GarethB

Had a bit of a result last night which brings the two car option a little closer.

I'll be having a real poke around a 135 this week - tomorrow hopefully - and we'll see what happens.

Lead time on then is getting to Feb apparently which works quite nicely. We could be looking to move in March.

I definitely want to keep two cars. Although come Feb I may look to swap the W8 for an S2K or similar. We'll see.

Nick Graves

That would mean I need to launch into an unjustified ad hominem tirade at this point, based largely on my total inability to remember any actual facts or to google them - or to extend simple logic.

PH mees must be like the National Front meeting the Anti-Nazi League & being encouraged by horse-mounted Plod...

Be a while before this part of the forum gets that bad. I hope. Other parts...

Nottm_S2

I think if you do any of these things you're part petrolhead

Spend a load of money on a version of a car because it's quicker/more thrilling than the boggo diesel one
Watch videos of cars on youtube
Go and look at cars at dealers
Think of changing/adding to your "fleet" every other week (even if it's a fleet of 1)
Do trackdays
Lottery garage yourself on pistonheads/autotrader
Read car mags
Find the Harris Monkey amusing

you don't even need to own a car to be an obsessive

I don't change cars a lot, it's a lack of time that really drives that for me these days. I had some truly terrible cars in my youth as well, an Astravan , an Astra GTE 16v (nice engine, shit handling even when tweaked), a Calibra (suited my run between London and Notts back in the day), S2000, M3...

I often ponder something more extreme and I think when I stop commuting and kid gets older I will plunge but at the minute, getting to the station after a 14 hour day I really appreciate the drama less grunt and comfort of the M3

s2k4tony

I think the 135i keeps alive the idiot in the petrolhead. You'll drive it like you stole it to enjoy it, it's perhaps faster than anything else you could possibly ever afford. Point to point, it's running with the bigger M brigade. However....
After the fun, you'll stop driving it fast (because let's face it.. It's unfashionable on today's roads to speed everywhere. And it ain't a sports car, it's a fast hatch, almost a little GT car). It's expensive at service time, staying with the brand. Most will lease, or get on the company car scheme. So it's not theirs. It'll make for a great 4-5 year old used buy. I saw a white one at Oulton, my brother was especially taken with it.....

I wish I'd taken a pic of the front, it had a slightly different shade of white bumper and bonnet. Very unfortunate. Very pretty car though, like one of the kids' little hot wheels cars.

The 335i did the same, it stuck 2 fingers up at the V8 saying " I'm faster after a remap mutha ******"

Can Bmw make a car as fine as the E30 M3? I know the 135i is an exceptionally good car, is it getting close?

You know what... Thinking more on it, Joe public wants the newM3. But doesn't want to pay 50k... So he opts for something cheaper, same badge, and potential to be faster. Save 15k, and here you have the above. So give a warm hand to Bmw, excellent marketing there.

Nottm_S2

The new M3 will be a turbo so equally mappable I guess

Ultra_Nexus

I didn't realise how much hooha my comment would cause. Usually I do, but this time I just missed it.

Anyone can waltz into a showroom and get a car on the drip but you should legitimately earn the title of Petrolhead.

All of this isn't saying the 135M is a bad car - far from it as I looked at one for the Mrs. It's just not a car that would define a petrolhead. I think the title of the thread confirms it - Semi-Skimmed M. A petrolhead isn't semi-skimmed.

unclefester

Forums lol

Petrolhead should not be confused with forum nerd ... Chris Evans is a petrol head, if you set your benchmark that high ... anyone lesser is a pretender. Jay Leno makes Chris Evans look like a forum nerd spending his pocket money on pointless tweaks.

Even people who buy people carriers can be petrolheads, it's financial and practicality considerations that eventually decide what you end up driving - love of petrol things is very much secondary unless you're as blessed as the two above.

I look at an Escort Mexico or a Metro 6R4 and it gives me as much of a smile as looking at Exotica, i can afford to buy neither, i'll probably never own any of them but it doesn't make me like any of them less.

Doesn't matter what the fuel type, if you like engines and the stuff they go in then that's the only 'qualification' you need, .

s2k4tony

Hear hear...

One thing is for sure... you don't need your car to have to rip the road up, to be a petrolhead

I think there's a certain section of cars that attract "dick" drivers... i.e drivers wanting to be first, jump queues, make the driver feel invincible if he wants. Alot are TDi's, alot though are also high power petrol's.
Then there's a section of cars that explore true handling values, without too much power (aka GT '86, Teg & Accord Type R's for eg).

I prefer the latter, although I own a powerful diesel

GarethB

I have to disagree. In a way, choosing this car may well actually define a petrol head.
You need 5 seats, a largish boot, reliability, ability to drive lots of miles in comfort. The average driver chooses the 116d.
The Petrolhead chooses the M135i.

I've no experience of driving an M3 or an M5...actually, I take that back, I've some M5 experience - but is this called semi-skimmed because it's not a "true" M car, ie it's not called the M1? In what way is the M135i less (or indeed) more of a petrolhead car than an M3? Excluding ltd editions? Isn't putting a 3 litre engine in a small hatchback the very definition of a petrolhead thing to do?

s2k4tony

5 Seats = 335i
4 seats for little people =135iM

I think yes... putting a large engine, with a blower, into a wee little chassis can define that you're into fastness. Thing is, my boss isn't into cars in the slightest. And she drives a 130i!

You can have a Mk1 Micra, and still drive it like you stole it. Hence the moniker, Reasonably Priced car (the whole point being, your Stigness can have great fun, lift-off o/s'ing a Liana. Just showing, you can have fun in ANYTHING!)


Personally, I think the big, big engine power league on todays roads is utterly pointless. Manufacturers have lost focus. Toyota have realized that creating a great handling RWD with just under 200hp is all you really need. The ones in the know (aka, Petrolheads) may look at a 135iM driver, and then look across to a '86 driver.. comparing both. Respect is high for the Toyota driver. Weird, but true. Maybe its jealousy, maybe its the disliking of the Badge, I know many hate BMW's and think that they were created for cocky people, which I find odd. BMW make terrific machines.

However, they haven't made anything sinve the E30 M3 that won't endanger your licence on the limit. Toyota have, and for me the '86 is a better car for True Petrolheads.
Dont worry, you're still a petrolhead if you own the 135iM you just havent realized the '86 might just be better