[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by TheAllKnowing

Congratulations on the car Vignesh. .

Thank you !

Originally Posted by TheAllKnowing

I was told by BMW service personnel that 6GT comes with 'run flat' tyres that facilitates the drive to go on for these exact scenarios, including a tyre burst(of course with reduced speed). I am confused why did you have change to donut.
Does 'run flat' tyres have limitations?

Yes, this car does come with run flat tyres. However, it has limitations. In the case of partial or total loss of pressure as happened in my case, the distance you can drive with such a flat tyre is limited - approx 100kms or so (depends on manufacturer). The side walls will be completely gone by then. I had a lot more distance to cover, and didn’t want to cause any damage to the rims, so switched to the donut.

[astro_adi7]

Congrats Vignesh on your new ride!! When I saw the 630d GT my first thought was about this thread, but I didn't expect it to be the same car. It was great to meet you so randomly!! Such a small world.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by astro_adi7

Congrats Vignesh on your new ride!! When I saw the 630d GT my first thought was about this thread, but I didn't expect it to be the same car. It was great to meet you so randomly!! Such a small world.

Thanks Aditya, it's a small world indeed :-)

[vignesh.cv]

The Gloss Factor

I had planned to do the necessary protection work in terms of either ceramic coating or PPF or both as needed as soon as I got the car. I reached out to old time friends & fellow BHPians Nikhil and Sunny for their inputs as I know Sunny has been doing some detailing work himself in recent times and I value his inputs on this matter. After the conversation, I decided to go with a complete PPF install as that'll offer the best protection against nicks and stone chips flying about during highway runs. Nikhil referred me to "The Gloss Factor", run by another BHPian Prashant Sajiv.

I had a conversation with Prashant, and he came to inspect the car so that he can offer appropriate advice. He mentioned the car has been kept quite well and that barring a couple of stone chip marks on the bonnet, it is in fine condition. He also suggested to go with front windshield protection to help protect it from stone chips and scratches. Post that I dropped the car at his place - he's moving his facility, so right now, working out of Next level detailing at HSR temporarily and he mentioned he'll be moving to Koramangala soon. He's another petrol head himself, owning a E250 and a Porsche himself. And he keeps experimenting by wrapping the E250 in a matt black wrap and wrapping the Porsche in a matt finish PPF. Both look stealth and understated. I was told it'll take approx 4-5 working days to finish the complete installation and curing.



Prashant sent me pictures of the progress every day and kept me updated on the proceedings. I must say the workmanship is really good and I cannot see any bubbles or imperfections or tears in the installation so far. He called out that the area covering the parking sensors and front tow hook will be cleared of the PPF once I get the car for a review/checkup in about 2 weeks time. They had to remove the lights, door handles, bumpers etc., to ensure a clean install and it shows.

Some pictures to showcase the workmanship. Given it's a white colour, the gloss doesn't show off that easily, but in the low light conditions, you can see the finishing. The PPF is self-healing, and is hydrophobic, so cleaning the car is now slightly easy. The car looks factory fresh now. The front grill will get wrapped in black by the time I go for the checkup of the installation. I'm happy & satisfied with the installation and outcome. If you are looking for PPF/ceramic coating in Bangalore, do consider The Gloss Factor.

[vignesh.cv]

Visit to Madhus

After a bit of conversation on whether to stay with RFTs or move to tubeless, I decided to move to tubeless. My reasoning was:

- In the event of a puncture, I will have to swap to donut, and fix the puncture. Cannot continue to drive with the flat RFT as that'll destroy the tyre sidewall completely meaning it'll have to be replaced.
- Tubeless tyres weigh less when compared to RFTs, not that it matters a lot on a car weighing close to 2 tonnes
- Promise of a better ride, and lower road noise.

I spoke with Manav and then with Nikhil of Madhus on the RFT vs. tubeless. Both were of the opinion that tubeless were much better overall. I also went through the posts by fellow BHPian's on this matter and I decided to go with tubeless. Visited Madhu's over the weekend and was greeted with friendly smiles all over. Mohsin, the manager at the store, gave me options for both Michelin & Pirelli for tubeless and I went with Michelin given my experience using them on the Laura for the past 3 years.

Busy weekend, waiting to be taken care of


Entering the alignment bay

Hoisted up for alignment


After affixing the panels to the wheels for alignment check


Adjusting the front


Adjusting the rear

They had to remove the plastic protective shield to be able to adjust the axle for alignment.


Choice of tyres - Michelin Pilot Sport 3

All done & ready to munch some miles

The PS3 was readily available in the required sizes, so went with the same. All the four tyres were '23 manufactured. I also purchased a puncture repair kit just for backup. I carry a portable air compressor and tyre pressure gauge with me, so this should help with any emergency. As always, I was treated to top quality workmanship and attention to detail from Madhu's. Bonus part was I got to meet the man behind, Nikhil, at the store after a very long time. Was really nice to catch up with him.

Verdict
There is a marked difference in ride quality for sure. As I was driving back from the store to my home, even in poor road conditions, the car felt like it was gliding over them. The air suspension is a big contributor here, but I could not feel the sharp thuds as I felt with the RFT earlier. Cannot comment on road noise, grip levels or steering feel yet, as it was only a city drive. Will post back once I'm able to go for a decent highway run one of these days.

[ketan_k_jain]

Got a brand new 630i GT M Sport for myself and now I must say, this is by far one of the most VFM luxury cars you can buy. Absolutely crazy on comfort. I guess the only negative with the petrol is its fuel efficiency but given how silent it is in comparison to both the diesels, it is a manageable tradeoff for my family.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by ketan_k_jain

Got a brand new 630i GT M Sport for myself and now I must say, this is by far one of the most VFM luxury cars you can buy. Absolutely crazy on comfort. I guess the only negative with the petrol is its fuel efficiency but given how silent it is in comparison to both the diesels, it is a manageable tradeoff for my family.

