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Deed is done.....
Estoril Blue with Black Dakota and Alu Hex. (thought about White with Coral Red but bit impractical on our filthy roads)
8 speed Sport Auto (this is a big, big change for me as the manual box is really fast and smooth, but I loved the late brake, 2 or 3 downshifts that this new auto allows. Upshifts are also lightening fast, no slurring, instead a nice solid instantaneous hook-up. If you'd have told me its a DCT I would have not doubted it; not like the average torque convertor AT at all. The manual box btw is also a peach and in sport setting allows lovely throttle blipping heel and toe downshifts. Tough choice
Seats are really comfortable and together with steering wheel adjustment can achieve a perfect driving position.
Engine note really is to die for. Very nice even at idle, it has that lovely tuned throaty rasp that hints at some real HP under the hood.
Manual 6th gear roll on at say 60 mph is impressive with lots of low down torque, probably somewhere between a 320d and 330d
It was close to 0 degrees with damp roads and the odd frozen puddle so no cornering heroics....I'll have to believe the reviews on that score. The ride in both comfort and sport is great on non-RFT tyres.
60:40 split back seats make for large, flexible carrying capacity, probably close to an E91
With the 1M at £40K you'd guess the M135i would be around £5 or £6K less, so £30K base price seems like a performance bargain.
Looks wise, I preferred the car in the flesh to press photos, but it still reminds me of a guppy. Not the prettiest car I've ever bought.
Being Christmas, I ordered a Christmas Tree with lots of baubles and a fairly on the top. Delivery mid-March.
Cheers!
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