Drivability around town is superb since there’s no lurching in stop/start traffic – a big plus for those who tackle rush hour traffic daily. The ZF eight-speed gearbox deserves all the praise it gets – it is exceptionally smooth and for a single clutch unit, super quick at the same time. In gear, too, the acceleration is strong with 40-100kmph and 20-80kmph coming up in 4.96 and 3.94 seconds respectively. It came as no surprise when we strapped our timing gear and recorded a 0-100kmph sprint time of 6.31 seconds, hitting 150kmph in an equally impressive 13.18 seconds. It’s only when you floor it that you will find some turbo lag down low, but once above 3,000rpm the acceleration is effortless with a nice mid-range pull that doesn’t leave you wheezing for revs. Better still, this four cylinder motor is absolutely refined and up till 5,000rpm and thereabout, devoid of any vibrations whatsoever. While it's no M3, this car is a willing performer and makes for a good tool for ducking in and out of city streets, with hardly any turbo lag noticeable between light to medium throttle inputs. This engine is mated to ZF’s evergreen eight-speed single clutch gearbox that’s one of the highlights of the whole drivetrain. In terms of additional equipment, the M Sport gets cruise control with automatic braking and a digital instrument cluster which adjusts according to the driving mode – both these features aren’t available in the Luxury Line trim.Īt the other end of the GT M Sport, under the hood, rests a 1998cc, turbocharged 4-cylinder motor which makes 252bhp at 5,200rpm and more importantly, 350Nm of torque between 14rpm. If that’s not impressive enough, the rear seats can be folded down to liberate as much as 1600 litres of cargo area, making this BMW immensely practical.
BMW E46 M3 G POWER SERIES
And because of the longer wheelbase, the 3 GT matches the old 5 Series for legroom and under-thigh support which is impressive.īeing a notchback, the 330i GT M Sport comes with a large boot which can hold 520 litres of gear. It’s at the rear where the GT truly shines – legroom and headroom is exceptional and the backrest is well contoured as well.
The augmented sense of space is thanks to the GT's large glasshouse and the panoramic sunroof, plus the fact that there is legitimately plenty of space. Speaking of comfort, the GT’s cabin has an airy feel to it, something that cannot be said for the 3 Series sedan. The front seats are different too – they are snug and better suited to spirited driving thanks to the extra side bolstering. There’s also plenty of brushed silver trim and contrasting inserts that uplift the cabin ambience compared to the typical sea of black.īMW hasn’t added a whole bunch of extra stuff for the M Sport version but it does get the beautifully made three-spoke M steering wheel and a new headliner. The dashboard and the layout of the centre console is straight off the sedan, however, there’s a quality feel to the whole cabin with soft touch plastics for all the touch points. The GT is based on the 3 Series and it’s something that you will realize the moment you step in. The rear spoiler, which extends and slides back into the bodywork depending on the speed, could be seen as a bit of a gimmick, but it doesn’t look out of place over the bright shade of blue. Otherwise, the 330i GT M Sport looks the same and retains the frameless windows, the coupe-like stance and the sloping roofline. As for the design bits exclusive to the M Sport trim, you get sharper looking 18-inch alloys, kidney grille slats finished in gloss black, M badging on the front fenders and M design door sills. The classic BMW colour (seen in the E46 M3, F10 M5 and more recently, the M2) looks brilliant in a sea of silver, black and grey coloured luxury cars. This new M Sport version can be had in either Alpine white or Estoril blue and if you ask us, it ought to be the latter shade if you really want your GT to stand out. It’s still fast, and luxurious but we are here to find out if it’s any more tempting than the bog-standard 330i GT we drove last year. Now, BMW has updated the GT range by adding the delicious M Sport trim to the mix. The BMW 330i GT has always had two key qualities linked to it – that it’s fast, and that it’s luxurious. Soft suspension plays spoilsport at times, Priced too close to the bigger, more advanced 5 Series Explosive straight line performance, Comfortable rear seat
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