[HeebieJeebies]

Don't know where to start on this thread but I'll give it a go.....

So my BMW journey has had a rapid evolution, from 'reserving' our two wee pups 3 years past last May and taking Chris Harris' advice on the only car you ever need, we invested in a G21 320d xdrive, poverty spec but an absolute star performer for dogs/grandkids/trips to the dump, cheap to run and fairly capable with a smidgin' of tech to boot!

Still had my Mustang for fun days and something that gave me that 'fizz' element. Sadly failing body parts and a broken ankle put paid to my manual days, especially the heavy clutch in the Stang leaving me in a bit of discomfort even on short journeys, so a suitable, auto performance oriented 2 door coupe was sought for a replacent for my Stang.

The M440i was, after huge research (was gonna be a M4 and maybe should've been) purchased, fantastic car, well specced, very capable and lovely to drive but, I missed that bit of 'fizz' whatever that is. That together with the interior didn't sit well to bring the dogs into the mix and so if we went away for a few days it would always be the G21 we took, very capable for the needs but not fulfilling that 'special' driving holiday feeling. If truth be told I never bonded with it.

So, it went today, replaced with another touring, M3 Touring in unfinished primer or Brooklyn if we're being picky. Very good spec, no ceramics or external carbon and the buckets were a no-no for us both so a reasonable level of extended leather, in black (sort of child proof), comfort access, lasers, tech+, driver professional etc, etc.

As is already documented, I am a M3 Touring fan boy, so I had to try it out for myself. 400 mile round trip to the stealers, nice goodbye trip for the G22and a nice trip to get a decent feel for the G81

Once I 'learn' how to drive it, confuses the life out me at the mo, I'll get back to you all.

Right back to the Warriors game on telly.....

Cheers the noo!

[Herr Gross Byte]

Having one of two cars as a full M is a good option. It'll be interesting to know how it feels back in the 320 after the M car.

Of course, from your house to the local shops the 320 is just as quick as the M and sitting in traffic you'll not notice any difference. (last comment is for the non M car owners to feel better).

[HeebieJeebies]

Bit of a first impression, not detailed but deep enough at the moment.

So had the G81 since Friday now and what a very comfortable drive on the 200mile journey home, mostly motorway and A roads. Bearing in mind EVERYTHING in this car was new to me, it was a fraught free day all in all. I didn't push it or do anything extreme, tried out the initial M1 and M2 settings that I had put in but was mostly in the straightforward 'comfort' setting.

Took me a bit of getting it right to start off in this mode as everytime i stopped for a comfort break or refreshment I was too eager selecting just 'D' and was selectig 'S' as my initial drive mode and it seems to default to paddles or sequential . Anyhoos sorted that out in the end.

Also on Friday, I had been on the road since 0530hrs and after the couple hours of handover etc, by the time I got home, just after 1700hrs I was pooped!

Very comfortable, more relaxed if that's the right word, for this type of drive than the G21, not by much but certainly not as crashy.

That was Friday done, Saturday I never went near it, I was too tired (too many beers watching the rugby) so just vegetated for most of the day watching more rugby.

Sunday we went out for a bit of brunch to a farm shop/sort of posh cafe for a wee treat. Wasn't far but was mostly poor A roadsout of town. Couldn't go too mad as wifey was on board, her thoughts were interesting, she thought the seats In the g22 were more comfortable, M Sport seats are neater fitting so it was maybe a feeling of being 'more snug'. She never mentioned or complained about ride quality once, which is a first for any 'fun' car I've ever had on her part . The whole of that trip was in comfort, so pretty much situation normal on all fronts.

Today we took one of our grandsons to a country zoo in West Calder, combo of motorway, poor A and B roads, again comfort all the way and no fannying about with modes etc due to passanger content so much the same as the last journey, nothing to report really just as I would expect in the G22.

Inbetween those short journeys I went out for a short blast nearby and this car is blisteringly fast, I mean epically fast. The M440i was fast and probably, no certainly, the fastest car I've owned in acceleration terms, the G81 is just up a notch or two, biblically fast! I've not turned off any of the nannies yet, have it all in Sport or Sport+ 4WD in the M2 setting and had the gear selector up to its top 'ferocity' step, but only really pushed it in a straight line for a very, very short distance.

