Newbie hailing from CPT - F30 335i

Hi guys

I've been subscribed for a little while, lurking in the background and learning from the wealth of information on the forum. Thought its time to finally post an intro... [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES]

I recently (early December) acquired my first piece of Bavarian technology, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Specs as follows:

2012 F30 335i Sports line
Alpine white
Sunroof, Xenons, PDC front and rear (with camera), 8spd sports transmission with flappy paddles

Pics:


I had really been an Opel guy prior to joining the dark side, partly because I grew up with them and partly because they served me really well.

Ex rides:
Opel Corsa Lite 1.4i
Opel Astra H 1.6 sport
Opel Astra H 2.0t GTC panoramic
Opel Astra H 2.0t OPC plus pack

I was considering another Opel, but the difficulty was the only other one I would consider (power wise) was the new J OPC, which is a touch overpriced in my opinion for a 2.0t hatchback. Don't get me wrong, I dig the car, but I can't justify spending R400k+ on an Opel. Also, the wife and I are planning on adding a rugrat (aka child) to the family in the hopefully not too distant future, so a 2 door is simply not practical.

Again, really struggled to find something that would meet my need for power, although my mind immediately jumped to the 335i. After much deliberation, we finally decided on the 335i and the search commenced in early November.

We happened to head up to JHB to visit the out-laws at the time, with the intention of finding the 335i of our dreams in the city of gold. That was the plan, until the Easter bunny decided the dart across the road at 3am and destroy my front grill on the OPC - needless to say, this made trading a little difficult.


With a heavy heart,I decided to return to CPT to have insurance repairs before trading. I didn't look pretty, as you can tell from the pic.

Eventually had the damage repaired in early December and decided to start searching again. Managed to find a single F30 335i in Paarl and decided immediately to go for a test drive. Rocked up at BMW Paarlberg and was greeted by Desmond who handed me the keys and said "go have some fun" and let the missus and I head off for a test drive on our own. Certainly not was I was accustomed to - usually the salesman hounds you and doesn't let you out if their sight with the car. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least!

Took it for a 30km test drive, and the rest is history. Managed to get a decent trade in price, and the combination of the fantastic service from Desmond at BMW Paarlberg and the pure exhilaration of a straight-6 3.0 turbocharged engineering masterpiece, sealed the deal.

The wife and I are loving the car, and look forward to many miles of awesomeness. I'm also pleasantly surprised by how frugal it can be when you're not thrashing it. We managed to achieve 6.7l/100km on our trip to JHB and Durbs over the December holidays. City driving is nearly double that though (when the right foot isn't feeling too heavy...). Have tickled 20l/100km when driving spiritedly.

Anyway, in summary I'm thrilled with the new ride and looking forward to being part of the Fanatics community.

Cheers
Bernard (aka The Kowz)