[CarsAndGuitars]

..and haven't stopped thinking about it.

This is my first post here. Honestly, I have never had a serious interest in BMW ownership before. But I saw an M240i in the wild which piqued my curiosity.

As it so happens, a local dealer has (is hoarding?) not one, but 3 M240's.. 2 in TN, 1 in PB. I drove one of the TNs. It was sublime, in particular the downshifts in sport mode. I've never heard and (not) felt rev matching like that before. The overall driving dynamics were jawdropping.

I really love the Thundernight paint, and have owned a purple car before ('71 'Cuda) so I could definitely do it again. I MUST order outside the grayscale, as my last 4 cars have it fully covered:

• 2011 Mustang in Silver
• 2015 Challenger Scat Pack in Metallic Gray (Granite Crystal)
• 2018 A5 sportback in black
• 2020 G70 3.3 in white (current ride)

None of the 3 M240s at this particular dealership are really configured as I would order, and the significant market adjustment is a non-starter for me.

Hoping the supply chain issues will resolve to the point I can place an order with some confidence it will come within a stated timeframe (I'm told best case, 4-5 months) and not pay an additional fee for the privilege of allowing me to pay full price (that's how I look at market adjustments).

I'm not sure if it was the purple paint or the most buttery / responsive drivetrain I have ever driven, but I think I want this car. The only other car that is not totally vaporware, within my budget and otherwise might check my boxes is the new Z; but I have a feeling I would still choose the M240.

[beamer-dreamer]

yeah waiting for one of these cars is a miserable way to live, i'm hoping owning one makes up for it

i ordered late dec, for MSRP, car scheduled to be built in FEB, was finished in March, now waiting in Mexico for a ship.. thinking i'll first see it in mid to late April

[danallxt]

Supply chain issues are unlikely to be resolved before the end of production of the 2022 models and will likely carry over into 2023. Just my opinion. As has been noted some aspects of the supply chain just got much worse. Ukraine provides most of the neon needed for chip manufacture (70% according to news outlets) and then you also have the wire loom issue as Ukraine is also a key source of those for BMW and VW. I think wire loom issues can be resolved much easier than the neon issue.

[ZacMatic]

Originally Posted by CarsAndGuitars

..and haven't stopped thinking about it.

This is my first post here. Honestly, I have never had a serious interest in BMW ownership before. But I saw an M240i in the wild which piqued my curiosity.

I would never have noticed this car either if not for the purple paint. I saw it in the thumbnail of a YouTube video and was like "what the heck is this?"

When I was last shopping for a new car in 2018, BMW was not a consideration because they didn't support Android Auto. I was also not looking for a performance car either. I went with the A220 because it was the smallest, cheapest Mercedes with brand new tech (MBUX) that leapfrogged all their other cars.

It's been great, but I had been looking at potentially trading up to an A35 or CLA45 or something like that (both now discontinued in the US), but only after another generation since the only thing I'd be changing was the car's performance.

Now between the M240i's value vs. competitors and the high trade in offers available, I'm taking the plunge. I placed an order at the end of December and hoping for an end of March, early April delivery.

I also can't get over the fact that the M240i has twice the power output of my current car, is the same length, has a much bigger engine that only gets 2-3 mpg less, and costs me only $7 more per 6 month premium to insure, oh and comes with 3 free maintenance services. I'm giving up slightly more usable rear seats, seat ventilation, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering, but it's worth it.

[Roadwar]

I don't know when the supply chain issues will get better/be resolved, but I can tell you this: these things are worth the wait. Good luck in your quest to get 1.

[ryo-]

I wish the 2 local BMW dealers (within a 1 hr drive) had M240i's on the lot for test drives. all I got are Youtube videos to bide my time after my build keeps getting delayed.

but then again, a test drive would probably make it worse as I would be hooked even more.

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by ZacMatic

I would never have noticed this car either if not for the purple paint. I saw it in the thumbnail of a YouTube video and was like "what the heck is this?"

When I was last shopping for a new car in 2018, BMW was not a consideration because they didn't support Android Auto. I was also not looking for a performance car either. I went with the A220 because it was the smallest, cheapest Mercedes with brand new tech (MBUX) that leapfrogged all their other cars.

It's been great, but I had been looking at potentially trading up to an A35 or CLA45 or something like that (both now discontinued in the US), but only after another generation since the only thing I'd be changing was the car's performance.

Now between the M240i's value vs. competitors and the high trade in offers available, I'm taking the plunge. I placed an order at the end of December and hoping for an end of March, early April delivery.

I also can't get over the fact that the M240i has twice the power output of my current car, is the same length, has a much bigger engine that only gets 2-3 mpg less, and costs me only $7 more per 6 month premium to insure, oh and comes with 3 free maintenance services. I'm giving up slightly more usable rear seats, seat ventilation, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering, but it's worth it.

