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-   -   Crossing the thin redline into madness. Meet Red, my old new BMW 328i (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/204534-crossing-thin-redline-into-madness-meet-red-my-old-new-bmw-328i-19.html)

We stood there, the air laden heavy with anticipation, as I surveyed the room and took stock of the situation I found myself in.

And then, I searched my feelings and found it to be true, and so I mustered the courage to pose the question I never thought I’d ask of another man.

“Do you mind if I see it, just the tip?”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I ended up with a new set of exhaust tips to replace the ones on my ride, which had become a bit ratty.

Pro tip: never ask a man to check out just the tip

The old ones on the car were, to use the scientific term, bleh. And so when presented with the chance to spice things up, I pounced upon these without much of a second thought.

Are these original Akrapovic tips? No.

Do I care about that at all? Also no.

And now, with me running out of things to say, I’ll just up a series of pics that vaguely represent my stream of consciousness, and a string of events for your viewing pleasure.

…and on others, you just want to loaf around suburban bylines, and lounge by the seaside as you learn how to park (not very well)...

…while self-professed experts offer you words of wisdom that were unsolicited…

…but say what you will, your tribe is your tribe, and you stick together through it all.

Ran into this gorgeous 340i while out on a jaunt, and had this random pic clicked as the 328 peeled off into the sunset

The heart hankers for more drives as lockdown restrictions get lifted (maybe temporarily), petrol prices notwithstanding. But with the sun beating down with the vengeance of a thousand angry primetime news anchors, I’m just biding my time till the monsoon is here to offer some welcome respite.

That’s all, folks. With nothing much to report, I’ll draw a line under my rambling right here. Until next time!

Hello there, paisan.

I’ve been silent for a while because no news can be good news.

With red set to turn 10 next month (of which I have had her for about 4 of them, 3.5 of which have been really happy), I find myself often wondering if and when to move her on. But I find myself leaning towards holding on to her for at least a little while longer since

• It’s an EMI-free car on the highway of life
• The used car market is bonkers right now. Replacing it with a new car would be a big leap, for now
• I think she still looks spectacular, even today. Old-ish school cool

I gave her a thorough cleaning today, and applied a spray-on ceramic wax to make things pop a bit, and I think she looks delicious and contemporary even a decade on. There’s still a little more life left in the old dog, and she packs a serious bite to go with her bark, so I’ll ensure she has a loving home in my garage for a little while longer at least.



That said, be it human or machine, with age comes its own quibbles. And there are a few niggles I need to sort out with the 3’er. No deal breakers per se, but a bunch of teeny weeny things, such as

• A parking sensor that wasn’t refitted right after a paint job, which is causing it to endlessly play me the song of its people
• A failed ORVM motor that causes it to temporarily shriek like one of the goats from Thor: Love and Thunder
• The infamous Blue Screen of Death (which I will replace soon, I promise)
• An AC vent on the passenger side that is stubbornly stuck facing one way, which has to be undone
• My dashcam mysteriously refuses to turn on, so I must enlist someone smarter than me to bring it back to life

No real biggies in there, but annoyances I have to sort out for my own mental well-being.

More or less, life with the 328i has been easy breezy, and not at all cheesy. I still enjoy driving her (preferably at full pelt) every time I find an open, un-potholed stretch of road (a near impossibility in Bombay, I know), and I find every drive to be a bit of an occasion.

A question…

I’ve done all the performance mods I’ve wanted to get done, save for one; a cold air intake. So I ask you, wise citizens of the internet, for your opinion; should I pull the trigger or not?

That’s all, folks. Until next time.

Hey!
Congratulations on your car turning 10! In my opinion, it still looks amazing and you shouldn't part with this machine if you're satisfied with it performance wise.

There is still a lot you can do to maximize this car's potential. I would urge you to look at the Navardi Tuned instagram page. He is custom tuner from Australia and specializes in 4 cylinder BMWs. He has guides and tunes that can take your N20/N26 to upwards of 500hp with the right build. Even his is custom stage 2 tunes push 20% more power and torque compared to OTS maps (depending on engine and fuel).If you're looking to do something handling wise, I would recommend getting Anti Roll Bars if you haven't already and get the F80 LCA+TS kit to dial in the steering. The cold air intake will merely enhance the intake sounds a bit and the OEM intake is already well made.

