[Snake Pliskin]

I have just found the site and have my 330i M Sport on order and just wondered what the rest of you guys have previously driven.

This will be my 1st BMW, but always wanted one, and looked at them before but side tracked onto something else .. but not this time

Are most of you loyal BMW owners or just moved onto the brand like me ... be interested to know.

I am trading in what you may consider to be a rather unusual car / change from the 330i saloon, but I've had my fun with it and its time for some "quality" with speed

I am changing from a Nissan 350z

[rchanou]

I upgraded from a 2000 Honda Civic EX Silver Coupe.

[vivekk]

My last car was an e36 318is coupe.
It was easy to spin that thing, especially in the winter!

Viv

[Snake Pliskin]

Originally Posted by vivekk

My last car was an e36 318is coupe.
It was easy to spin that thing, especially in the winter!

Viv

Really ... why was that ? no traction control etc ?

How do you find the new motor then ?

The new 3 series saloon felt very stable to me .. and my test drive was during the worst of the storm which we all experienced last weekend .. so it certainly gave a good test of the cars wet weather abilities .. and it felt rock solid !

After the Zed, I am used to Rear wheel drive, but the BM felt so much sweeter and was light years ahead in terms of quality .. both inside and out.

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by Snake Pliskin

Really ... why was that ? no traction control etc ?

How do you find the new motor then ?

The new 3 series saloon felt very stable to me .. and my test drive was during the worst of the storm which we all experienced last weekend .. so it certainly gave a good test of the cars wet weather abilities .. and it felt rock solid !

After the Zed, I am used to Rear wheel drive, but the BM felt so much sweeter and was light years ahead in terms of quality .. both inside and out.

Yep- no traction control meant being a little more careful in the winter.

The e90 is a lot better, holding onto the road under all conditions. It flies round corners a lot more easily than the 318is, especially with the larger 3l engine.
One of the 'little' things I love I about it is the way 'white van drivers' just get left behind whenever they try flooring it behind me.

A little bit cheeky of me, I know, but I can't help turning the xenons on & holding the screen washer on for a couple of secs- the headlight jets shoot some distance behind the car, soaking the dirty white van behind me!
Then he gets left behind & funnily, never tries coming anywhere close after that!

The best thing about the car, without a doubt, is the handling.
You just can't drive along curvy country roads like you can with a BMW. It's great for breaking-in the car over the first 1200 miles also.
I'm only at around 7k miles now & the engine is still getting smoother & smoother.

At night, I still get the odd monkey (no offence Paul- 1stnewcar!) flashing me as they come from the opposite direction, thinking I've got my full beam on- they wouldn't be able to see anything but sunlight if it was on!

When I test drove the car, I was lucky having it for a whole day, even though I ended up importing it from Germany.

I've got active steering on my car as well & here's a little story about it over the winter.

We were talking about the 'little things' about the car when we had the curry at the end of the UK1 meet day.
I think Paul (beauforty or 'beaufighter' as he is now known to us) ended up learning more about his new car than anyone else!

I'm sure you'll enjoy your car when you get it, Snake Pliskin.

Please sign up for the UK2 meet & we can all talk more 'e9x' at Donington.


All the best.

Viv

[larryn]

in reverse order:

'06 330i
'02 330i
'99 323i
'96 328i
'92 325i
'86 325es

I've also had a few pickup trucks inbetween for "around the house" duty, but my daily drivers have been 3ers since July 1986. Whoa! It's my 20 yr anniversary of driving bmw 3 series cars! Also, this list is not inclusive of the wife's rides, just mine.

[Snake Pliskin]

Originally Posted by vivekk

Yep- no traction control meant being a little more careful in the winter.

The e90 is a lot better, holding onto the road under all conditions. It flies round corners a lot more easily than the 318is, especially with the larger 3l engine.
One of the 'little' things I love I about it is the way 'white van drivers' just get left behind whenever they try flooring it behind me.

A little bit cheeky of me, I know, but I can't help turning the xenons on & holding the screen washer on for a couple of secs- the headlight jets shoot some distance behind the car, soaking the dirty white van behind me!
Then he gets left behind & funnily, never tries coming anywhere close after that!

