When you imagine a coupe from BMW equipped with a manual and, of course, rear wheel drive, most of you will probably be captivated by the idea of the legendary E46 in the most powerful three-liter gasoline version. That was the dream of almost every teenager. But you can't stop time, development continues and one of the points where we stop this time is the successor of the E46.
As mentioned in the title, this time we will take a look at the bridgehead of the Munich automaker's two-row series, namely the 240i coupé with the "M" designation. Actually, for a nice herd of mares, because the 240ka hides 250kW, which when converted to a herd of 340 horses with a torque of a beautiful 500Nm.
Horses need to be watered, which in this case may not be so true. The tabular values indicate a combined consumption of 7.8 liters per hundred kilometers. However, how much the display lights up actually depends on you and how much you like yourself. Our ratio stopped somewhere around 12 liters per 100 kilometers driven, especially outside the village.
Although we are not talking about a full-fledged "eMk" here, but about the most powerful version of the standard series, this car will simply enchant you. Even with the distance from the actual test to the day I am writing this article, I cannot get rid of the emotion described by three words.
The well-known slogan "Joy of driving" in this case really perfectly describes the emotions that the 240 will evoke in you.
You just can't stop trying to see where the car will take you and what it can do. Whether we're talking about flexible acceleration, cornering behavior, trying to "tear off his ass", or the overall agility of the car, everything is absolutely fine-tuned to perfection and, as they say, it's the way it should be.
Although you don't drive in an "eMk", which has practically one such operating costs, almost one such price and almost one such consumption, but it doesn't really matter at all.
The very start of the engine with its characteristic rattling hints that there is some potential hidden under the hood. The in-line six-cylinder engine filled with a turbocharger is tuned so that it doesn't get too "angry" when bouncing around the city center, but on the contrary, it can get pretty excited already just below the 3000 revolutions per minute mark, so you won't meet much competition on the road.
If there's one thing this car can do, it's the ability to completely engulf you. And since the same is said about the Porsche 911 (996), we invited him for a short drive to confirm this comparison. The length of the BMW 240i coupe is some 4,450 mm, the wheelbase is 2,690 mm, the curb weight is 1,550 kg, and the power is 340 horsepower, so it is comparable in parameters to the 911.
And the saying really came true! So what do they have in common, you ask?
After getting behind the wheel, you adapt to both cars very quickly. After start-up, you will be approached by the mentioned "hump". It will enchant you while driving and you won't want to stop.
The very conclusion is perhaps the last thought. There have never been many cars like this on the market. It is an exemplary case of a car that absolutely cannot be faulted. (Maybe just the color, but that's a matter of taste for each comrade.) This coupe from BMW with a manual and rear wheel drive should be your clear choice if you are looking for a "daily-car" and a car for crazy weekend fun.