I'm going to like this car, I think a truly classic allrounder that sits very well into my needs.

Just a few brief thoughts so far from my very short time with this car!

[HeebieJeebies]

Month in so time for a wee update

Using the car as a daily ATM, work, shop, domestic duties etc, with the occasional blast , I find it incredibly comfortable, most of the time in efficient and comfort mode, for a quick turn of speed M1 mode, most settings in Sport, use M2 with everything in Sport+ but still 4wd.

M1 I use for those traffic light/junction pull outs or mildly attack a twisty A road. The grip is very good, MPS4S all round and they perform as expected. Getting colder now, so driving style adjusted accordingly. Turn in and grip is an eye opener for me and the steering (which is mostly in comfort) is as expected for a FBW system, might have it in Sport or Sport + in the M2 setting

There is no let up on the torque, just gives and gives. There's a sweeping bend near me as I exit off the motorway on the way home, every car I've had has been put through its paces here and, where the 440 started to complain a bit while accelerating hard round it, the G81 just asks for more, very little if any roll but pleasingly compliant.

Does all the other things our G21 does, load carrying etc but is definitely a smoother ride than the G21 and of course has far more toys.

Had a bit of a mare with the comfort access not working properly, I was half blaming myself for being so dense with all the new tech I'm confronted with that it was ruining the experience a bit. Even the BMW genius couldn't sort it out, profiles deleted, digital key deleted etc, no joy! Had to book it in and it turned out that the 'boot aerial' wasn't plugged into a control module, I'm putting that down to a missed aspect of the PDI. All works now and I'm at peace with my tech now

It's brought my car enthusiasts 'mojo' back along with the now 40 odd years of modding and tinkering that sadly, the 440 never gave me . Keeping it simple for the moment, got a good deal from BMW on front and rear 50th Anniversary badges and 50th anniversary self levelling wheel centres (they were a steal compared to some of the vendors out there). Booked in for PPF, whole front end, sills, some of the rear and a Ceramic coating, front Eibach's and spacers next (got the spacers), then a serious look at an exhaust next spring.

Looks wise, I adore the aggressive front end and the bulging arches, subtle but enough to set it aside. Very subtle road presence, I'm putting that down to the colour combo, not as in yer face as a black or IOMG, but for those that know, just enough. Not 'shouty', but you can just tell when a 'boy racer' type comes along side to jump you at the lights, that there's a second thought on that going on once they realise what they might be up against. Not that I indulge in any of that chicanery

All in all, apart from the comfort access blip, it's been a great experience so far, got some great reactions from neighbours and work colleagues (though I think my two 7 year old grandsons preferred the M440i to be fair, but they haven't experienced Gramps touring to the same extent yet )

I know there's some polarised views out there, but honestly, it's the most capable car by a long way that I've owned. My other 'toys' of the past were always fun, but always lacked in capability and I suppose the modding thing was an attempt to overcome the shortfalls. The G81 has very few shortfalls that I'm yet to find,

More to follow as the seasons progress........

[Bianchi Dave]

I'm sure its not just me, so -






Being based in Scotland, can I also ask which dealer did the deal on 50th wheel centres, and how much you paid??
Cheers

[HeebieJeebies]

I used BMW direct through fleabay, they'll keep offering discounts once the algorithm recognises you're watching/saving seller and the likes. I'd not used fleabay for quite a while and I just kept getting reductions. Got both back and front for @£62 in the end, and the self levelling wheel centres for a £38, alot for a few badges but when you see what some places are charging......

Pics are always a challenge on this site, more so since moving from ios to android, once the cars ppf'd etc I'll make a concerted effort

[HeebieJeebies]

Sussed pics, vid stills from the original advert from the dealer

[HeebieJeebies]

Now I've sussed it, I'm gonna go mental, couple here, complete with devil dog at the window

[Bianchi Dave]

That's a lovely, lovely thing Exactly the colour I'd choose.