As a former F23 owner and a current G29, the mileage ratings are way conservative. In my Z4 the B58 averages 30mpg in the city and on the highway I was getting 38 mpg at 80mph average. I have been impressed with the efficiency and power of this engine/transmission combo. You will not be disappointed.

[solstice]

Originally Posted by TAZ007

As a former F23 owner and a current G29, the mileage ratings are way conservative. In my Z4 the B58 averages 30mpg in the city and on the highway I was getting 38 mpg at 80mph average. I have been impressed with the efficiency and power of this engine/transmission combo. You will not be disappointed.

That’s pretty astonishing if normal. Our N54 6 speed Getrag AT 300hp 2008 5 series returned 18 mpg average. Our N55 8 speed ZF AT 300hp 5 series returned 19mpg avg.

The B58 in our G42 M240i blows those two engines out of the water in every way. If it returns 30mpg avg. I will be shocked.

[square]

How did you like it compared to your G70? I considered a G70 too because I liked the interior and package value but…Hyundai dealerships…ugh.

[CarsAndGuitars]

Originally Posted by square

How did you like it compared to your G70? I considered a G70 too because I liked the interior and package value but…Hyundai dealerships…ugh.

Short answer: If I could find or order an M240 in the configuration I want without a markup I would do it today.

Longer answer: I like the G70 very very much. I do not love it. I do not have any kind of bond with it like I did with my Mustang and Challenger. and with other cars before them, I miss that.

The G70 is a JOATMON (a term I picked up from a client 30-something years ago) a Jack-off-all-trades-master-of-none. On a scale of 1-10, I would give the infotainment a 5-6 and everything else a 7 or 8.

Yes, the interior is a real luxury interior, fit is near flawless, but still missing the finishing touches in materials and execution to make it feel top-tier like the new 2xx interior.

The infotainment is a joke. To illustrate: Display the radio presets on the screen and you need to press the steering wheel control up to cycle upwards through your presets, and down to cycle downwards.. mmm ok. But, display any other function and the button changes direction!

As for the exterior fit and finish, also solid. The white metallic paint is very nice, and very easy to maintain, but again, not particularly interesting.

The styling, is an amalgamation of cues from Mercedes, BMW, and perhaps a couple Jaguar / Infiniti lines if you look hard enough. It is attractive enough (grill is polarizing) but missing a theme. But thankfully, I got a 2020 - before the theme introduced on the refresh . That said, while the M240i styling has its flaws, overall I think it works. I love the TN and of the current lineup would easily be my first choice.

As for performance, I don't push cars to their cornering limits so the G70 is perfectly adequate for my needs. That said, the M240 definitely feels more agile and planted.

As for straight-line where I get my kicks, the 3.3 is overall a great performer, but suffers from a small bit of turbo lag and pairing with a underperforming transmission. Once it quickly spools, it takes off with a good kick in the butt dyno. You can see on a torque map, once the torque comes on it stays across the board. The M240 is much more instantaneous and climbs much smoother from the start.

Where the M240 really excels, and where I think the Genesis lacks the most is in the transmission. Both are 8 speeds, but Genesis is miles behind. In sport mode (where I spend 95% of my time) the up shifts are not slow, but are far from what you want in a true sports sedan/coupe. The down shifts are tighter and a little more aggressive, but with no rev matching a little jerky. This was my favorite part of the M240 test drive: the rev-matching downshifts.

So, I can say the G70 more than adequately suits my needs, but not my wants.

[square]

Thanks for the write up! I was debating an m340 or G70 but once I saw TN on a 240 the G70 left my mind until I saw your post haha.

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by solstice

That’s pretty astonishing if normal. Our N54 6 speed Getrag AT 300hp 2008 5 series returned 18 mpg average. Our N55 8 speed ZF AT 300hp 5 series returned 19mpg avg.

The B58 in our G42 M240i blows those two engines out of the water in every way. If it returns 30mpg avg. I will be shocked.

My advice is to drive in Adaptive mode where the computer will target efficiency 90% of the time and switch to Sport at throttle/gear change when directed. It blows comfort away.

[CarsAndGuitars]

Originally Posted by square

Thanks for the write up! I was debating an m340 or G70 but once I saw TN on a 240 the G70 left my mind until I saw your post haha.

When I was shopping the G70, really the only other car I even considered was an M340, but immediately DQd it when feature-for-feature it was over $12K more.

But as it turns out, we know someone who is a manager at a not too distant BMW dealership. He is able to extend their friends and family pricing, which in today's market apparently is MSRP, or right around and says I could be in a custom order in June.

So as I get closer to pulling the trigger, here is what I am thinking:

M240i
792 wheels, non run flat performance
M Performance trim
Premium package
Black / blue contrast Vernasca leather
HK Audio
Aluminum interior trim
Illuminated M door panels

What I cannot decide is Portimao or Thundernight. I think TN is a prettier, more unique "statement" color. And as much as I love TN, PB feels like it might be more livable and maintainable in the long term. I would get the blue calipers with TN, or red with PB. One of each is unfortunately, not in the budget.