Just got an email from my contact at Roseville BMW (who I bought my X1 from) that they just received their M235i this afternoon on the truck. They are prepping it tomorrow morning and I can stop by to check it out/drive it in the afternoon! I'll try and take some photos...no idea what options or color it is yet.
I'll post more info in this thread tomorrow.
UPDATE: Just got word the M235i is Alpine White with Premium & Tech Packages.
UPDATE 2: Well I just got back from test driving the M235i...I want one! I failed at taking any photos though, there were already 2 other people in line waiting to drive it after me (I was the first non-employee to drive it). When I got to the dealership 2 salesmen were out test driving it for the first time. When they arrived at the dealer they both had that silly ass grin on their face and commented at how awesome the car was. I LOVED the sound of the exhaust as they were backing it into the parking spot...nice burble and I think a bit deeper than a stock 335i/435i.
- My salesman asked if he could drive it first since he hadn't had a chance yet. I said sure and hopped in the backseat with my 7 year old son. My wife was in the front seat. Getting in and out was a snap for my son and wasn't bad for me. The power sliding seats are nice. Once in the back my hair just barely touched the roof fabric but I had enough legroom (I'm 5'7"). My salesman was 6'1" so had the seat back a ways. I do wish there was a center armrest in the back.
- The salesman drove the car like a bat outta hell! I was surprised he hammered it so hard with only 38 miles on it...and he said it wasn't a demo car! Sucks for the person that is going to buy it.
- I instantly had a smile on my face from the first turn he took with the pedal to the floor. Sounded REALLY good inside. The car stuck like glue to the road with the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
- Once he handed me the keys I started checking out the inside with a bit more detail. The inside really is a spitting image of the 3/4 series. Lots of the same parts and materials are used. There are definitely more spots were hard plastic is used, but most had a good feel to them and weren't cheap looking. The ONLY spot I noticed that looked quite cheap was the plastic surround where the rear air vents are. It had this shiny cheap plastic look about it...looked almost like a different material than the rest of the plastic.
- The iDrive screen was very nice. Same one as the 3/4 series. I instantly noticed the higher resolution screen than my 2014 X1, very pleasing! I of course went straight to the real time Horsepower/Torque displays. Very cool!
- This car had the Tech Package so it had the extended display on the instrument cluster. I hadn't spent much time with it other BMWs, but it was very nice looking.
- Seating position was great. It does seem to sit a bit higher than the 3/4 Series, but the sport seats are fantastic and I was able to get comfortable very quickly.
- Visibility was also excellent. No major blind spots. This car however didn't have PDC or the backup camera. I would definitely order those...important to me when you have kids running around.
- I switched the car into Sport mode and took it for about a 4 mile drive total. Hammered it through some nice sweeping turns and it was SO nice. Loved the way the engine pulled and sounded. If there was sound coming through the speakers it didn't bother me one bit...I could listen to it all day. I did notice that traction control seemed to be coming on almost every time I got on the gas hard, but it never seemed overly intrusive (I noticed the light flashing more than anything else).
- As for the hot topic of steering...I was equally impressed. I only drove the car in Sport mode, but the steering really did feel quite good. I could tell it wasn't hydraulic, but at the same time I felt like I had great control and feel for the car. I've driven a couple 328i F30s in the past and this steering was noticeably BETTER.
- And now for the exterior. Wow. Even better in person than in the photos. It definitely looks smaller than a 4 series...and in a good way. Looks more purpose driven. Someone else on here called it a pocket rocket and I would agree. The front end is very aggressive and the only flaw I could see was that the Alpine White color hides the hood creases (as well as some other character lines on the side of the car). Darker colors or EB I think would really show those lines better. The back of the car also is much better in person. The tail lights don't seem as big in person and the rear valance looked nice. The dark grey color worked well with Alpine White.
- The wheels were better than I thought they would be. Again on Alpine White the grey wheels looked nice and the size looked appropriate. Perhaps on darker colors they might look on the small side.
If you have any questions let me know! I may try and go back to get some photos tomorrow, but I think everyone here knows what Alpine White with Black interior looks like by now.
I probably need to wait about 6 months to take the plunge since we just got our 2014 X1 in November...but the M235i would be a fantastic car to own. No doubt about it. Everyone here who has ordered one will be in for quite a treat!!