These changes should really elevate your experience with the F30. In my personal opinion, I would only consider an M2/3/4/5 or the 63 range to be a worthy upgrade of the F30 (unless you can get a porsche or a V10 Audi) and not consider the M340i. With the prices as they are in the used car market, I would say build on this platform and pick up a 2018 or newer sportscar in a few years.

I would definitely like the pleasure of getting a snap of this machine taken along with mine at the next opportunity in Mumbai. Fun thread and great looking car!

Thanks for the kind words buddy, and the hugely detailed answer!

My big concern with pushing the car that far (towards 400 or 500 BHP) is that I'd perhaps lose out a touch on reliability if I don't do it right (given this is my daily). And doing it right (which is really the only option) would mean splashing big on the custom tune + uprated internals.

Given I have half made up my mind to keep her for a year at most, I don't think I'd be able to enjoy that big power bump to the fullest, it'd be just such a fleeting summer romance (not that those weren't fun). That's before arguing that it makes little financial sense, since it would essentially be a sunk cost.

Actually, this is one of the last things I'd be looking to fix. The lowering springs make the car quite sure-footed around corners and on straights, with a good amount of heft and precision even in Comfort mode.

I kind of fear that the Anti Roll Bars will make the car even stiffer over Bombay's non-existent roads. And while I'm sure that F80 kit would surely amp up steering feel even more, I feel I can put the money to better use elsewhere. Particularly, boosting low-end torque a bit more to make the car that bit more responsive.

The idea for the Cold Air Intake came from this whole keeda of improving low-end response a bit, and (if I'm being honest) the curiosity to hear the whooshes when I'm "on it".

I too recall multiple threads saying the stock intake is quite well-made, which makes me debate the need to tinker with it just for the aforementioned sounds.

What's also making me reassess going for it are the death glares the wifey throws my way every time I so much as broach the topic of spending on the car for any given reason rl: But better this redhead as an object of attraction than a two-legged redhead, I guess!

I fully agree with you on this, a proper ///M car would be a massive (and the right upgrade) for someone like me. Porsche's will either be too old, or too undesirable, subjectively speaking (read Panamera or Cayenne) or too small (read Macan), and an Audi V10 would rip a hole in my wallet the kinds of which will form the basis of financial prudence guidebooks for decades to come. But I absolutely do see myself in a Porsche someday. Perhaps just not as a next step. The subjective unattractiveness of the AMG coupe SUVs is why I wouldn't even consider them.

My challenges with getting an ///M car are manifold, as I'll briefly elaborate below:

• The M2, my absolute first choice, has been vetoed by the much better half, as she wants 4 usable seats, and a semblance of a boot for our road trips.
• This also knocks out the M4, I think, since the rear seats will be compromised by the swooping roofline. But god, this car looks a million bucks in Austin Yellow.
• This brings us to the M3. A quick chat with some guys in Bombay that own them reveals that this is not a daily driver, and is much better suited to being a weekend driver thanks to its slightly more demanding nature and innate stiffness (as it should be)
• As for the M5, I think it's just too big, and there just aren't enough good examples out there. That's before I get to the fact that I don't think a full-size executive sedan can be a fun car. I just think that's the antithesis of the fun car formula, no? Small, quick, agile is the way to go IMO.

I think the M340i might just be the way to go. Sure, it costs a lot. But I think it's very well-priced for what it offers. The A45s is something like 80 OTR or so, and the S5 is about 1.05 OTR or so. That's a whole different conversation. But I think the M340i ticks a lot of boxes (fun, fast, feature loaded, fits four plus some luggage, will be fresh for a longggg time). I just have to wrap my head around that price and take a call later.

This makes so much sense at every level. But I know myself; I'll nod along and do these upgrades, knowing at the back of my mind that I want a 6 cylinder and eventually sell in the car in a year or so, negating the entire project.

I'll still work on patao'ing the wifey for an M2/3, but I can see her holding firm against them. This will be a true test of my charm and powers of persuasion. Wish me luck!

Thanks megazoid! Absolutely, you got it mano. If and when you swing this side, let me know and I'd be more than happy to come by.

