50 miles to the gallon

well... just fyi; Torque doesn't mean shit. Power is all that counts. Seriously, all the car magazines (and even Top Gear) don't know what the fuck they're talking about... It's all just power to weight ratio... but does it really matter?

But its a nice car - just don't compare numbers...

Congratulatons! You have a very nice garage

Although what has been said is not entirely fitting the moment it has some truth to it. On the other hand the 123d is probably the best affordable engine/chassis combination available from BMW. I´d like to have one too. The only grief I have with this car is that it really just doesn´t please my eyes.

Anyway, just looking at the raw figures they show 204HP @ 1485kg, 400NM and 6.9 secs to 100kph. IIRC the last figure about matches the one that M70 drivers have in their book so you´re absolutely correct assuming that you´d be hard pressed to get the better of the little, slightly obese, red devil

Cheers
Reinhard

Nice car Graham. I looked at the 123d to replace my Alfa, they are rare on the 2nd hand market so that put me off and I couldn't justify a new one, but nice little motor. Does that mean you killed your faithful Merc? How could you....

I'd been looking at 159 Sportwagons too, they are really nice. Problem is only the new ones have the right engine in my view. I couldn't bring myself to buy a diesel Alfa and the old V6 was a thirsty thing (already got one of them ;)) The new ti has the 1750 turbo multi-air from the Giulietta Cloverleaf, which is a great engine. As you say though residuals are a nightmare so I think you did the right thing. The One series has grown on me too, and I'd kill for a 1 series M.... The boot is ridiculously small though, had to get the wife an A3 5 door instead of a 1 hatch due to its stupid boot. I bet your car is a lot more fun than our dull-as-dishwater Audi though.

So you're starting a mobile hairdressing business then?

Zitat von sandwich;90570

So you're starting a mobile hairdressing business then?

That's cold....

On a serious note, I'm well over due a re-tint on my highlights Graham so when you've got a moment....

The Bongo is a V6 2.5 petrol fanny magnet...Oh...also sleeps 4! Diesel 1 series? I ask you!

nice car from the figures but I'm with Reinhard. it just doesn't please my eyes either. And although close in torque and acceleration figures I bet quality wise it is ages behind the E31. I'm again and again shocked how poorly made nowadays BMWs are. I tend to believe that bimmers produced in the late 80s / early 90s are the best in terms of built quality.

Zitat von wokke;90674

... I'm again and again shocked how poorly made nowadays BMWs are.....

I had an hour or so to while away at the dealer the other day whilst waiting for some parts and so spent some time in the showroom. I'm sure the new models will outhandle and outperform the old ones in probably just about all areas, but they do look to be made to a price. Even the paintwork looked to have a lot of orange-peel effect. Toolkits and spare wheels have long gone. Complex bonnet and boot hinge mechanisms with gas-struts have been replaced by simple curved hinges with springs, cheaper-looking brake calipers abound...interiors with minimalist detail... etc.

But having said that, and having spent the last few months working on the e31 front suspension, the e31 has its share of cludges, like the front X-frame, in crude steel tubing, which not only adds a lot of weight, but is obviously an afterthought. You don't find this kind of stuff in the new cars. The interior of the e31, looks a lot more sophisticated than what you find in most modern Beemers, and of course the Nappa leather is much softer. But if you've ever removed e31 trim parts like the centre console over the transmission tunnel, you'll see that it's moulded out of cheap and nasty, very brittle plastic, so the e31 and cars of its era are not perfect either. However, in the engineering and the way that they are designed and the mechanics are assembled, they are, in my view, probably of better quality.

Of all the new BMW cars, the 3-series is my favourite in terms of looks. The one-series is interesting and may be an acquired taste (I could possibly get used to the M1;-)), but I can't help feeling that they had to design it radically different so as not to impinge on the 3-series.