[karan561]

High on Octane & Nationalism on Steroids wishing you all a very HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY;

[karan561]

Here's a quick photoblog of what the car has been upto over the past few months;

Had organised a M340i Owners meet in August;



To celebrate 50 Years of M;





All conditions are good conditions for a drive in this xDrive BMW, as just a few moments after this click it started pouring;



Restoring blessings;



Some night time photography;





Car Meets & Drives Continue ...



Park the car, click a photo. Mandatory!





During a recent staycation;





Some pics clicked recently on my iPhone 14 Pro;

[karan561]

My car got its 1st & well deserved detailing session since delivery last year (March 2021). I personally am against PPF as I like to feel the metal of the car & not plastic, hope this treatment helps protect the paint & shine for the coming months. Here are some pics post the ceramic treatment;

[karan561]

Join me for this adventure as i drive my BMW M340i xDrive to the Pench National Park;

https://youtu.be/6O7kKpJ5asQ

Related thread;

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...xpressway.html (Driving my BMW M340i to Pench Tiger Reserve via Samruddhi Expressway)

[karan561]

The car got it's scheduled service done at Infinity Turbhe workshop earlier this year (11th March 2023);



Engine Oil was changed, Microfilter was changed, Air filter was cleaned & refit, other checks, washing etc. was performed.



Total Service Cost was INR 26,128/- (Inclusive of GST).

Also a new Steering wheel was fit;



Read more about the above upgrade here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...-my-m340i.html (Installing the BMW M3/4 (G8x) M Performance Steering Wheel on my M340i)

Rear Right Tyre got punctured once;



Got it fixed locally;



En-Route to Pune;



Some Parking Lot Pics, this one at a 5* property where I self parked (Still haven't handed over the keys of this one to the valet yet)



One from the office parking, next to my Fortuner;



Very east to spot a M340i even in a Mall Parking on a busy weekend;



Getting its booster Ceramic treatment done earlier this month before the arrival of monsoons @ 3M;



WIP;



Results;



In natural daylight;



En - Route Lonavla few days back;



Encountered some foggy conditions;



At the Aamby Valley Airstrip;



You can read about the above Trackday in the next post ...

[karan561]

BMW ///M Trackday;



^ Lineup

The Activities for the day were as under;





^ With the best spec. M4;





Out of all the cars I drove (Some other cars I drove that day were M340i, X3M40i, M4 & M5) at the event I'd like to talk about 2, starting off with the new gen G87 M2;



Firstly a big thumbs up to BMW India for launching one in a MANUAL



The overall driving experience of a 450 HP M/T was surreal. The clutch (though a bit hard) was very good. The shift quality was precise (a bit rubbery though) & engaging.

The car had phenomenal braking and body control;



Loved driving the M2 manual very much and if I hadn't picked the M340i then the M2 surely would have been bought by now.

The next car I want to talk about is the BMW XM;



Truly special interiors & build quality;



Interiors surely had the gravitas to match the Lamborhini or Aston Martin cabins.



Driving experience was fantastic too as the V8 (hybrid) producing 653 HP & 800 NM had brutal acceleration (for its weight);



Indeed worthy of being a special product launch for BMW for its 50th anniversary of M brand.



F90 M5 was the fastest car at the event in a straight line;



G82 M4 impressed too;



This was a paid event & all the expenses (well worth) were borne by ///Myself.

[XDriver]

Awesome Karan ! Must have been a thrill ! Lovely pics. I am on the fence deciding to replace my X1 with X3 M40i. Pl suggest. I already have the 530d M Sport.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by XDriver

Awesome Karan ! Must have been a thrill ! Lovely pics. I am on the fence deciding to replace my X1 with X3 M40i. Pl suggest. I already have the 530d M Sport.

Hi, XDriver, the X3 M40i is a solid product for sure

M340i though more fun on the track but the X3M40i's driving engagement will be similar to the M340i out on actual roads with more practical ground clearance, visibility, boot space & also comfort.

