Tag: BMW
All the latest breaking news on the automaker BMW. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on BMW.
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Valentines Day Land Rover Style
Jaguar & Land Rover have confirmed the Jaguar C-X75, Range Rover Sport SVR and Defender Big Foot will feature in the new Bond film SPECTRE. The Jag will be the baddies’ wheels for the main car chase against the Aston Martin DB10 in Rome while the Landies have been spotted in Austria. Jaguar’s press site interestingly refers to C-X75s plural rather than singular. Whether the multiple vehicles will be needed for destructive purposes or if there are a couple of C-X75s chasing/being chased by Bond is something we will have to wait to find out.
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CLASSIC CAR REVIEW: BMW 840Ci
Fancy a luxurious, distinctive and powerful GT car for less than the price of a new Ford Fiesta? The 840Ci could be the car for you.
The 8-Series, or E31 for the BMW geeks out there, was launched in 1989 after a long and expensive development period that started in the mid 80’s. Although it replaced the 6-Series as the flagship coupe it was a lot more expensive, competing with cars such as the Porsche 928 and Mercedes SEC. It was launched initially with a 5.0 litre V12 with the option of a smaller V8 a few years later.
The first thing you notice as you approach the car is the sheer size of it, this is a big luxury coupe that occupies a lot of road space. As you duck down into the low set cabin, you are greeted by huge multi adjustable leather seats along with more buttons and digital displays than you can shake a stick at. The cabin is of a high quality but very 90’s and Germanic (read very, very black), thankfully the interior is lifted in this example with yellow piping on the seats. The 8 may be a 4 seater but not a spacious one, I’m 5’ 4” and just about fit comfortably in the back.
On turning the key you are treated to a deep chested V8 rumble, helped on this car by a full stainless steel exhaust which also releases a few more ponies. A manual gearbox was available but most, including this one, were automatics. As you shift into drive and get onto the road you realise that this is totally in keeping with the character of the car. Even on low profile rubber the ride is comfortable while the engine has plenty of low down torque to allow you to mooch around effortlessly if not discreetly. The combination of loud exhaust and even louder paint mean you’ll be getting plenty of stares from passers-by.
If you want to up the ante, you can move the gearstick over to manual mode. Instead of the car gently slurring its way to as high a gear as possible, you can hold gears to let the engine rev. Do this and you reveal a whole different side to the 840. Suddenly this luxury coupe starts to feel a lot more interesting, going from feeling brisk to pretty bloody fast. On paper it’s slower than many a modern hot hatch (0-60 in around 6.5 seconds) but on the road it always feels plenty. You’ll also get a much better soundtrack thanks to that V8, the engine developing a much harder almost NASCAR style exhaust note as it approaches 6000 rpm.
Flick a switch on the transmission tunnel and the dampers stiffen to give much tighter body control, sharper turn in and less roll around corners. Couple this to accurate steering and you’ll soon find yourself carrying more and more speed around bends, helped by the width of the delicious 3 piece BBS wheels. Don’t confuse this for a sports car though, the steering while precise is lacking in feedback and you always feel the not inconsiderable weight while braking and turning. This is not a B road blaster.
Prices today start at less than £4000 although the very best can command over £20,000. The stunning yellow example you see here is a later V8 engined car with 4.4 litres giving 286 bhp. Although less powerful than the V12 models, the lighter weight means performance is very similar unless you find a super rare 850CSi which came with nearly 400 bhp. One big plus point of the V8 is that the engine is a lot less complicated and so cheaper to repair. A repair bill in excess of £1000 isn’t unheard of though, there’s plenty of complicated electronics to go wrong and the early 4.0 litre V8s can suffer from serious engine issues.
The good news is that classic insurance is cheap and values are on the up. Buy one today and as long as you look after it, you’ll probably be able to sell it for as much or more than you paid. Choose carefully and you’ll have a handsome, fast and luxurious GT that can cover huge distances comfortably. I guarantee you’ll never get bored of playing with the pop up lights either.
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MOTORING: Ten Soft Tops For Summer Under £5k
You might think I’m insane for suggesting you buy an open car in the middle of winter but there is method to my madness.
Quite rightly you’ll be thinking that you’ll barely ever get the roof down and you might as well get something with more than a bit of canvas between you and the elements. Unsurprisingly, everyone else will be thinking the same ensuring demand is low as are prices. Just £700 will get you into the cheapest car on the list while others have hard roofs that leave them feeling very similar to a regular car. Whether you just want to look good and catch some sun or if you want something that carves through corners and devours straights, there’s a car on the list for you. If not, please feel free to share what you’ve found!
- Volkswagen Golf Mk3 Convertible – £700
Topless thrills don’t have to cost thousands, this Golf is cheap to buy, cheap to insure with a classic policy and should prove pretty reliable too. Although it’s 20 years old it still has plenty of toys although don’t expect it to be the most exciting car to drive. With an MOT till October, you could use it until autumn next year and sell it for what you paid for it. Alternatively, tidy the car up and it could be a reliable retro ride for many years to come.
