[megazoid]

Kerala was under lockdown, so was Karnataka and same was the case with Maharashtra. After letting go of the GTI, there was a void in the driving department. After twiddling my thumbs in Kerala during the lockdown and combing the web extensively, I managed to find a used F30 330i Sportline that we could afford. That decision making part looked easier compared to actually getting the car down to Bangalore from Mumbai. Considered transport options but the stories I got to hear were not pleasant and the mind also wasn't exactly willing to do a trailer transport. So the wait for an unlock began but each state kept moving the dates by a few weeks and we could not do anything more than just wait. Not that it mattered much as there was nowhere to drive, but at least having the object of your desires in your parking meant you could salivate without interruption.

So one drab evening over a covid vaccination meet, I discussed the predicament with Robi Mahanta, who in turn suggested a quick in and out dash to bring the car down. We agreed on a date that our schedules allowed. Booked our flight tickets and waited with bated breath for the day to arrive.

A few days later, on a cold June morning, Robi met me with his GTI at a designated meet point and we started for the Bangalore airport that was an hours drive away. The anticipation and the cold morning got the excitement levels up and we made the journey in quick time. We were armed with all the safety gear and the requisite documents to do the trip. The flight was short and sweet and we were welcomed by a very wet Mumbai. Got out of the airport, booked a prepaid non AC taxi and we were bouncing our way through morning Mumbai traffic.


airport taxi stand


Inside the mumbai taxi headed to borivali

There was a lot of traffic and the rains just got heavier. After an hour of jostling in morning traffic, we reached our car dealer's place at Borivali and set our eyes on the car. Felt great to see the car in flesh after so many nights of anticipation.

We were greeted and ushered in by the dealer who was quite transparent in his dealings. Since we had come after a flight and had missed breakfast, we were treated to some Gujarati delicacies and it was the much needed booster shot for us.


Breakfast


Discussions

We quickly got the paperwork done and set out to check the car. Robi did an OBD scan and everything looked good. Spent a little more time setting up our luggage, checking tires and fixing Gopro's and off we started on our road trip to Bangalore at around 1pm after bidding the dealer goodbye. It was going to be a long journey and a very wet one too as the skies had opened up big time.

Our immediate task was getting out of Mumbai as quickly as possible. There were apprehensions of water logging and traffic snarls and even though we had to encounter only a little of both, the journey out of the city was laborious and time consuming. Speeds picked up once we hit the expressway and that part was a joy to drive. It was raining cats and dogs but the car was easy to pilot and we made rapid progress. Robi meanwhile was in touch with an M340i owner friend in Pune who was planning to meet us midway on the expressway. After a bit of hit and miss with the meet point, we managed to meet at a food court parking closer to Pune. The blue M340i was gorgeous to look at and we spent a good deal of time talking cars over a coffee and vada paav. Robi and the M340i owner did some coding and we did a quick test to see the results.


The beast

Thereafter, it was time to make a move and this time we were two cars headed in the same direction. The M340i was going to give us company till Pune after which we would continue our single minded pursuit of Bangalore. Seeing the six cylinder move was quite a sight on a free road. Brutal acceleration was the most noticeable characteristic of the 340i. We parted ways with the big six cylinder on the Pune bypass and continued our journey.

A fastag had been procured for the car and this made the drive a breeze at the toll plazas. The going till Satara was slow on account of bad roads. The entire road was pockmarked with craters. After Satara came and went, we dreamt of Kolhapur. Meanwhile, the conversation in the car ranged from driving trips to how best to use the car, sport plus mode, food and people. Progress wasn't very fast on account of the road condition and the rains. Big clouds loomed over us and darkness was setting in. We kept a steady pace toward Kolhapur. Except for a quick loo break, we did not stop for much else.

Took a long time for us to cross Kolhapur especially with the rumble strips, traffic, rains and darkness. Robi had to unfortunately do the bulk of driving as I had a bad headache and decided to give driving a miss. We kept a steady speed and decided to try the eco mode to better the gas mileage, as we had very little else going our way thanks to horrendous roads. A lot of darkness and petrol consumption brought us to Belgaum. I forgot to mention that we had tanked up at Mumbai on an almost empty tank. We were slightly less than half at Kolhapur when we stopped to do a refill.


