkata dealership had no clue if this was an option for the 330i as well, he said he'll check and get back but was sceptical. Also asked if the Cerium Grey kidney grill surrounds are available, the ones on the International M340i. They do look classy.

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Originally Posted by Exile (Post 5348205)

My word, that is steep:disappointed ! The SA at the Kolkata dealership had no clue if this was an option for the 330i as well, he said he'll check and get back but was sceptical.

Send him this BMW part number for the RHD 330i:
https://parts.bmwsydney.com.au/p/BMW...302464498.html

Unsure of the grill - available for 125-150 EUR abroad but haven't seen one being on sale in India. You can get black of course. Also, the 330i & 340i grills are interchangeable.

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Was hoping for Res to be 1.5 and I could’ve stretched and gone for it.

Buddy you wouldn't get RES at those prices from a dealer even before the Covid storm shot up material and shipping costs. So the quotes you're getting seem fair. So it's better to get what you want in first go as starting over will not be easy or cheap.

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The other option is going for Magnaflow Tips and Mufflers along with in house pipes without the resonator. Can’t replace the downpipe as we can’t tune the B48.

The new ECUs can be tuned very easily by most tuners, only need to get it unlocked by Femto which are the only people AFAIK which can unlock the new ECUs as of now. You just need to ok with the high price and waiting period. Also if you like the sound with the downpipe I think it's possible to turn off the O2 sensor and go without a tune, just consult with your tuner and they should point you in the right direction. :)

Hi all, brought home a brand new BMW 330i M Sport Dark in Black Sapphire this week and have been thoroughly enjoying it. A huge thanks goes to sharathm and Abhinit for the amazing images of the car in black and itwasntme for the comprehensive reviews. We had a plan to go with the latest Mercedes Benz C Class, but the enthusiast in me did not connect with the 1.5L Petrol in the C Class. A short spin in the BMW 3 Series made me fall in love with it the moment I sat in it. Haven't got a lot of time with the car as it has just arrived from getting PPF'ed at Esperto Car Care BTM Layout.
Attaching some images of the car.

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Originally Posted by Varun Ramesh (Post 5349279)

Hi all, brought home a brand new BMW 330i M Sport Dark in Black Sapphire this week and have been thoroughly enjoying it.

Congratulations on the acquisition! Noted the special //M garlands :D red white and blue theme! Wish you many safe and fun miles with the beast! Which brand of PPF did you go for and what was the cost overall? Did you get any discounts on the OTR price for the car?