Your fleet running reports

[drcarlos]

Can’t remember if I mentioned it last time, but I swapped the HSD coilovers off the m3 onto the compact as although it sat nicely it was too soft to be that low, I’ve chewed the wings just driving very gently onto our drive. It now sits a tad lower but also has more clearance and doesn’t bit the arches. Win win!

I’ve never liked M badges on non ‘proper’ M cars, so even though it’s a sport with Msport bits the M badges on the door rub strips have always annoyed me. I thought I’d try something different and contacted a company who make custom badges and got them to use a print of the seat fabric as a background. I realise they won’t be to everyone’s (anyone’s?? ) taste, but I like them


I then gave it a polish to make the most of the terrible paint and took it to retrorides. Spent most of the weekend in the campsite, but on the Sunday I took it over to the track for retro parking.

I thought it looked great in the sunshine against the blue sky and green grass. Seemed to get a lot of attention for a daily runabout put together with parts I had laying around.

Justified attention, it does look good and people like to see cared for examples of things that you don't see on the road so much any more.

[Rich B]

I don't really like compacts, I don't like dark red and I'm not a fan of the painted wheel centres... but somehow it all works! Well done Harry!

[V8Granite]

All the proportions are pretty much perfect there

Dave!

[IanF]

I don't really like compacts, I don't like dark red and I'm not a fan of the painted wheel centres... but somehow it all works! Well done Harry!

Yep

[integrale_evo]

Justified attention, it does look good and people like to see cared for examples of things that you don't see on the road so much any more.

Cheers

It’s strange, the drive down was the first long journey I’ve done in it and I was thinking you just don’t see e36s of any shape any more. The last couple of years have really thinned out the ‘normal’ everyday ones.

On the way home I saw one, who passed me on the motorway, recognised the car and contacted me afterwards.

It’s pretty tricky making a car which looks cool in photos but works in the real world too. Everything is a bit of a compromise, but I’m happy with how it looks but can also drive it as hard as I like on real roads. Obviously speed bumps are best avoided.

So many ‘show’ cars which look good sat still look rubbish being driven, either air ride jacked up or nodding and scraping their way along at well below the speed limit.

Colour wouldn’t have been my first choice, it can look a bit too old many flat burgundy in dull conditions, but it really perks up with a bit of direct sunshine. Unfortunately they’re getting to the point where you can’t be too fussy as there aren’t loads to choose from any more and I loved the interior, low owners, low mileage and lack of rust at a sensible price.

[Ascender]

I don't really like compacts, I don't like dark red and I'm not a fan of the painted wheel centres... but somehow it all works! Well done Harry!

I'm exactly the same, that's a lovely one Harry.

Something about the E36 compact shape seems to make it really sensitive to paint & wheel combos more than any other model in the range. Not entirely sure what it is though that can seemingly make them look so different.

[Swervin_Mervin]

I don't really like compacts, I don't like dark red and I'm not a fan of the painted wheel centres... but somehow it all works! Well done Harry!

I'm exactly the same - it's genuinely lovely Harry, and I particularly like the interior.

[Sundayjumper]

Here's some fun for about two seconds: what type of silver and black 5-door BMW have I bought today ?

But caution ! Some of the question is slightly misleading. I'll argue the toss that it's not entirely a lie though.

[McSwede]

Here's some fun for about two seconds: what type of silver and black 5-door BMW have I bought today ?

But caution ! Some of the question is slightly misleading. I'll argue the toss that it's not entirely a lie though.

F11 535d

[integrale_evo]

I'm exactly the same, that's a lovely one Harry.

Something about the E36 compact shape seems to make it really sensitive to paint & wheel combos more than any other model in the range. Not entirely sure what it is though that can seemingly make them look so different.

They are an odd shape, but I quite like that. Echos of z3 clown shoe

They’re a weird halfway house with the rear window angle not far off the coupe, but the boot itself is higher and because it’s shorter you lose the delicate taper of the full size cars.

There’s a lot of bulk above the rear wheel, which with the pretty long and slim nose makes them look particularly ugly on the normal 15in wheels and nose up standard suspension. Accentuated even more by the usual bmw high cut front arches.

Just lowering the front end a lot helps visually shift the weight forward. The squared off sport front bumper helps too.

There are still some angles which look a bit odd, but overall I’m happy with it.

[integrale_evo]

Here's some fun for about two seconds: what type of silver and black 5-door BMW have I bought today ?

But caution ! Some of the question is slightly misleading. I'll argue the toss that it's not entirely a lie though.

4.8is

[Sundayjumper]

F11 535d

4.8is

Nope & nope. It's a MINI Clubman, diesel

s-l1600.jpg (75.68 KiB) Viewed 1049 times

I sadly have to start working in an office again. I've not not so much as set foot in an office since March 2020 and all (?) my sensible cars have gone. This should be super-frugal to run - £20 VED and an official fuel consumption of 78.5mpg. Even wifey is on board with this one, she loves her convertible, is looking forward to using this for larger shopping trips.

[Carlos]

I like quirky stuff

That doesn't have 5 doors though

[Sundayjumper]

I like quirky stuff

That doesn't have 5 doors though

Yes it does

Two on the driver's side, one on the passenger side, two at the back.

[Carlos]

I like it even more then

I've had a couple as courtesy cars over the years but never clocked the double at the back.

[Ascender]

The C4S is gone. Just the wrong car at the wrong time for me. Utterly fantastic car, always an event to drive, but the realities of a 20 year old car started to bite and I know in a couple of years time I'll have a ramp & pit which will let me do more things myself on a car which does needs bits and pieces done to it all the time. I got a few nice longer trips in it and I'll always have the oil spots on the driveway to remember it by.

No idea when the M3 Touring is going to be available although I think its launching officially at Goodwood next month. In the meantime I've picked up an M2 Competition in primer grey colour. Its an absolute hooligan of a car.

And now I need to find something for my boy to start learning to drive in....

[Jimmy Choo]

It's a MINI Clubman, diesel

Sound little commuter car. I liked the half suicide door more than I expected to given that it was on the "wrong side" for RHD. I wished that you could open both of the boot doors with the remote, though. They get disgustingly filthy with road grime.

[mik]

Put new boots on Mrs mik’s E-tron. I think 15k miles is pretty good for performance-oriented tyres (ContiSport6), dealing with 408bhp whilst carrying 2.5tonnes plus.

I reckon we could have taken them to 17.5k easily, but two of them had some notable sidewall damage following a decision to mount a kerb at around 10mph that Mrs mik had assumed was the same height as the dropped level driveway entries she could see clearly at the time…. It wasn’t.

The same tyre is available in a conventional and “silent” variant (ie lined with accoustic foam) for an extra £27-ish per corner. I came very extremely close to saving £100 and getting the standard ones (or shifting to standard MPS4S) but bottled it - the low sound levels are a real feature, and you have plenty of time to repent a bad tyre decision…. so OEM went on.

[Sundayjumper]

I liked the half suicide door more than I expected to given that it was on the "wrong side" for RHD.

I’m really looking forward to it, it totally makes sense having it on the drivers side, it makes it easier to chuck stuff on the back seat before you get in.

The usual criticism of back seat passengers wanting to get out on the pavement side when you parallel park on the street ? Not something that will affect me.

[integrale_evo]

Was just thinking, very handy for the Mrs to chuck her handbag in. She likes them too.