Congrats Ketan ! Completely agree, this car is high on creature comforts and ride quality. The petrol motor is very refined and packs a decent punch.

[vignesh.cv]

34,000kms update

Can't believe I've driven her for close to 3500kms since the time I bought her home. After the swap to tubeless, I had recently taken her out on a highway run to Madurai for the New year break to visit my folks and catch up with some friends. The drive was very comfy, plush and relaxing. The road noise was considerably low, and I could feel the outer front tyre digging into the tarmac on long sweeping corners. Felt quite nice.


Stopped at A2B after Salem, on the way to Madurai



Somewhere on the highway


Parked at a resort, nearby Madurai


Stop at Dharmapuri A2B on my way back

The return journey was pleasant and brilliant as well. This time, the onboard computer was showing approx 13kmpl as the overall mileage. I ran mostly in Comfort mode and it was a nice drive all through.

After coming back to Bangalore, I got a message from Prashant about the opening of their new outlet in Koramangala. I took the opportunity to pay them a visit as well as get the car a nice wash along with checking the PPF installation. We found a couple of places in the boot area that needed to given an once over and the area above the BMW emblem needed to be trimmed a bit more. I also got a chance to see the facility, they have complete detailing related services. Saw an i20 getting a ceramic coat treatment and it looked fabulous in dark colors under those fluorescent lights.


Getting a nice wash


Getting the PPF installation checked, you can see the reflection on the doors and side panels.


All done, back to pristine condition

[Red Liner]

Great updates as usual. Have you managed to get your local transfer in HR done in your name yet?

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Great updates as usual. Have you managed to get your local transfer in HR done in your name yet?

Thank you RedLiner. In the process of getting the Form 28 NOC from HR RTO, hopefully that should arrive in my hands shortly. Rest all the documents are in place. Post this I'll be applying for the re-registration in KA.

[vignesh.cv]

Chennai trip update

I took the car to Chennai for the Indimotard TWO track school over the weekend. I left Bangalore by Thursday afternoon and reached back yesterday night. This drive made me very comfortable with the car, the dimensions, the power delivery, the handling and the brakes.

The traffic was heavy both ways, owing to the festival break and also the road relaying work / flyover constructions at various places after Vellore. A friend of mine wanted to drive the car at the track, so we did a couple of laps there as well. The handling was as expected - in Sport mode, the damping is tight but the body roll was there. The car exhibited neutral to mild over steer tendency at the limit. Again, the tyres gave ample feedback, were squealing at the limit but never gave up.

Took a few of my friends to the track and back to the hotel. They were impressed by the quality of the interiors, the plushness of the ride, the impressive torque, the superlative brakes and kept wanting to be driven around in the "Airbus 747". All of them were surprised by the fact that a car looking big on the outside can handle so well and be placed on the road like an Alto.


Yummy medhu vada in sambhar


Taking a break

Stopped over at Saisangeet both ways for a break. The quality of food has been great over the years and their South Indian menu items is very good. If you haven't visited this place and enjoy South Indian food, do pay them a visit.

The return trip kind of cemented the superlative performance of the car, and the decision to run tubeless vs. RFTs. The ride was quite comfy, grippy and I could actually feel the grip of the tyres. I am running 33F/36R cold pressures and running nitrogen. My recommendation to anyone on the fence with regards to tubeless vs. RFTs - take the tubeless path.

[vignesh.cv]

Annual service update

After the trip to Chennai this month, the console was showing that an engine oil change is due in another 1200kms. Since there was no other travel coming up, I decided to get the car serviced. Found out that Deutsche Motoren service center is closer to where I live, so booked a slot with them yesterday morning. The center isn't as big but seem to have a steady volume of cars getting repairs and servicing done by the looks of the number of vehicles parked. I was assigned to Mr.Aftab and given it was the long weekend with lot of unplanned leaves, it took an hour to actually meet the service advisor. I was treated to some coffee and spent time going over the different accessories they'd put up in the counter.

After the wait, I got to meet Mr.Aftab. He apologized for the delay and then proceeded to inspect the car and also asked me if there was any complaints from my side. I had none, just wanted the regular service to be taken up. He mentioned there's a campaign wherein BMW is replacing the EGR cooler and said they'll take it up as part of the servicing. I requested them to check the brake pad and disc thickness given the car has done approx 34,700 kms. They came back saying the pads are good enough for another 8000-9000kms or so. Kudos to this fully should goto Mohit, the previous owner, for having driven the car carefully. I also got the brake fluid inspected and topped up. In terms of accessories, I went with the boot mat as I felt it'll go a long way in keeping the boot lining clean. I also got the alcantara key fob cover. Mr.Aftab recommended the diesel fuel additive to help clean up any deposits given the car has crossed 34,000kms, so got that as well. You dump in one cans worth of content for one full tank of fuel. Will see if that makes any difference to the smoothness of the engine.

Towards the end of the day, I got a message from Mr.Aftab that the car is ready to be delivered and that I can come and collect it today at my convenience. I went in the afternoon and met another service advisor Mr.Ajith, who walked me through the items in the bill and handed over the vehicle. I've asked for the BRI extension to the 5th year, they are yet to come back on that. Overall, I'm happy with Deutsche - they've been prompt with the delivery, workmanship is good, and they did not try to sell me unnecessary stuff. When I told them I've done a PPF, they said, sure we will not wax the car, just do a regular foam wash.





With the black grill, the front of the car is now transformed for good.




Set of microfilter, one of the expensive items in the service


Wiper blades


Air filter



Condition of the air filter after one year on the road


Diesel fuel additive



M Performance key fob cover