Would love one of these but just can't justify the outlay or running costs - get annoyed enough with my G21 M340. VEL renewal just in and I reckon the G81 would also be 5-10 mpg worse on fuel?

An expensive time of year for us car wise, as insurance is also due on both cars, although renewal with Aviva came through this morning and its cheaper than last year at sub £400 (my car only) so I'll take that as a win! Will still do the annual shopping around dance however.

Cheers for the heads up on wheel centres, that's a cracking price

[AlwynMike]

That's gross!
I want one :-)

Not going to happen though.
Very attached to my 440i F36, but looking at a G21 M340d. May be a backwards step and I'm trying to work out how I can keep the F36 as a Daily......the maths aren't going well.
Why an M340d? I know of one that will be coming up soon due to a bereavement - and I can put a towbar on it for caravan towing. The 440i was retired from towing due to 13mpg.

[HeebieJeebies]

Originally Posted by Bianchi Dave

That's a lovely, lovely thing Exactly the colour I'd choose.

Would love one of these but just can't justify the outlay or running costs - get annoyed enough with my G21 M340. VEL renewal just in and I reckon the G81 would also be 5-10 mpg worse on fuel?

Cheers for the heads up on wheel centres, that's a cracking price

Thanks, after 8 years of running a 5.0 GT Mustang, the G81 is a slight improvement on fuel consumption . The Muzzzer gave me @18-22mpg in winter and a slightly better 24ish-26ish in summer, however on a big run this could increase to 30+. My 440i gave me an average during my short tenure of 27mpg, I'm getting 23-27 just now on the G81, that's all been short journeys.

I'm still adapting to it and as the engine/running gear etc bed in, I expect that to improve slightly, definitely improve in warmer temps. I remember the drive home from the stealers after getting my Mustang, glancing at the fuel consumption indicator and it was 6mpg I thought "what the f#*k have I just bought,,," it vastly improved though.

I'm actively not pushing the car at the minute until I get the paint protection done, a significant investment, the car only had 920miles on it when I picked it up, the running in service has just been done as well so I'm still being cautious with it.

On the wheel centres, I was immediately offered a 15% reduction on them with free P&P, I just left it on my watch list and got further discounts offered until it was too good not to pull the trigger

My thoughts are, your dead a long time, with no pockets in a shroud so enjoying what's available now, whilst making no economic sense at all (we'd all buy small Chinese EVs if it's sense we're after ), you can't put a price on the fun factor of having near supercar performance and the 'thrill' it brings.

Well documented on here that the 340 d or I is a fun machine, but brand new out the box, in the case of a 340i, is not that short of what you can get a near new (my case 11weeks old), very low mileage G81

Enjoy the 340, and take solace in the fact we all feel your pain at insurance and VED time

[HeebieJeebies]

Originally Posted by AlwynMike

That's gross!
I want one :-)

Not going to happen though.
Very attached to my 440i F36, but looking at a G21 M340d. May be a backwards step and I'm trying to work out how I can keep the F36 as a Daily......the maths aren't going well.
Why an M340d? I know of one that will be coming up soon due to a bereavement - and I can put a towbar on it for caravan towing. The 440i was retired from towing due to 13mpg.

Hope it's not someone close that's passed away, as a towing machine, our other Touring, while 'only' a 320d is perfect for towing, we towed my now deceased father in laws caravan multiple times for our kids to use. The G81 of course, can't get a tow bar

[AlwynMike]

He was a friend of my brother, so not that close.
Got a Santa Fe as towcar now....and its very good at doing that, although a little agricultural.
Towing a 1600kg large brick is never pleasant, but even in gale force winds its kept the van in check.
The 440 is good but lacking in space for dog and other kit (caravan is towed almost empty for payload and stability).
I looked at a demo M340d earlier ths year that was apparently attractively priced, but when I sat down with the sales people (two of them, like good cop, bad cop) the cost suddenly increased about £7k from what I'd originally been told. Shysters sales tactics. I got up and walked out, and they will never get my custom. So I didn't get to drive it.
The one that's coming up is a bit less than 12 months old. He had an old 911 as well that will be up for sale, but as in yours, you can't put a towbar on it.
In a past moment of foolishness I did think about an E61 M5 Touring, which you could tow with. That idea was fairly short lived.....

