The G Man

Couple of better shots….

I won’t be going down the tune or decay, been through all that mad stuff with other cars, haven’t got the energy for it tbh. An OPF back exhaust is a distinct possibility. Paint protection and stance first though. No going mad on CF stuff either, it’s crazy expensive and once you start on that route it’s hard to know when to stop 🤔 Stock, mostly, is where I’m staying, plenty of grunt and yeah, think you’re right what it’s got at the moment is pretty much the sweet spot 👍🏼

It’s got that ‘sleeper’ look to it but to those that know…… Future icon IMO, the next M3 Touring will certainly be hybrid if not all electric. I miss the seatbelt ‘butler’ of the M440 though 😂

I thought that the M440i was rapid and, it was, sub 4sec to 60 and all that pub bragging stuff but this is, for me, on a different scale, just the way it lifts its skirt and shoots off. Twin turbo makes the biggest impact I guess. Gave me back the enthusiasm I had with my Mustang.

I very nearly bought an M4 before my M440i, never bonded with the M440 really hence the short turnaround with it. The M4, as with the M440, on reflection didn’t meet my lifestyle needs, GT touring with capacity for dogs 😅.

First one already done 😂, some 50th anniversary badging, mostly cosmetic but a set of MoTech spacers 15mm front, 12mm rear and a set of front Eibachs. Rear is a perfect height front needs a light drop. Be getting a ceramic coating as soon as time allows, possibly front end PPF and that’s it 🤤

Cheers Alex, been looking, researching, every YouTube review watched. It’s near supercar performance when needed, dog and grandkid mover for the old grandad in me 😆

It’s on another scale, we’ve also still got our 320d xdrive touring, a kind of his and hers 😀.

Ever since I had a go in an M3 (V8) 3 series coupe, oh about 12 or so years ago, I’ve hankered after a M3, circumstance and the right one just never turned up! Well now it has in the shape of a G81 M3 Competition Mdrive Touring in Brooklyn grey. This car is very, very different gravy from anything I’ve ever had! Blisteringly fast, on rails and a stunner to gawp at!! The tech is off the scale, too much mibees! just had the running in service done so brave pills at the ready, its time to stretch its legs. I’ve got, surprisingly, few photos, but I’ll attempt to post a few….

That looks stunning! Reminds me of the new corvette

Had a bit of work done on my new whip.... https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6osOaXtGDL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Yeah, massive debate re the grille since it was first released, but in the flesh it’s pretty cool and distinctive. My erm, fragile bones were taking a hammering with the manual side of the Stang, considered an auto and keeping myself in a Stang, however another factor was my wife wouldn’t and never would’ve driven the present or a new Stang. The G22 is very familiar to her as it’s almost identical in layout as our G21, or the muttmobile as it’s known , so I still get a sub 4 second 2 door coupe with no angst if she ever needs to drive it, from me or her. Usable back seats in the G22, not that that was uppermost in my mind at the time but a pleasant surprise none the less. Thanks for your thoughts on Ellie, she’s left a massive hole in my life, so sad . Anyway, looking at some, compared to a Stang more expensive, mods already, just to sort the stance out initially, no plans for anything much else at the mo.

Just updating my dog owning history, unfortunately Ellie my wee patterdale terrier departed us on 12th of January. She was just done, 17 years old, heart murmur all her life finally succumbed to old age. Had a really great experience with a firm of vets who do home euthanasia. The vet was lovely, caring and compassionate. Ellie got me over the line, fitness wise, preparing for my very last deployment, at age 51 ten years ago, she was always eager, me not so much and on a 15k tab or run she would do at least double. Fearless, sometimes to her own detriment, loving wee animal, love her and miss her so much. She was a wee soul in the end. RIP Ellie