Fueling

The Karnataka border made us a wee bit anxious and a cop on duty asked us few question about our destination but had no issues with us moving on. We breathed a collective sigh of relief and looked ahead at Belgaum. The Kolhapur Belgaum stretch was always a fast drive but not this time. It was anything but fast and we kept dodging potholes all the way. We were thanking our stars that we had 17 inch rims and not something larger. Car was doing fine eating up miles even tough we were doing ordinary speeds. We made a stop on the road side for coffee and sandwiches at Belgaum.


Coffee break


Making a hot cup

The highways had very little traffic and the rains were a constant companion. The Dharwad Hubli stretch will go down in the history of Indian motoring as a blemish that will be unparalleled. Speed breakers, narrow roads, intersections and such made that 30km stretch a white knuckled drive. We kept our composure and made it to Hubli without incident. Bangalore was still a good 400kms away and the time was 3.30am. Got into a hotel in pouring rain and had a plate of gobi manchurian and coffee just to beat the sleep. The loo was mercifully clean and useable.

The roads got considerably better after Hubli and the speeds also picked up. There were deviations and sections of moonscape but after the Maharashtra training, this was a piece of cake. We trooped into Davangere dreaming Bene Dosa which obviously weren't around at that hour. Chitradurga was the next town on the route and the roads were very good. This part of the drive was quite difficult as I dozed off intermittently but Robi did not blink for the whole duration. I could see him getting tired but was amazed to see the steely resolve.

Dawn brought us to Tumkur and we started hallucinating about home. We of course had to make our way to the airport parking to pick the GTI before heading home. Made it without incident to the Bangalore airport and picked Robi's GTI. Stopped at the airport to admire the two white cars before doing the last dash home.


Airport premises Bangalore

Time was 7am and Bangalore was up and moving! This brought to an end a very tiring but satisfying 24 hours.

[megazoid]

Few small clips of the drive back on the expressway. Otherwise, most of the driving was at night.

https://youtu.be/dyKt6CNFTlQ

Mumbai tax ride

https://youtu.be/YHJLvRBSZdw

Expressway tunnel

https://youtu.be/4lR60phOE4M

Expressway drive

[megazoid]

The road conditions have certainly deteriorated this time on the Mumbai Bangalore stretch. A lot of repair is required on the Maharashtra side while the Karnataka side is relatively better. While Mumbai and Pune had traffic, the highway in general was deserted. Karnataka has a restriction on movement but the cops were quite sensible with their assessment of the situation. We also took care to comply with the covid protocols all through the travel.

While it may not sound very difficult to do, such a drive needs discipline and a fairly high level of concentration. While I was a spectator for the most part, Robi was doing a stellar job of driving in difficult conditions. The car also held up well and took the beating in its stride. Checked the tires and rims after getting back and they seem to be doing ok.

One of the highlights of the trip was the rain itself. The memories of a drenched Rajmachi, Tamhini, mulshi, kundalika and lonavala came flooding back. We made a quiet promise to come back for more fun at a suitable time. Meeting the M340i from Pune was a pleasant surprise and am still enjoying the Bakarwadi and the Peda that came my way. While we were at the food court parking on the expressway, a young man walked up to me and mentioned that the car looked good. Felt really great to hear. There is something about a dirty white car that makes it look appealing. Big thanks to Robi for taking time out from his busy schedule and having to drive almost all the way.

[megazoid]

Took the car out for a short drive and got used to the machine. The early morning also gave the much needed time to get some photos of the car.

https://youtu.be/ODV4-q569xs

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage this weekend

[Philomath55]

Congratulations on the 330i Megazoid!
As always well documented with your style of writing.
Knowing how you change the suspension in most of your cars, what plans for the 330i?

[Dr.AD]

First of all, congratulations on your 330i. It is a lovely car! A perfect car for someone like you who will not only drive it so well and but will also drive it far and away and take beautiful photos and videos. The car is fast, classy, modern, and yet practical enough (well except for the infamous boot space, or the lack thereof ) to be used as a touring car for interstate drives. I am sure this will turn out to be a great companion to you.

Looking forward to seeing many exciting photos and travelogues with this white 330i now.

And what a story to go along with buying the car! I was in touch with Robi while you guys were driving back and I was equally exited sitting here listening to the progress and the updates. Kudos to you and Robi for dashing to Mumbai, picking up a car, and driving back through all the challenges you faced. Such stories actually make the cars more special. Thank you for sharing this story.