Considering the current gen x1 pricing & engine options the x3 M40i being a CBU is well priced too

[balu_tigers]

Hi @karan561, I'm getting a m340i LCI as a daily. Planning to get the M-Performance Exhaust and steering. Is it too noisy? Will it be discreet in comfort mode and eco-pro mode? Since I'm a doctor, I was supposed to be discreet for my daily hospital run.
Also I want to know whether m-performance front arm rest is available India? It didn't show up in accessories list for India.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by balu_tigers

Hi @karan561, I'm getting a m340i LCI as a daily. Planning to get the M-Performance Exhaust and steering. Is it too noisy? Will it be discreet in comfort mode and eco-pro mode? Since I'm a doctor, I was supposed to be discreet for my daily hospital run.
Also I want to know whether m-performance front arm rest is available India? It didn't show up in accessories list for India.

The M Performance Exhaust is a good addition for the M340i (Lci) & surely you should go ahead as the car will never be too loud & mask the noise enough in Eco & Comfort Mode.

Just give the part no. (will be in the M3/4 part list) of the arm rest to your dealer, I'm sure they will be able to source it for you.

All the best

[karan561]

Tanzanite Blue II Metallic showing its true vibrant colours after a quick wash;

[karan561]

Finally its time to update this thread with some new pics & stories;

At an outing in Karjat region;



Rolling on the Atal Setu;



Video;

https://youtu.be/wfg_MmgbRkU

Drives continue;





At the Scheduled 3rd Service;



Compared with the S58 Engine;



^ Read more about it here;

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...omparison.html (BMW B58TU (M340i) vs S58 (M4) Engine : Technical Comparison)

Competitor Analysis;



^ Read more about it here;

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ne-review.html (Mercedes-AMG C43 (M139 Engine) Review)

Monsoon Driving & Snacking;



Parked next to my recent acquisition;



Parking lot pictures are always fun;



Always good to find a VIP parking spot for breakfast on a crowded street;



Continued ...

[karan561]

Last month the car got its 2nd Ceramic Coating done & here are some pics;

Here's a "Before" pic for reference;



Some WIP pics;





Final result;



Tanzanite Blue II Metallic showing off its hidden Purple shade;



Colour in Natural light;



Colour in Artificial Lights;

[karan561]

4 years of Ownership Completed this month & its been a truly fantastic ownership experience. I always keep getting asked the MOST that How much does it cost to maintain a car like this & what are the service costs. In this video I answer all those questions;

https://youtu.be/2DAdOtGmLB8

For those who prefer text may read on;

So the car is almost stock & the only mods done are;

1) New Steering wheel - To uplift the Interior & driver engagement.
2) M Performance Exhaust - To enhance the sound & loudness to get an OEM+ feel.
3) Michelin PS4S Tubeless Tyres - To enhance the handling & ride , done during delivery.

^ Mentioning above as there were no objections by the service centre or any warranty related issues / concerns.

1st Service: March 2022;

- Engine Oil Changed
- Air & A/C Filter were cleaned

Total Cost INR 17,549/- (Incl. of GST).

2nd Service: March 2023;

- Engine Oil Changed
- A/C Filter Changed
- Air Filter Cleaned

Total Cost INR 26,128/- (Incl. of GST)

3rd Service: March 2024;

- Engine Oil Changed
- Air Filter Changed
- A/C Filter Cleaned

Total Cost INR 23,799/- (Incl. of GST)

4th Service: Done earlier this week;

- Spark Plugs Changed
- Engine Oil Changed
- A/C Filter Changed
- Air Filter Changed

Total Cost: INR 46,634/- (Incl. Of GST).

If we add up all the Service costs then we get a Total of INR 114,110/- (Including GST), also note that all the services were carried out at an official BMW Service centre (Infinity, New Mumbai workshop).

Hence getting an Average Annual expense of Approx. INR 28,500/- (Incl. GST)

[Maky]

Thanks for sharing this.

Originally Posted by karan561

If we add up all the Service costs then we get a Total of INR 114,110/- (Including GST), also note that all the services were carried out at an official BMW Service centre (Infinity, New Mumbai workshop).

Hence getting an Average Annual expense of Approx. INR 28,500/- (Incl. GST)

It looks to be very reasonable pricing.
I had a question, is there any reason why you did not go for a multi-year Service package deal instead. As I understand it saves further monies if taken upfront.

Also, I did not see any mention of Kilometers mentioned at those service intervals in your above post, could you mention them. Perhaps low running might be the reason you avoided service pack.

Thanks.