The best thing about the car, without a doubt, is the handling.
You just can't drive along curvy country roads like you can with a BMW. It's great for breaking-in the car over the first 1200 miles also.
I'm only at around 7k miles now & the engine is still getting smoother & smoother.

At night, I still get the odd monkey (no offence Paul- 1stnewcar!) flashing me as they come from the opposite direction, thinking I've got my full beam on- they wouldn't be able to see anything but sunlight if it was on!

When I test drove the car, I was lucky having it for a whole day, even though I ended up importing it from Germany.

I've got active steering on my car as well & here's a little story about it over the winter.

We were talking about the 'little things' about the car when we had the curry at the end of the UK1 meet day.
I think Paul (beauforty or 'beaufighter' as he is now known to us) ended up learning more about his new car than anyone else!

I'm sure you'll enjoy your car when you get it, Snake Pliskin.

Please sign up for the UK2 meet & we can all talk more 'e9x' at Donington.


All the best.

Viv

Superb info Viv ... and checked out your "winter story" too .. all very enlightening

I know what you mean about "some other drivers" too .. those white van drivers just don't know when they're beat do they ? .. applying the right pedal in a 330i will leave most cars on the road for dust .. it is certainly a "stealth" car of speed.

Your silver SE looks stunning ... very classy

How long has the M Sport kit been available then ?

Not needing to have 4 doors, I could have held out and got a coupe, but reckon I would have got NIL discount with it being a brand new model and I would not have been able to stretch to the M Sport pack .. if even available.

Infact, I will need to see the Coupe in the flesh, as some have noted on this site that its proportions, particularly between the rear wheel and door are rather large. Whereas the Saloon (or Sedan a la USA) looks prefectly sized to me.

You see the review of the 320 si on Fifth Gear the other night ... looks great and is a good price as similar to an M Sport 320 ... but where's the performance ? ... Zero to 60 in 8.2 seconds ?

[Snake Pliskin]

Originally Posted by lni

in reverse order:

'06 330i
'02 330i
'99 323i
'96 328i
'92 325i
'86 325es

I've also had a few pickup trucks inbetween for "around the house" duty, but my daily drivers have been 3ers since July 1986. Whoa! It's my 20 yr anniversary of driving bmw 3 series cars! Also, this list is not inclusive of the wife's rides, just mine.

wow .. a true BMW enthusiast !

When I visited the London Motorshow recently and was chatting with BMW sales people they advised me that "once I had a BMW, I would have no other car after that" ... well they would say that I guess, but I "did" wonder if they would be proven right over time ?

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by Snake Pliskin

Superb info Viv ... and checked out your "winter story" too .. all very enlightening

I know what you mean about "some other drivers" too .. those white van drivers just don't know when they're beat do they ? .. applying the right pedal in a 330i will leave most cars on the road for dust .. it is certainly a "stealth" car of speed.

Your silver SE looks stunning ... very classy

How long has the M Sport kit been available then ?

Not needing to have 4 doors, I could have held out and got a coupe, but reckon I would have got NIL discount with it being a brand new model and I would not have been able to stretch to the M Sport pack .. if even available.

Infact, I will need to see the Coupe in the flesh, as some have noted on this site that its proportions, particularly between the rear wheel and door are rather large. Whereas the Saloon (or Sedan a la USA) looks prefectly sized to me.

You see the review of the 320 si on Fifth Gear the other night ... looks great and is a good price as similar to an M Sport 320 ... but where's the performance ? ... Zero to 60 in 8.2 seconds ?

Thanks Snake Pliskin.

The TiAg looks best in bright sunlight- I stuck some shots here.

My car was delivered last September & the M Sport kit wasn't available for it when I ordered it in July, so I'm guessing that was out after September / October.

The 330iSE is a bit of a 'stealth' car.
Mine is debadged & has a private plate, so most people can't tell exactly what car it is.

There may be some 320si cars at the meet- I know of one in the north-east.

I hope there's a good few e90s & e91s at the meet & perhaps an e92 may make an appearance?!