Well, the other week after months of deliberation, research and soul searching, I swapped my beloved Mustang GT for a BMW M440i. I was truly emotional as I drove the last mile to the dealership (300 mile last drive), I had to compose myself on arrival and have a walk round the car park before going in and securing the new deal. Then my wife got all emotional as well, this was nearly on a par to having our old dog Ellie finally laid to rest in January. The 8 years I had the Mustang we did so much in it, I did so much to it with every square inch so familiar to me. Grand Euro trips, touring the U.K. and Ireland, one of the first groups to do the NC500 (16 Mustangs from every corner of the U.K.) Never in a thousand years did I think I would be an emotional melt in the way I was! Too much to mention in this post but what a fantastic car, I’d recommend anyone to give one a go. Eight years full Ford dealer service history, last one in March along with a new MOT, the new owner is going to get a well cared for and much loved car. What to get? My heart after some serious research was going to go into a M850i, possibly the best looking coupe BMW has ever produced, I watched every review video, read everything I could possibly understand about it and it had a V8 twin turbo! What wasn’t to like? Well the price of one new was something not to like! Nearly new, 1 year old was @£70,000+ but man, what a beautiful looking machine but I would be in the 3+ year old bracket for what I could currently afford, that will definitely change though, if we don’t go to war, have another pandemic or there’s another financial crash. I then looked at M cars, not M light but proper M cars, particularly the M3 Touring or an M4. Again, watched all the review videos and read as much as I could about them and again looked at the age/price combinations, the M3 Touring was out on that filter but the M4 hmmm, maybe, could possibly, just about do some man maths and make it work. I then watched my last YT review on the M4, by Carfection I think they’re called. Amazing driving experience, power, delivery, handling all ticked all the boxes that a car enthusiast would want. Alas, at the end of the video, after all the glowing stuff, the reviewer said “but, this review was done in Spain, on silky smooth roads, perfect to test its capabilities but if you are from the U.K. then not so good at road manners but if it was for more for a track focussed ownership, then perfect but too harsh for poorly maintained roads....” or along those lines. Finally, the reviewer said for U.K. roads, he’d go with and recommend the M440i! Lightbulb moment for me! So off I trotted and again, watched every review video, read as much as I could possibly read on them, went through all the different ‘packs’ that were on offer, configured new, oh, £70k or thereabouts, so I decided, on a nearly new, 1 or 2 years old, low mileage (5k miles), high spec, manufacturer warranty etc was the way to go. So I bought a two year old M440i in Arctic Race Blue, only option missing was adaptive cruise, I could live without it and unmarked like new! Its never going to give me the soul the Mustang had, it’s never going to give me the theatre the Mustang produced, nor the noise nor the very positive attention it deserved with the random people that film, photograph and want to chat about it. What the M440i does have is more comfort, more options, more performance, a sublime 8 speed auto box and something that’s more akin to what this old semi cripple can enjoy in a spirited, when called upon or an old farty pants miss Daisy manner. I will in the next couple of years, revisit the M850i before it’s all too late. The V8 pull is mighty in me, though the straight 6 is silky smooth Ive got a distinct lack of photos

So it sounds like you just want to use the car, a feisty 2 door coupe, for just driving around normally, I’d just go with the manufactures recommendation. If you want to be a little bit ‘sporty’ and ‘spirited’ get 2 decent sets, one for summer use and a dedicated winter tyre. over the years and on many forums, tyre choice is a minefield of ‘nasal’ ‘experts’, who, in the end have their favourites from their vast internet reading ability. On the RX8 forums, the stock tyres were rubbished (Bridgestone RE040) in preference to RE050’s as an example and, everyone went out and bought them! I noticed no difference and I rung the neck out of that car ha! Winter though........ Whatever tyre you choose from all the above suggestions, just remember, they’re all SUMMER tyres, not very good in lower temps, unless your last name is Hakkanin(Sp?) and your first is Miku, so spirited driving is not what to do in winter. I’ve had all the above mentioned tyres (not the PS5S though) and currently run PS4S, but I don’t have to show much ‘spirit’ in winter to have a brown trouser moment. Heat and the ability of a tyre to hold heat is a huge factor on cold, damp or wet days Pirelli, great summer tyre, complete comedic death wish in winter, so had to drive accordingly. Most, if not all tyre tests are carried out on FWD hatchbacks and bear no relevance when re-booting a middling ‘RWD ‘performance’ car and only offer some technical jargon that most of us don’t understand. I’d also get the quietist tyre.... To summarise, check the bloody weather first before hooning around country lanes.