Anyone come from a BMW m135i/m140i

[CookieMonsterGTi]

Im interested to hear all comparisons.

I managed to get a test drive of a TCR last week.  The power difference is on another level in the BMW but that was to be expected.  Its not that the TCR is lacking by any means, especially on UK roads, just the instance surge in the BMW at any speed in any gear is amazing.

I agree about the iDrive, that was one of the things I prefer by a mile on the BMW, especially with wireless car play.  The screen and dials on the Golf are nice but they could do with being a bit higher resolution maybe and think they will date a bit quicker than the BMW.

All that said, I am trying to work out a deal for a TCR at the moment.  I've had the BMW for getting on for six years and fancy a change. 

Considered an S3, AMG A35, Golf R, the usual suspects I guess, but think the TCR could be a nice change  

[Hawaii-Five-O]

Im interested to hear all comparisons.

I managed to get a test drive of a TCR last week.  The power difference is on another level in the BMW but that was to be expected.  Its not that the TCR is lacking by any means, especially on UK roads, just the instance surge in the BMW at any speed in any gear is amazing.

I agree about the iDrive, that was one of the things I prefer by a mile on the BMW, especially with wireless car play.  The screen and dials on the Golf are nice but they could do with being a bit higher resolution maybe and think they will date a bit quicker than the BMW.

All that said, I am trying to work out a deal for a TCR at the moment.  I've had the BMW for getting on for six years and fancy a change. 

Considered an S3, AMG A35, Golf R, the usual suspects I guess, but think the TCR could be a nice change

Glad to be of some help. I don't post on here much anymore but I always keep reading the forum and have had many Golf's and VW's in the past.

The one thing I'd consider carefully is the GTI TCR's ability to put all that power through the front wheels. One of my biggest bugbears with my old Mk7 GTI was tramping. Awful. Especially in damp conditions. And it only had 220ps! One of the main reasons I changed. Having said that the front diff may help reduce tramping (but won't eliminate it). How about AWD? Only leaves the R.

[mike roberts]

My M135is had a Drexler plate LSD, I consider this essential in them. I ran winter tyres in the worst of the months, but on damp days it was far more tractable than with the open diff and attempts to control power via brakes. They did plenty of track days in the rain with no dramas.

As for tramping, there's a common misconception that it's the doggone mount. it isn't.

The sloppy bushes in the wishbones are the cause, the knock on effects are the mounts. As the car accelerates, the weight transfers to the rear, the front rises and it pulls the wheel towards the front of the car. As it breaks traction, it snaps backwards. It's then into the cycle of grip/thunk/grip/thunk and it travels down the drivetrain.

SuperPro is where it's at.

[Splashalot]

As for tramping, there's a common misconception that it's the doggone mount. it isn't.

The sloppy bushes in the wishbones are the cause, the knock on effects are the mounts. As the car accelerates, the weight transfers to the rear, the front rises and it pulls the wheel towards the front of the car. As it breaks traction, it snaps backwards. It's then into the cycle of grip/thunk/grip/thunk and it travels down the drivetrain.

SuperPro is where it's at.

Tee-hee - doggone mount! :-)

Great info there - thanks.  Is there much of a NVH hit with the SuperPro bushes? 

[mike roberts]

Ha, didn't even spot that auto-correct. I'm leaving it 

None. There's enough damping elsewhere.

[Exonian]

This thread has been quite useful for me.
A colleague of mine has been lusting after a Merc lately as he tends to buy for a badge rather than a car’s merits. I’m trying to educate him and indoctrinate him into hot hatches (I’ll fail, he’s an air head) and with this thread I’ve been able to point him away from an elderly C63 toward a new or newish M140i.
At around £28k new these things now represent a bargain for what you get if you can get past the looks and restrictions of applying 340 PS to the rear wheels in a light car in British weather.

I’ve no idea what the likely residuals are on a 140i are right now in real term depreciation (actual £££ lost) versus an R or TCR after a couple of years but the M140i makes a hell of a case for itself.

[mike roberts]

They're genuinely best bought on a PCP. The huge discount and high GFV really do make them a cheap car, and you mitigate the issue. However, it's the last of its kind of RWD/I6 hatch, so promises to remain a bit of a cult car.

By contrast, the GTI I bought was so significantly worse per/month - I ended up using my cash instead. VW finance & GFVs are a joke.

The LSD is a chunk of money, but it's the entire diff unit - so you just unbolt the old one and hook the new up, this means you can remove and sell when you're done. £2200ish new, I got £1500 back used.

[gizzywizzy]

Looking at both cars side by side the GTI is a much better looking car.  I’m a girl and I tend to buy with my eyes which is neither good or bad 🤣

[mike roberts]

Agreed, it’s no looker. The coupe is far better though.

[Hawaii-Five-O]

If you want a factory spec M140i you'll have to be quick, order books shut around June (early June I think). Then that's it. The last ever RWD hot hatch with a whopping 3 litre 6 cylinder engine. If anyone is interested get in touch with Tony Lewis at Berry BMW:  trldeals@outlook.com  The guy is a gent and offers the biggest discounts available.

As I've said I'm not a complete BMW convert, VW Golf's are in my DNA, just wanted to try one of these cars before they're confined to history. I'm keen to know what VW will bring to the Mk8 R. Will it have an electric turbo, will the torque increase, will it still drive as well as the Mk7, will it look like pig in makeup, etc, etc.. Guess we'll find out soon enough...