All the best.

Viv

[Snake Pliskin]

Originally Posted by vivekk

Thanks Snake Pliskin.

The TiAg looks best in bright sunlight- I stuck some shots here.

My car was delivered last September & the M Sport kit wasn't available for it when I ordered it in July, so I'm guessing that was out after September / October.

The 330iSE is a bit of a 'stealth' car.
Mine is debadged & has a private plate, so most people can't tell exactly what car it is.

There may be some 320si cars at the meet- I know of one in the north-east.

I hope there's a good few e90s & e91s at the meet & perhaps an e92 may make an appearance?!

All the best.

Viv

Some great pics again Viv ... loved the Xenon shot you took

Picking up bits of info off the site all the time .. is Sparkling Graphite a fairly new colour option then ?

The Silver looks stunning and makes the car look extra expensive / classy .. really suits the SE spec

Look forward to seeing a few cars at the meet

[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by Snake Pliskin

Some great pics again Viv ... loved the Xenon shot you took

Picking up bits of info off the site all the time .. is Sparkling Graphite a fairly new colour option then ?

The Silver looks stunning and makes the car look extra expensive / classy .. really suits the SE spec

Look forward to seeing a few cars at the meet

Gotta step in there!!! The Xenon shot is mine.. all mine bwuahahahahaha

Shame its of Viv's car though - I couldn't afford them

My last car was a Mark 1 Ford Escort Mexico!! Bmw before that, Ford Escort Mk1 before that and a BMW 3 for my first car.

SG was an original colour choice but no M option when I ordered mine.

Hope you can make the meet.

Paul

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by Snake Pliskin

Some great pics again Viv ... loved the Xenon shot you took

Picking up bits of info off the site all the time .. is Sparkling Graphite a fairly new colour option then ?

The Silver looks stunning and makes the car look extra expensive / classy .. really suits the SE spec

Look forward to seeing a few cars at the meet

Thanks again Snake Pliskin.

That xenon night shot was actually taken by Paul (1stnewcar) outside the curry house at the end of UK1: The First UK Meet- great work Paul!

Sparkling Graphite (SG) is amongst the original e90 colour options & was the metallic colour chosen by BMW for it's e90 promotional material- have a look at the e90 brochures- they are all SG e90s.
I like it, but the 'purple haze' that appears under some lighting conditions put me off it, unfortunately.

All the best.

Viv

BTW- please could you
click here and sign up- cheers!

[- Paul -]

Beat you to the response there Viv, but glad to see the recognition. Doffs Cap!!

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by 1stnewcar

Beat you to the response there Viv, but glad to see the recognition. Doffs Cap!!

I couldn't take the credit for that top shot, Paul!



Viv

[Snake Pliskin]

ha ha ha .. it was a stunning photo and I think you both should share the credit.

One for taking the shot and one for having the option fitted to the car

As for the meet ... yes I have signed up now

The car better turn up on time now eh !

Hoping it will be 1st week September ... pleeeeease ... I can't bear the waiting and am wearing out the brochure

Oh so Spark Graph was an orig' colour then and yes you are quire right, its in every shot in the brochure.

So which are the new colours out of interest ?

One other thing, does anyone know where I can get a nice shot of an E90 for my phone wall paper .. there are plenty on the BMW dot com web site but it cannot send at the moment and I need a pic on my phone .. don't I

[larryn]

Originally Posted by Snake Pliskin

wow .. a true BMW enthusiast !

When I visited the London Motorshow recently and was chatting with BMW sales people they advised me that "once I had a BMW, I would have no other car after that" ... well they would say that I guess, but I "did" wonder if they would be proven right over time ?

Every time I'm out shopping for my next car, I always visit the competition, and always wind up back at a BMW dealership. There is a certain "feel" that I must be used to, I guess.

Enjoy your new car!! :rocks:

[NFS]

Originally Posted by Snake Pliskin

I have just found the site and have my 330i M Sport on order and just wondered what the rest of you guys have previously driven.

This will be my 1st BMW, but always wanted one, and looked at them before but side tracked onto something else .. but not this time

Are most of you loyal BMW owners or just moved onto the brand like me ... be interested to know.