Check out my post here on XHP's customization module. If you tinker with box gearbox map a bit, It will really help keep the car in the torque band and make it feel much more responsive. Also, when compared to the OTS maps the biggest difference that custom had to offer was in the OEM+ feel it gave with regards to drivability and response. Whether it is worth the $400 or so USD is for you to decide.

With regards to the M340i, it is by all means a fantastic car. The only thing that kept me from recommending it as an upgrade was seeing mildly run 2016-17 C63s being picked up at around the 75L mark. I would rank the C63s quite similar in terms of daily usability to the M340i and the feature list (and the obvious V8 performance) is really attractive on the C63s too. This makes it a better pick IMO. See if you find a sample around you to test out, at a similar price to the M340i you might just make a leap to a proper V8 AMG.

Lol. You need a two car garage. Is it an option keeping aside the risks of having to sleep on the couch?

I do, don’t I? Would solve so many conundrums.

The thought crossed my mind earlier in the year, and I took a test drive of the Thar with a view to adding it to the garage. There are very few SUVs that I think are sexy, and the Thar is one of them.

Unfortunately, maybe the tyres on my test car were over inflated or whatever, but it helped me understand how a Joey would feel tucked into a Kangaroo’s pouch. It was so bouncy in there over Bombay’s gloriously cratered roads, it was deeply disconcerting. No, I wasn’t driving it even remotely rapidly, nor was I expecting it to be a sedan like experience.

I get that slapping on the Avo suspension would sort things out greatly, but having to splash in excess of ₹1 lakh to fix the shortcomings of a brand new vehicle is not exactly desirable or easily palatable. The interiors were strictly functional, but that kind of added to the charm.

Outside of that option, I don’t see how a 2 car garage is doable since there are such few options. I love the Endeavour, but we know how that ended. I don’t dig any of the “SUVs” in the 30-40 lakh range, so I’ll continue with the one car garage for now, maybe pick up a Thar or something else later.

Again, this is all just khayali pulao. As opposed to being made to sleep on the couch by the wife, which is a very real danger if I get something she disapproves of.

You said it yourself- the used car market is a bit bonkers at the moment. The cost of replacing/upgrading the red would be quite a handsome sum, albeit you might get a really good deal on your car.

I would personally hang on to the car for at least another 3-5 years. Given the mint condition of the car, small niggles can always be sorted out. Start the upgrades from the interior of the car, since that is the place where you would spend most of the time. Maybe a new steering? New leather covers? The list is practically endless and depends on your personal taste.

For the exterior, if the budget permits you can go for a body kit or changing alloys/alloy wheel paint.

I hope this helps! Looking forward to seeing more posts on your Red! :loveit

Wonderful to see your red looking neat and shiny. Quick question. How much have you clocked on it? And the total Odo. I personally feel 1L mark is a threshold beyond which the expenses exponentially increase.
Like everybody else mentioned, the used car market is on an all time high, i got my preowned A3 from Audi Approved plus and they claimed to have more sales the new cars division. And the prices are at an all time high as well.

Being a Mumbaikar, I'm sure you're very familar with the term keeda. One unseen keeda has wormed its way into my head, and is constantly chewing away at my brain, relentlessly, popping up very randomly into my consciousness and suggesting I change the car.

Most days, I ignore it. Some days, like yesterday, when I settled down late at night with a tipple in hand, it manifests itself in strange ways, like wondering if I should keep the car and get an E92 M3 or E60 M5 just to scratch that itch of a larger, more characterful engine. Hundred percent true story.

I like a lot about the car; the way it looks, goes, feels, and communicates. But man, as a girlfriend once told me, size matters. That's the simple truth. It's the only reason I'm hankering for an extra 2 cylinders at least. There's no sensible reason for this craving.

Very slippery slope, man. Where do you draw the line?

I'd line up a new steering wheel, a new instrument cluster, and NBT EVO if money were no matter. But those costs add up rapidly, and I've promised the wife not to go bananas with spends on the car, given I am minded to sell her in the medium-term.