[Bianchi Dave]

Originally Posted by HeebieJeebies

Thanks, after 8 years of running a 5.0 GT Mustang, the G81 is a slight improvement on fuel consumption . The Muzzzer gave me @18-22mpg in winter and a slightly better 24ish-26ish in summer, however on a big run this could increase to 30+. My 440i gave me an average during my short tenure of 27mpg, I'm getting 23-27 just now on the G81, that's all been short journeys.

I'm still adapting to it and as the engine/running gear etc bed in, I expect that to improve slightly, definitely improve in warmer temps. I remember the drive home from the stealers after getting my Mustang, glancing at the fuel consumption indicator and it was 6mpg I thought "what the f#*k have I just bought,,," it vastly improved though.

I'm actively not pushing the car at the minute until I get the paint protection done, a significant investment, the car only had 920miles on it when I picked it up, the running in service has just been done as well so I'm still being cautious with it.

On the wheel centres, I was immediately offered a 15% reduction on them with free P&P, I just left it on my watch list and got further discounts offered until it was too good not to pull the trigger

My thoughts are, your dead a long time, with no pockets in a shroud so enjoying what's available now, whilst making no economic sense at all (we'd all buy small Chinese EVs if it's sense we're after ), you can't put a price on the fun factor of having near supercar performance and the 'thrill' it brings.

Well documented on here that the 340 d or I is a fun [...]

Stop that talk or I'll be off to the classifieds ��
True what u say though, only here once, long time dead etc.

My business has been doing well this year so u never know.... I still have issues with justification, especially with a family to keep happy - "sorry dear there's no Florida next year". I can just hear her ��

Re the centres, can u recall which dealership it was on Ebay?

[HeebieJeebies]

Bianchi Dave I've pmd you re the centres, with link, give you first dibs before there's a rush

[mnkhalifa]

Enjoyed reading a Scot's take on the G81

Interesting that you find the G81 more comfortable than the G21. First day of picking up the G80 I was far too excited/nervous to really dial in the differences, but I had about a week or so of overlap between the two cars so kept jumping in and out of both.

Initially found the G80 far more 'rigid' and felt like I was driving on concrete wheels especially over the bumps. I later discovered that it was because the dealers had set the tyres to a whopping +42 PSI!! (I actually asked about this on collection day and they said they checked it and it's right ). When they were warmed up the rears were hovering at around 49! Brought the pressures down to 33-34 PSI to match the door sticker and that ironed out 80-90% of the uncomfortable ride. It does still feel a little harsher on the bumps than the G20 with adaptive susp but nothing unbearable and I guess it's a trade off going for a full fat M. I say this as I am surprised you find the G81 better for that!

As for the seats I also didn't opt for the buckets. Initially thought the G20 were the perfect seats as they were more relaxed and roomy which might explain your wife's thoughts on them. But after using both cars back to back I now have greater appreciation for the M3 seats, definitely hug perfectly and you don't feel like you're sliding around in your seat going round a corner at 10mph

[HeebieJeebies]

Our G21 is pretty much poverty spec, no adaptive suspension. Maybe it's the seats In the G81 that squares off the ride but from day one, I've always thought the G21 was a bit 'crashy'', smooth enough but if you were to put me in it blindfolded and I didn't know it was a G21, I'd immediately know it was German

The G21 is a great car, I love it, I swap between both all the time and, it's been on the same roads that I've driven the G81. I find the G81 pretty smooth, it's in no way a 'crashy' 'jiggly' car

Town driving is pretty smooth going as well, the G22 could be a bit difficult round town, I put that down to the mild hybrid nature of it, but adaptive was my mode of choice in the G22.

Hopefully we'll get some more of this quite mild dry weather for a while, need to have a blast out Argyle way soon, a visit to the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar may be on the cards