[Thompson]

Hey guys,

I've been rummaging the forum for the past several months trying to figure out the exact build that I like, and wanted to share my experience so far. A friend of mine let me test drive his 2008 328i last year and I was immediately hooked from how sweet the ride was. I really love the F30 body style and interior, so I test drove a few 328s from 2012 and 2013, but something just didn't feel quite right. After doing some research on the forum, I noticed a lot of people comparing the steering and feel of the F30 to the E90, but wasn't sure where to go from there. I test drove another 328i, and for some reason, the body roll was much worse in that car, and the steering was really starting to bug me. Long story short, I switched over to looking at 335i for a while, but still wasn't completely satisfied with how it drove. Sometimes it's really hard to explain why a car doesn't feel right, especially for someone with little experience in BMW.

I was just about ready to give up when I started reading reviews on the 340i. It seemed to keep all the features that I liked, while improving on most of the things that bothered me. So I test drove one, and I was actually really impressed. The steering felt better, even in comfort, and the car just feels "right", if that makes sense. And whoever said the 340i accelerates like a rocket wasn't kidding. I had the biggest grin on my face when I finally stomped the gas. I was amazed at how insanely fast it got up 100mph, holy shit.

So I think that's pretty much it. Today I pulled the trigger and did a custom order for a 2017 340i. Here's my build:

4 Door Sedan with Black Leather and Anthracite Trim.
Individual Color: Macao Blue Metallic
M Sport Package, Technology Package, Cold Weather Package, Lighting Package, Track Handling Package with 19" 442 wheels.
Rear Spoiler
Illuminated Door Sills

Apparently Macao Blue is a 30 Year M3 Special Edition color, limited to only 150 units in the U.S. I saw it in the showroom this afternoon and absolutely loved the color, a beautiful mix between grey and blue. It's a hefty price to pay, but I figured I might as well get exactly what I want. Here's a picture from BMW Blog.



So anyways, I'm really excited for the car to get here. Tell me what you guys think, and thank you!

[otay]

Welcome! I think it's gonna look awesome, and will certainly be unique. Nice choices!

Re: the individual color, if you don't mind me asking...what was the price?

[LMK5]

Wow those wheels are amazing. I love that BMW offers many different blues.

[NitroLX]

Originally Posted by otay

Welcome! I think it' gonna look awesome, and will certainly be unique. Nice choices!

Re: the individual color, if you don't mind me asking...what was the price?

i think it was an additional 3k for the color.. something silly like that.

To OP .. congratz on the car i know you are going to love it!

[Thompson]

The guy at the dealership told me $5,000 for the additional color. It's insane.

I really love that shade of blue but a lot of people in the M3 forum have pointed out how the car looks purple depending on the lighting. Some of the pictures online show the purple being pretty noticeable, so I may end up switching the color to Tanzanite Blue. I'd hate to wait all this time and be disappointed by the color. The lighting is fairly dim in the showroom, so that may explain why I didn't notice it that much.

Has anyone else noticed how the Anthracite Trim and Ash Grain Trim seem to be swapped on the Build Your Own tool? It shows the Anthracite as being much lighter, which I'm thinking is a mistake.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Congrats!!

[HotTea69]

That is a SEXY ASS COLOR

[Beek]

The Macao Blue Metallic looks awesome!
Congrats and Welcome!

[CIWS]

It's a great looking color. Just pray you don't have to have any major paint work done on the car after you get it.

[Gearhog]

Can't wait to see a real picture of it. Nice build.

[insanecoder]

You did alright.. loaded it up pretty good.. like the track package so will you
and the B58 is a real GEM

[goj]

Originally Posted by CIWS

It's a great looking color. Just pray you don't have to have any major paint work done on the car after you get it.

It would be fine, as long as they get the paint code. It may take a bit longer but not that big of a deal