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      06-30-2019, 01:52 PM   #73
Germanauto
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Drives: Alfa Romeo Giulia, Rosso
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlickShift View Post
Great write up!

I attended the event over the weekend and got to drive the M5 and M340i. The M5 was very fast, but not the brutal acceleration I was expecting. Basically no drama in the experience - just speed and competence. The M340i was a good drive if a little dull as well. I really dislike the new gauges, but I'm sure they'd grow on me eventually. Both cars felt very solid, but the M340i wasn't the "return to the old BMW" that some of the journalists have been touting.
I felt the exact same after driving the M340. It was a shrunken version of the 540 loaner I had recently; amazing powertrain, very refined, easy to drive at high speeds, handles well enough. However, for those of us spoiled by the likes of the E46 and E90 this does not measure up. It was only 50% as competent/fun as the M2 I drove right beforehand.

The M340 craps on all the competition when it comes to its powertrain, even the Giulia as it does not offer a mid-tier model between the base and QF. However I would still rather get a Giulia with the base engine for the handling/steering alone.
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