- Ford StreetKa – £1476
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/ford/streetka/ford-streetka-1-6i-2dr/3035341
Don’t just think of this as a regular Ka with the roof sawn off, Ford spent a lot of time and money re-engineering this with a bigger engine and wider, stiffer suspension. It’s no rocketship but it’ll still feel quick enough around town and be a hoot round bends. You do lose 2 seats compared to the hatchback but you gain a much more stylish rump. Being a Ford, it should be cheap to run and pretty reliable. If it does go wrong, parts are cheap.
- Fiat Barchetta – £1950
Fancy a sexy Italian for the summer? How about the Fiat Barchetta? A rare sight on UK roads, probably thanks to them being left hand drive only, they’re a good looking alternative to the ubiquitous Mazda MX-5. Underneath it’s based on the Fiat Punto meaning predictable front wheel drive handling and fairly cheap running costs. It also means that if it does go wrong, which it might, bits are cheap. A lively 135 bhp engine makes the car pretty nippy and they handle well too.
- Toyota MR-2 MK-3 – £2795
If your main reason for buying a sports car is that you love driving, the MR-2 needs your attention. Although it’s not the prettiest car here, it’s light, mid engined and rear wheel drive. Add feelsome steering and an engine with just enough power to make things interesting and you have the ingredients for serious fun. Being a Toyota, it’ll be endlessly reliable and servicing shouldn’t be too costly either. It won’t be overly practical and there’s only room for one passenger but hey, your friends can always take the bus.
- MG Midget £3450
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mg/midget/1979-mg-midget-1500/3088628
You don’t have to spend a great deal to get a proper classic like this MG Midget. You do have to be careful to avoid buying a rusty old money pit, however this dry stored example should be a good bet. The mechanicals are simple (the engine is shared with the original Mini) so don’t expect modern levels of grip, braking or safety. The upshot is that you don’t have to go fast to have fun and the kind of looks that you just don’t get anymore. Be prepared to get your hands dirty though, MGs can be temperamental.
- Smart Roadster £4500
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/smart-car/roadster/smart-roadster-80-rhd-2dr-auto-fsh-low-mileage/2826209
In many respects this Smart Roadster is the modern day MG Midget. It’s similarly tiny, shares its engine with an economy car and is cheap to run. Available only as a semi-automatic, it could be argued the slow witted and clumsy gearbox ruins the car. Learn to work with it and you’ll find a chuckable chassis, accurate steering and a great sounding turbocharged engine. The looks are Marmite and storage limited but they are bloody good fun. It’s easy to squeeze a few more horsepower from the engine too.- Jeep Wrangler – £4450
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/jeep/wrangler/jeep-wrangler-4-0-petrol-limited-edition-65k-mileage/3222334Just because you’re buying a car to enjoy in the summer doesn’t mean it won’t prove invaluable in winter. This Jeep Wrangler offers a removable roof for the sun and 4 wheel drive with chunky tyres for the snow. The brick like aerodynamics and massive 4.0 litre engine will mean you’ll be very friendly with your local petrol station attendant but they are at least pretty reliable. Wranglers are very much an old school 4×4 so don’t expect the best road manners either.
- Mercedes SL320 £4490
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mercedes-benz/sl/mercedes-sl-320——————1994/3102387
If I was picking the classiest drop top from this list, the SL would win every time. This immaculate 1994 car comes with one of the smaller engines of the range which should save a few quid on petrol and servicing. Besides, the SL is not really about going fast, it’s about looking good. It also comes with a removable hard top to keep the heat in and car thieves out. Classic insurance won’t be expensive and old SLs tend to go up in value if you look after them….
- BMW M3 Evo – £4995
Here’s a convertible that’ll really put the wind in your hair thanks to over 300 bhp from a brawny straight 6 engine. This 1996 example has been well looked after and comes in the best colour too. Inside is leather and luxury while you can even seat 4 at a push. Being an M3, parts and servicing will be on the expensive side as will the fuel bills. If you like the looks but don’t need the performance or expense, consider the lower powered 318i, 320i or 325i, they’re much cheaper to buy and run.
- Renault Wind – £4988
Once you’ve stopped laughing at the stupid name, the Wind is well worth your consideration. For a start, this is only 4 years old with just 36000 miles. For seconds it shares a lot with the Renaultsport Twingo, a great little hot hatch and for thirds it’s actually practical for a 2 seat roadster. A clever folding hardtop gives plenty of boot space that isn’t impacted when the roof is stowed (unlike a Merc SLK or Peugeot 308CC) and avoids a massive arse. The name killed sales in the UK so they’re rare but well worth tracking down.