What is the best website for BMW chat? Similar to FChat What is the general opinion on a E46 320i ? maintenance issues, reliability etc Is the 5 speed tiptronic bullet proof or a money pit etc? PLEASE keep answers sensible, especially you Malvin, otherwise you might find yourself banned from OHOS drives in future. Thanks John
My experence has been very positive, I currently own a E36 320i and it is one of the better daily drivers I have owned. (A4 C220 etc) A friend of mine owned a 320i, and lets just say he was not very careful with it. Never missed a beat though. Interiors in the E46 are the same as all prior BMW's, rubbish, not the layout or design but the glue on all the trims will fail and your roof lining will sag over time. Plastic warps in the sun etc. Engines and drive train are strong, check for diff wine. Steering racks seem to be an issue but not overly expensive to fix (labour is more than the parts). Other than that, great looking car, safe and reliable, and surprisingly economical and powerful given the size of the motor.
www.bimmerforums.com not much of an australian community there though, you'll be talking to americans
The E46 was an allround good car with no major pitfalls, I've owned a couple and driven many over the years and they've always been consistently reliable. The big factor though is buying one thats been well maintainted and serviced and not mechanically neglected. The 320 was the entry 6 cyl but seems to miss out on some of the goodies that it big brothers has, like electric sports seats, gps etc.. IMO the money is much better spent on a higher spec well optioned BMW such as a 325/330 i Bottom line, as boring as it is you can get go wrong with a 3 for every day use
Now that ain't a bad shirt for a drive. You should wear that down on the Friday. Bryan M wants more guys to wear proper stuff like that. The drive we had last year with the Lambo guys was a great laugh. John
It has been confirmed that BMW will be using a smaller turbo engine for the 2013 M3. Motor Trend says it spoke to BMW's M Division CEO Ludwig Willisch and he confirmed the upcoming ditching of the current V8 format. The naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre V8 produces 309kW (420hp) and 400Nm of torque. Previous generation M3s used four and six-cylinder motors. The report states that a new six-cylinder will be employed but it is not the same 3.0-litre twin turbo that is used in the 135i and 335i ranges. Two turbos are likely to be fitted instead of just one. What might miff M traditionalists a little is not a forcefed M3 but the fact that BMW is toying with the idea of a V6 for the M3 which would be more compact as opposed to the traditional inline six BMW is known to strictly use. The new engine might not even be more powerful than the V8 but the car itself would be light in order to counter this power handicap. The segment will get very interesting as Mercedes-Benz also prepares a new 3.5-litre twin turbo V6 for some of its AMGs and Audi is rumoured to have already forcefed the upcoming RS4 and RS5. More news on the M front is that a 1 Series-based high-performance car was also confirmed. Thought to be developed by the M guys, BMW will probably not call it an M1. It will also have a compact four-cylinder petrol engine with well over 300hp (221kW). Finally speculation is that the M5 is about to get its cylinders cut too in order to meet stringent emissions laws and fuel economy standards. The M5 and M6 may end up with a twin turbo V8 motor displacing less than 5.0-litres. http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090320.014/rumor-bmw-m3-to-receive-six-cylinder-turbo---1-series-m-is-a-go
So is the V8 officially dead???? I did like the sound of the BMW straight six, but you can't beat the sound of a V8 IMHO (Or V12 Ferrari engine ) hence only buying V8's