I will get a few things done for sure for my own peace of mind (like changing the damaged infotainment screen), but I'm going to abstain from modifying her anymore. I have to save money to tweak the next ride after all :D

Sirjee, I already have added the M sport body kit mixed with the M3 front fenders. If I throw it out now, the wifey will throw me out along with it. You got an extra room at your place? I'll bring the beers, or chai if you're a tea-totaller.

I'll surely keep the posts coming. Writing on here is a creative release for me. Be seeing you around.

Thanks bud! As of today, she's just shy of 56000 kms on the odo, of which I have clocked 38000 in the last 4.5 years or so.

I would concur. My big concern is the timing chain, a known issue with the N20 engine. I've taken to getting oil and filter changes done every 7500 KMS, especially since the car is tuned, and the transmission service is something that'll pop up in the next year or so too. I'm not too fussed about the suspension, since I changed all the shocks out to Bilstein B6's about 25000 KMs ago, so it's good to go for a long time.

Of course, unseen expenses will crop up with a car this old, but it's all part of the territory. I've come to realise that you just have to treat her with love, and she'll do likewise.

Yes, the market is absolutely crazy right now. I have no idea how sustainable it is, but people are making hay while the sun shines. More power to them. So long as you're happy with the car, who cares. Happiness can't have a price tag on it.

I see what you did here, and to you sir, I tip my hat!

As always, nice reading your endeavors with the car. Wish you the best! :)

IMHO, the wisest thing to do would be to buy a nice uncleji family car without any sporty pretensions (Camry Hybrid, E Class, Lexus ES, etc.) and separate the state and church. The other car can be your personal weapon of choice.

You can consider a used but very well kept Camry Hybrid for family duties. You will get it under 15L in Mumbai. It is a PHENOMENAL car within the city which is what I expect a lot of usage would be. My comparison is with S class, I am thoroughly impressed by it within city - from the perspective of myself as a driver and family comfort. Other than a potential new hybrid battery (Rs 2.5L), it will run forever without any issues.

Keep the 3 series while you hunt for a suitable "sports" car, preferably a coupe from Porsche. I won't say Porsche cars are better and I am sure others have caught up with it - but the brand is absolutely sexy with immense street cred. Don't buy an all-purpose M5 or Panamera unless you don't have parking for two cars.

Thank you, kind sir. Always nice to see a pun or two tickle someone's fancy.

I do like the Camry/Lexus a fair bit, great city cars that are perfectly suited for the urban hustle. But I'd like something smaller as an urban commuter, something like a Nexon EV.

The issue I have with doing that is two-fold:

1. I can only spend so much on one or two cars, and given that limitation, I would rather go all in for a car that would put some hair on my chest first. I'm at that point in life where a nice Camry isn't too far away, but I want to fight the dying of the light for just a little bit longer
2. The wifey (who would mostly use the second car) would prefer a hatchback (she idolises the Santro, don't ask). She finds even the 3 to be a bit too large for the city, don't think she's take to a Camry/ES too kindly

I have long debated the idea of adding one more car to the garage, but held back because, well, I'd rather put all my eggs in one high-powered basket. I'd actually quite like the Thar as a second car if and when, it's just very very sexy. And sex sells. I feel a Camry will certainly make its way into my home at some point. Just not now, I'm still young(ish).

I absolutely agree that Porsche engineering is a level or two up from BMW, you'll find no argument from me there. The Panamera is a damn nice car, but too large for my liking (I'd put the same argument forth for the 5 and M5). The design picked up a lot post 2016/17, to the point I really like it. But yes, if I were to get a Porsche, the coupe form factor is very up my street. Problem is that prices are crazy on them, and the wait for one would really test my finite patience.

That, coupled with the fact that the wifey is nudging me towards buying new for the next car, really limits my options. I checked out the Macan, but adding on options blows any semblance of value for money out of the water, and I really can't countenance replacing a 2.0 engine with another 2.0 powerplant, even if it is from Porsche.

Some day though. The appeal of a Porsche is very, very strong. I'm just not at that point in time where I think I'll be able to add one to the garage in the short or medium term. One day though...that's the dream.

Man, reading through the para quickly I thought you meant to sell your wife. Don't know what's happening to my reading capabilities.

Please don't feel offended. I just felt like putting it down here what I felt :)