In days gone by, there was a trademark combination for a BMW. It usually consisted of a long bonnet with an oversized, powerful flat 6-cylinder engine, mated to a manual gearbox, rear wheel drive and a cabin that was flung to the back of the car. This, for many years is what many perceived to be the trademark BMW "Ultimate Driving Machine." As time marches on, so do consumer tastes, favouring slush-box automatics to conventional manual gearboxes and smaller (takes breath) diesel engines to the larger petrol engines of past.
Thankfully, however, the fuel of Satan (diesel) seems to be going full circle and, now, people are returning to good old internal combustion petrol-powered engines. As with most manufacturers, however, engines are getting smaller and moving away from normally aspirated to some form of either turbocharging or supercharging. This, however, isn't something that has, or probably ever will bother me. A flat-6 3.0 petrol engine in nature produces half decent performance as well as a fairly strong torque curve. Take this as a starter and strap a turbocharger to it can only make things better (and faster.)
Take this, for example, a 2015 BMW 435i M-Sport Convertible. Mated to a 3.0 Straight Six Turbocharged engine with 302BHP and 295ib/ft of torque is a 6-Speed MANUAL transmission. Manual. This car was built in 2015, a time when 6,7,8 and 9 Speed Dual Clutch Automatic Transmissions were the norm. To order one of these cars with a manual gearbox would have been very much out of the norm. This is evident even more so now by a scroll through the generic used car classifieds website that rhymes with blorto fader, where there is only one othermanual 435i convertible for sale in the whole of the UK and it doesn't look a patch on ours!
The fact that the 435i's sold in great numbers, yet so few as manuals has much more to do with the sort of person that bought them rather than a fault with the car itself. The engine/gearbox combination is superb. It is so sure footed and pulls fantastically through all the gears with no dramas whatsoever. The 3.0 is terribly punchy with a lot of low end grunt from the turbo but, as 6-Cylinders are know for, it has a very wide power band and pulls like a train all the way round to the red line. The clutch is very light and there are very short throws between the gears, making for an effortless yet very rewarding driving experience.
In days gone by, this combination would've made it the "Ultimate Driving Machine" which, in my opinion makes the car all the more special. Considering that these cars with a manual gearbox sold in such small numbers begs the question why BMW would even bother in the future. This could possibly be the last of a dying breed. If the demand isn't there, what is the point in supplying?
As a proper petrolhead, this car oozes character and takes you back to the golden age of driving where the person behind the wheel is in full control. The balance, with a massive engine in front of you and the driven wheels behind you give you a real sens of control and really changes the driving characteristics of the car. With the Dual Clutch Automatic Transmission it is a cruiser, a car to drive in comfort with power in reserve should you need it. With a manual gearbox, it is a real drivers car. You have a real sense of ability to use all of the car's power as and when you need it, rather than a computerised gearbox changing for you when it deems "necessary."
This particular car is an April 2015 BMW 435i M-Sport Convertible. Finished in Sapphire Black Metallic with contrasting Coral Red Boston Leather, there is no denying this is a stunning and eyecatching colour combination. Having covered just 15,000 Miles from new in the hands of just 1 owner, the car, as would be expected is immaculate throughout and really needs to be seen to be appreciated. It has a complete service history and still has the balance of the BMW manufacturer's warranty until 24/4/2018 at which point it will be 3 years old and will also be due its first MOT test.
As standard, the M-Sport comes well equipped with twin exhausts, sporting bodykit with M-Sport louvres in the front wings, Full Heated Leather Interior, BMW Professional Navigation system with Bluetooth Phone Connectivity, 20GB Music Jukebox DAB Digital Radio, USB Connectivity and BMW Online Connectivity, Front and Rear Parking Sensors, Auto Xenon Headlights with LED Running Lights, Cruise Control, Climate Control, Electric Windows and Mirrors, Trip Computer, Multifunction Steering Wheel, Remote Locking and power metal folding hardtop roof.
From new, this particular car is also fitted with the much more desirable 19" Light Alloy Diamond Turned Alloy Wheels to give the outside of the car a much more distinctive look compared to the standard 18" Alloy Wheels. The car really needs to be seen to be appreciated, it looks absolutely stunning inside and out and, with the electric folding metal roof really is a car that can be used all year round in all conditions and truly enjoyed. It is a practical 4-Seater convertible with a decent sized booth but is also a proper driver's car.
The engine really does have bags of character and must be driven to be appreciated. The car further benefits from having selectable driving modes and, with Sport mode engaged, the car really comes alive. It drives fantastic and sounds fantastic. The 6-Cylinder burbles on the overrun and produces a superb engine note when pushing on through the rev range. The 435i is fitted with a twin-scroll turbo, meaning it has two internal impellers. The benefit of this is that there is very little turbo lag. Enough talk, it's on site now, 1-2 Bunyan Road, Hitchin, SG5 1NL with full details on our website WWW.MASTERCARSALES.CO.UK so come and have a look and a drive for yourself.
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