Been anywhere interesting?
The 123d's arrival was something of a surprise. We were planning the new Long Term test feature and I just mentioned to BMW that the 123d is a car I'd consider buying when it turned out that one of the cars used for the UK press launch of the Coupé would be available for a six-month loan. Within a few short weeks our first long termer was delivered to the office.
Coming straight off the press launch fleet, plenty of people had been behind the wheel and racked up some engine breaking-in miles. You wouldn't know it'd been driven by the UK's motoring press, as aside from the 1,800 miles showing on the odometer it felt like we'd driven it off the production line like the chap in BMW's ads. All except the engine, which having a few miles on it had lost that tightness most new diesels feature. That means it was quickly pressed into service by
The Car Enthusiast team, Kyle enjoying its first week in our hands, Dave taking it to Scotland over Christmas before it eventually made its way to me. It's been absolutely everywhere since, including Wales and even Ireland.
Anything stand out...?
Apart from the styling, you mean? The little coupé's been the focus of many a debate on styling. Think what you like, I'm a fan, the coupé being the best looking iteration of the 1 Series range so far. Being a new BMW it's also got EfficientDynamics fitted, so even if I'm tempted into using its ample grunt, my conscience is salved by it shutting down at traffic lights while everything around is idling away pointless fuel. The standard fit of an auxiliary socket and a USB port is also a real boon. More than all of that, I'm enjoying the fantastic chassis balance. I love rear-wheel drive and having it in something with such a small footprint is brilliant. Wet roundabouts are an absolute joy...
...and for the wrong reasons?
I find the red leather of the interior a bit too red, but my wife likes it, so I generally keep quiet about that one. The boot opening, which gives access to a surprisingly large space, is rather narrow - meaning using all that space is often trickier than it should be. The only other gripe is with the satnav. It's not a cheap system, but the mounting in the dashboard is.
Where next?
With a diary full to bursting with car launches the 123d will be spending a good number of days in airport car parks with many hundreds of miles on it hacking up and down motorways, and taking the back roads when the mood takes me, which, in the 123d is more often than not. The car will be spending a lot of time in Ireland too, which should give its chassis something more to think about.
