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Post by alf on Mar 30, 2020 13:44:58 GMT
As I have mentioned, I am very fond of the looks, drive, engineering and general feel of the 2011 118i convertible that is my other halve's second car (summer car really - the Q3 mostly does winter duty). Slightly sluggish/gutless engine aside, it's a lovely thing to drive, so nice to place on the road with amazing visibility, great ride/handling compromise, and a really lovely darty feel in the corners. I also like the engineering of it, that feel you get from spending time around a car - the hood mechanism is great, it's so small yet has 4 useful seats and somehow the engine set well back under the front axle, and sited the "right" way around for enthusiasts. It lacks the slightly awkward look of some folding hardtops, and I prefer the chunky original styling to the newer 2 series convertible. It got me thinking that a late model M135i with less of a hair-shirt spec would be a fine steer, these all look pretty yummy to me. The last one is even a manual. These would all be a lot of fun to belt about in in summer. (That is assuming we're driving anywhere soon, her 118i is not insured and I won't be renewing the XFR insurance which is due very soon - the Q3 is enough for now). Compared to a TT Roadster it has an engine and dynamic character I am far more in sync with, and is actually a true 4 seater.... www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201908201353171www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201906038630741www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202001236484799Only playing, but it's interesting how more exposure to a car type you never really took in, can make you like them... |
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Post by Tim on Mar 30, 2020 14:27:25 GMT
I think I'd go for the silver one.
The first one doesn't look right (and if you're going to sell a car with gloss black alloys why wouldn't you dress the tyres as well) and the second, while nice also has the beige interior which I'm not a fan of. It does have mudflaps though, which I take to be a positive sign of previous care.
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Post by alf on Mar 30, 2020 14:40:32 GMT
Yeah it says beige, but I'm pretty sure its the same "oyster" (pretty much white) as ours...
Red with black gloss wheels would not have been my original choice, but after two years in a car of that combo I have to say I'm sold...
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 30, 2020 17:13:21 GMT
Right with you on this. Still have fond memories of my 135i coupe. I'd have bought an open one had I not had the Z1 as well.
Couple of thoughts:
- you want a manual - you just do;
- blue one has been mildly barried but not excessively so;
- silver one lacks xenons which is a complete no-no - they just look much better with xenons;
- 09-onwards cars with pro nav have the non-folding nav screen, which accompanied the fitment of a revised iDrive system which is streets better than the original and still ok today;
- I think smart money might go on a really nice 125i - you sacrifice a bit of performance in standard tune but there are no turbos to muffle the noise of the straight six (or fail) and so they actually sound better than 135is.
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 30, 2020 17:25:39 GMT
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Post by clunes on Mar 30, 2020 17:25:56 GMT
These have come up on my potential next car search should I need to get some money out the 640d for house refurb purposes (although I equally looking at the ‘shed’ end of the spectrum in order to get as much £ as possible out)
The 125i is the old 3.0 N52 engine so should be easily tweaked to around 260ish BHP. Still not as rapid as the 135i and no-where near the low end shove but a lovely thing all the same.
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Post by Sav on Mar 30, 2020 23:33:25 GMT
That blue one is lovely, minus the M stripes on the grille. I would be forgetting about the silver one for another reason, its an N54. Actually a lovely sounding thing, went into the 1M, but its been troublesome. The N55 has been a lot better, things like the electric water pump are eventually invertible, but a whole lot better.
N55's 135i's all have the eyebrows on the headlights and different taillights as part of LCI, and sub-200 CO2.
125i owners out there have made the 125i a 130i Coupe/Cabrio by raising the power and fitting the 130i's brakes.
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 31, 2020 9:13:17 GMT
Mine was an N54.
N55 automatics get the DCT box.
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Post by alf on Mar 31, 2020 9:36:21 GMT
Always plenty to consider! The DCT may drive better on a blast, but the ZF - even the old 6 - speed is a lovely thing in my book. And less likely to cause bother, I'm assuming BMW DCT's share the issues of DSG and their ilk at higher mileages. I assumed the 125i was an N53 engine and was thus put off by my many, many dealer trips, 13 coil pack replacements, and full set of injectors mine had  however it was a stunning engine and worked faultlessly when the redesigned bits came out, for a long time 9if we ignore the usual BMW 6 issue of a small oil leak and burning smell). In higher power form it would be great, I'm sure the 125 as standard feels nice, but something in me would like to try such a small car with the 35i engine, it must be a beast... The white 125 linked to above looks very similar to ours (which is to say very basic inside), the black one is lovely and that have modernised the tech much more than I expected. My biggest surprise is how sophisticated a drive it is on such an old chassis, it really handles beautifully. |
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 31, 2020 9:39:25 GMT
Yes, I remember taking my coupe down to the Riviera for Easter in 2010, and took it over the Route Napoleon on the way down, which it handled it very well.   |
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Post by alf on Mar 31, 2020 9:57:13 GMT
Had I not been in family mode, that's a car I would certainly have had - something very nice about it, and quite different to look at. I met up with my old trackday friends for our annual pre-Christmas curry last year and these came up, a few of them had had one (I think one is still in the group having been sold from one to another) and there was a lot of fondness for them...
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Post by PetrolEd on Apr 1, 2020 8:48:07 GMT
I do like them but value for money wise, I'd be tempted to get into a M235i Cab for 5 grand more.
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Post by alf on Apr 1, 2020 10:33:57 GMT
I find the looks of the M235i cab - inside and out - a little unlovable. And why are they nearly all black? From a quick look I just had, the only similar miles examples are about double the price of that tidy old style manual silver M135i cab.
For me, £8k might seem (in normal times) an amount to have a play with, £16k is proper money and for my "real" car...
The new one might have the advantage of working properly on track at least - the old M135i cab/coupe notoriously lacked engine oil cooling, brakes, and a handling balance that worked on track, the newer M135i hatch seems a lot better, which for me would make it a better toy....
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Post by racingteatray on Apr 1, 2020 11:16:10 GMT
Um, the first-generation 135i had six-pot calipers as standard - nothing wrong with the brakes that different pads couldn't fix. Arguably they were better than those fitted to the 1M which were the sliding caliper jobs used by the contemporary M3.
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however it was a stunning engine and worked faultlessly when the redesigned bits came out, for a long time 9if we ignore the usual BMW 6 issue of a small oil leak and burning smell). In higher power form it would be great, I'm sure the 125 as standard feels nice, but something in me would like to try such a small car with the 35i engine, it must be a beast...