I am trading in what you may consider to be a rather unusual car / change from the 330i saloon, but I've had my fun with it and its time for some "quality" with speed

I am changing from a Nissan 350z

The nissan is a fun car - drove one at the palmersport race day recently - only road car on the day and completely stock except for a brembo brake upgrade.

My car history is:

330i msport (on order)

530d SE
320cd msport Coupe
320cd coupe
318i touring
323i coupe
316i saloon

Before I was bitten by the bmw bug I had:

Renault Laguna (why why why)
Vauxhall Vectra GSI
Boring 2.0 litre vauxhall Vectra
Vauxhall Astra GSI
Rover 416 (dull dull dull)
Renault 19 (the worst car in the world)
Austin Montego (ha ha ha)
Ford Escort Estate 1.6 (4 speed gearbox - fell out of the car on the M4)
Ford Escort 1.3
Ford Cortina 1.6 (my first car and first RWD)

I make that 17 cars in 16 years some much better than others - and hopefully the 330i will be the best

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by Snake Pliskin

ha ha ha .. it was a stunning photo and I think you both should share the credit.

One for taking the shot and one for having the option fitted to the car

As for the meet ... yes I have signed up now

The car better turn up on time now eh !

Hoping it will be 1st week September ... pleeeeease ... I can't bear the waiting and am wearing out the brochure

Oh so Spark Graph was an orig' colour then and yes you are quire right, its in every shot in the brochure.

So which are the new colours out of interest ?

One other thing, does anyone know where I can get a nice shot of an E90 for my phone wall paper .. there are plenty on the BMW dot com web site but it cannot send at the moment and I need a pic on my phone .. don't I

Here's a few small thumbnails for you Snake Pliskin, cropped from larger shots.
Try them out & see if they keep you entertained with your mobile!

All the best.

Viv

[thebigman]

needforspeed, your cars prior to biting the Bimmer bug do make amusing reading! The difference between the Montego and the E90 must be like night and day!

This is my 1st BMW, and like the comments above I had always wanted one.

My previous cars:-

MkII Audi A3 2.0TDi Sport
MkI Ford Focus 2.0i
Astra CD 1.6i (1st Car)

How long have you had your E90’s for? And how long do you intend to keep them?

I’m presently looking at the new Z4 M Coupe, Porsche Cayman or the sensible diesel 335d Coupe to replace mine in the Spring.

[oneshare325]

97' Grand Prix GT (wrecked)
94' Escort Wagon (wrecked) (totaled)
99' Ford Taurus (wrecked)(totaled)
My first car
74' VW beetle (since been restored with 30k+ worth of work)

AND I AM ONLY 21!!
My e90 was my college gift!

[jjbirch]

97 318ti compact sport
01 316ti compact se new shape
04 e46 318ci coupe sport
05 e46 320ci coupe sport
06 e90 320d sport (chipped)
only 23 so have plenty of time to get more bm's

[NFS]

Originally Posted by thebigman

needforspeed, your cars prior to biting the Bimmer bug do make amusing reading! The difference between the Montego and the E90 must be like night and day!

This is my 1st BMW, and like the comments above I had always wanted one.

My previous cars:-

MkII Audi A3 2.0TDi Sport
MkI Ford Focus 2.0i
Astra CD 1.6i (1st Car)

How long have you had your E90’s for? And how long do you intend to keep them?

I’m presently looking at the new Z4 M Coupe, Porsche Cayman or the sensible diesel 335d Coupe to replace mine in the Spring.

Haven't got my e90 yet - I'll have to wait till the 1st Sept for that

Plan to keep the 330i for a couple of years - don't know what I'll do then.

The Montego was actually alright - I did 120mph in it quite regularly between Bristol and Nottingham (good old days before speed camera lunacy).

I got it when I first started working after university and it was a company car (albeit I had to have the dregs of the car pool and not order my own).

My first 'proper' company car was the Astra GSI and it was an absolute hoot.

Can't see myself buying anything other than BMW at the moment though - unless I can scrape up the cash for an AMG.