The latest addition to the sporty segment is from BMW and is called M340i. It is also available as Touring. The power of the BMW is no less than 374 hp.
The 3-series costs € 80,500 in basic version. However, there is a large option list, so that the final price is € 93,000. The BMW is already quite aggressive in itself, and the M340i has thick wheels and some large exhausts. The 3 series is clear. The car has (currently the only version of the new 3 series) a six-in-line engine with turbo, coupled to BMW’s well-known eight-speed automatic. Remarkably, that power does not only go to the rear wheels. Whether it is a station wagon or a sedan, an M340i nowadays gets standard four-wheel drive, called BMW xDrive. Most power still goes to the rear wheels, but in normal use all four wheels are powered as standard. The engine is an insanely good thing, smooth from low revs with power to far above. With less power, the BMW is still fast. This is certainly also partly in the weight, but also in the wide speed range. As in many BMWs, the fully automatic is one of the best of its kind. Smooth and fast with rare throttle response. We rarely have to intervene with flippers, the drivetrain responds perfectly. Of course, the 4WD provides a lot of traction, but you feel that most of the power is still going backwards, so that the handling remains as it should in a 3-series.
Post from Leeuwarden
In addition to the engine, the driving and steering behavior is a top BMW, much more than in all SUVs that the brand sells today. You place the car perfectly, the engine is always alert, the cornering behavior is sublime in terms of balance. The biggest danger is a lot of mail from Leeuwarden, because the machine also keeps the revs very low at high speed, so that on empty highways you cruise unnoticed far above the speed limit. The car does not budge. As an M-Performance model, it has a slightly lower and tighter chassis as standard than, for example, a 320i and the car becomes slightly stiffer. You are a bit built in, but that suits the driving behavior of both cars. In terms of multimedia, BMW still relies on its iDrive system, which is very pleasant. With the seats folded down, the BMW has quite a few liters on offer. The BMW scores with a thick six-cylinder consumption of 1: 11.7.
* During the photo shoot we drove a 330i Touring due to the availability of the M340i.