I hope you start your ownership thread soon. Looking forward to that too.

Originally Posted by megazoid

Took the car out for a short drive and got used to the machine. The early morning also gave the much needed time to get some photos of the car.

The photos and videos are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

By the way, could not resist mentioning our quick meet too. It was great to have that quick meet the other day when we met you and your car. I know this is probably not the right thread, but if you would please allow me, I would like to share one picture of our cars together from that meet:

[Surprise]

Congrats! Enjoyed reading the travelogue. What the odo when you picked it up? Modified Laura, GTi and now BMW...how different is this beast from the others from you short drive (as many more will be on the cards - )

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

Attachment 2171305

Lovely shades! RED and WHITE

[AKSarkar1]

Originally Posted by megazoid

I managed to find a used F30 330i Sportline that we could afford. That decision making part looked easier compared to actually getting the car down to Bangalore from Mumbai. Considered transport options but the stories I got to hear were not pleasant and the mind also wasn't exactly willing to do a trailer transport.

You are living the dream sir! Congratulations on your new ride, she still is a stunner! This particular spec and colour of the car happens to be one of my all-time favourites

With modern cars and modern roads (somewhat), it is absolutely amazing to see how such long journeys are also reduced down to a matter of hours. I don't think there are many cars and roads that would have allowed us to do such a thing back in 80-90s.

Wishing you many happy miles ahead!

[createrkid]

Amazing writeup, may the 330i serve you reliably for years to come. Just wondering, how much did the karnataka registration set you back? What's the odo at?

[Maverick5490]

Congratulations Megazoid on acquiring this very well maintained 330i!! The car deserves to be driven and looks right at home in Bangalore!!

[indrangiri]

Congrats Hari on the being the proud owner of the 3 series !! Warm Welcome to the Beamer Club !!

Look forward to your expert opinion on caring for the Beamer !! And waiting to catch up with you and Dr.AD on the next weekend drive

Here a video of my morning drive on the ring road with the famous track from U2 in the background !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CJWmxt5eYk

Cheers

[iliketurtles]

More than the car, it’s the romance of the tale that lures readers in, and that’s saying something when the car at the heart of the story is as pretty as this one. Congrats on the 330i, and big kudos for choosing to drive her down from Aamchi Mumbai. Looks like a tiring, but epic trip.

Long may you enjoy the 3er, and keep regaling us with those videos.

[megazoid]

Originally Posted by Maverick5490

Congratulations Megazoid on acquiring this very well maintained 330i!! The car deserves to be driven and looks right at home in Bangalore!!

Thanks Maverick. I am extremely thankful that I got your opinion on the car and that gave me the confidence to make a buying decision. Will never forget our interaction and discussions.

Originally Posted by createrkid

Amazing writeup, may the 330i serve you reliably for years to come. Just wondering, how much did the karnataka registration set you back? What's the odo at?

Thanks. I am running the MH plates for now. Odo is at 36k.

Originally Posted by AKSarkar1

With modern cars and modern roads (somewhat), it is absolutely amazing to see how such long journeys are also reduced down to a matter of hours. I don't think there are many cars and roads that would have allowed us to do such a thing back in 80-90s.

Thank you. Connectivity is a non issue nowadays and a road trip like this is very doable without putting life and limb at risk. The Covid scare and the resulting restrictions just added a touch of drama to the whole trip.

Originally Posted by Surprise

how different is this beast from the others from you short drive (as many more will be on the cards - )
Lovely shades! RED and WHITE

Thanks. Too early to have an opinion. Car feels big though coming from a GTI.

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

First of all, congratulations on your 330i.
Looking forward to seeing many exciting photos and travelogues with this white 330i now.
The photos and videos are beautiful.

Thanks AD. Hopefully, we all should be able to make more memories if our slice of luck stays put. The Red and white are surely kumbh mela brothers.

Originally Posted by Philomath55

Congratulations on the 330i.
Knowing how you change the suspension in most of your cars, what plans for the 330i?

Thanks. A little too early to have an opinion. Am just a bit dazed now.

[anandpadhye]

Wow Hari. Congratulations

A dirty white car looks beautiful - I absolutely agree.

And what a beautiful sight it is to watch this lovely bmw taking those curves, so elegant! Which road is this?

Looking forward to lots of photos and videos.
Cheers!