Image: Peet Mocke
Image: Peet Mocke
Image: Peet Mocke
Image: Peet Mocke
Image: Peet Mocke
NewsBy: Siyavuya Mbaduli
The first surprise of CAR’s 2023 Performance Shootout was watching the BMW M240i get off the line at the Saldanha airstrip during the drag racing match-ups. Regular automatic transmissions have long since taken over where manuals once ruled but for faster vehicles, like those we’ve assembled here – dual-clutch systems still seem to be the shifters of choice.
Image: Peet Mocke
But tell that to the M240i, which uses an eight-speed torque-converter unit. Watching it race the rivals against which we’d had pitted it on the drag strip was an absolute joy because it seemed to get the jump on almost every single run. Of course, this is an all-wheel-drive BMW, so it’s not a massive surprise, but the way the M240i goes about putting the power into forward propulsion has to be seen to be believed. It’s also relatively simple for the user. Pick Sport Plus mode, hold the brake with your left foot and rev it up with the right, and watch it register low four-second sprints to 100 km/h with consistency. It’s so easy to accomplish hard launches that it outraced a few rivals it maybe shouldn’t have while the testers were figuring out launch controls systems in other cars through a bevvy of menus and rotation of dials.
Watch all of the drag race videos on our YouTube channel.
Image: Peet Mocke
On the road, whether at the foot or summit of a mountain pass or even just soaking up the kilometres between fuel and comfort breaks, the keys to the M240i were among those most frequently asked for. Inside, it’s typical BMW driver-oriented fare, with the facia angled slightly towards the pilot. The thick-rimmed steering wheel was also a pleasure to hold while getting comfortable in the optional M-sport seats with their thick bolsters on the seatback, and if you want more lateral support, a button on the side of the seat sets how tightly it hugs you.
Image: Peet Mocke
Pedestrians craned their necks at the sweet-sounding B58 turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine and happy onlookers egged us on with flicks of the wrist, thumb and index finger. It’s difficult to resist wringing the engine to its 6 500 r/min redline, but it’s where it sounds absolutely glorious and makes its peak 285 kW. Even though the M240i has an M prefix, it’s not a fully developed weapon from the M GmbH division and is more of a grand tourer than a sportscar. With that said, there’s a sure-footedness that was immediately apparent as the second group of cars left Ceres and headed North.
Image: Peet Mocke
The xDrive all-wheel-drive system possesses a rear-drive bias, though with the M240i weighing in at over 1 700 kg, that additional all-wheel grip was greatly appreciated through the tighter bends of Gydo Pass, where the back end nudged ever so slightly towards the road’s shoulders and centre line. Overall, the M240i was a comfortable cruiser that doubles up as a capable sportscar on the passes, although the Thundernight Metallic paintwork of the M240i fell by the wayside among onlookers taking in the more exotic hues of its rivals. However, the general consensus is the little BMW coupé is still easy on the eye and an all-around pleasure to drive quickly.
Keyword: CPS 2023: BMW M240i xDrive – A Thundernight Metallic donned missle