new buyer

[kba]

I want to buy a new 330ci before the new-Bangled version comes out. I would appreciate advice on the following concerns:
1. I live in a hilly part of Ohio and am curious about owners' experiences with the 330ci (sport package) in the rain and light snow. Am I safe if I use a year round tire like Pilot Sport A/S or Bridgestone RE950, or do I need dedicated winter tires ?

2. The Burch trim is nice with Nat. Brown leather. Does anyone know if I can get a US dealer to custom order this combo?

3. Has anyone heard if a ZHP package will be available for the coupe before MY2005?

Thanks in advance.

[PhilH]

1-I live in a relatively flat section of southeastern PA, and I'm getting snow tires. I think we get even less snow than you as well. I'm sure I'd get snow tires for my BMW if I lived in Ohio (especially Cleveland :yikes: ). You might be able to keep your car in one piece with all seasons, but snows are a great excuse for an extra set of rims, and I personally don't want to crash my new $40k car just because I'm too cheap to invest an extra $1k-$2k in snow tires.

2-This guy ordered the natural brown / birch combo and he lives in the US, so someone has been able to do it...

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9575&highlight=18

3-There is no official word on a 330Ci ZHP, and anything you hear would be speculation. From everything I've heard, they made the ZHP to mollify the folks that wanted a 4 door M3, and they might fear that a 2 door ZHP would cut into M3 sales. Therefore, I personally doubt they'll come out with one.

I bought my 330i just a few months ago for the same reason as you. I love the E46 bodystyle and I decided not to risk waiting another couple years only to be sorely disappointed.

[kba]

Thanks for the advice PhilH. I live near Pittsburgh and we get just a little more snow than Philly but not as much as Cleveland. A set of Snow tires and extra rims are the probably best way to go.

I'm asking Technic how he got that Burch interior in Florida. What about gray green metallic for the exterior? Is it too wimpy? I have never seen a 330ci on the road with that color.

[PhilH]

Color is a personal choice. My choice was steel gray. :bigpimp: :D

edit-->more shots of a grey green 330Ci here..
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30603&perpage=25&pagenumber=4

Here's a good shot of a pre-facelift gray green 330Ci:
http://home.si.rr.com/dforce/my%20car2222.gif

[kba]

Thanks for the picture ! It looks neat- it may be for me ?:dunno:

[WILLIA///M]

It's birch by the way.;)

[ObD]

Winter tires aren't just for snow. They have better traction in cold weather than an equivalent summer tire would in cold weather.

[LeucX3]

Originally posted by kba
Thanks for the advice PhilH. I live near Pittsburgh and we get just a little more snow than Philly but not as much as Cleveland. A set of Snow tires and extra rims are the probably best way to go.

I'm asking Technic how he got that Burch interior in Florida. What about gray green metallic for the exterior? Is it too wimpy? I have never seen a 330ci on the road with that color.

Check out the link in my sig. Bunch of pics of G/G. I love the color. :thumbup:

[sshuit]

WoW!

Had no idea Grey-green could look so Photogenic!

I always thought it was ugly from the Photos in the BMW Sedan brochure.

:thumbup:

[tgravo2]

Originally posted by sshuit
WoW!

Had no idea Grey-green could look so Photogenic!

I always thought it was ugly from the Photos in the BMW Sedan brochure.

:thumbup:

I happen to think it looks better in the sedan brochure. It looks ok on the sedan, but I never liked it on the coupe :dunno:

[elbert]

Originally posted by kba
I want to buy a new 330ci before the new-Bangled version comes out. I would appreciate advice on the following concerns:
1. I live in a hilly part of Ohio and am curious about owners' experiences with the 330ci (sport package) in the rain and light snow. Am I safe if I use a year round tire like Pilot Sport A/S or Bridgestone RE950, or do I need dedicated winter tires ?

2. The Burch trim is nice with Nat. Brown leather. Does anyone know if I can get a US dealer to custom order this combo?

3. Has anyone heard if a ZHP package will be available for the coupe before MY2005?

Thanks in advance.

1. You need snow tires. My advice is to get H-rated snow tires (not the hardcore snow tires) if the snow clearing is fairly adequate. Otherwise you'll feel the tread blocks squirming as you turn.

2. You can always order the birch trim separately if need be.

3. I doubt it. For a few grand more, you can get an M3.

[waxhaw]

Originally posted by kba
What about gray green metallic for the exterior? I have never seen a 330ci on the road with that color.

Me either. Which was one of the main reasons I ordered it. I didn't want to see myself coming down the road every day. I'm sure the two greens available (Oxford Green and Gray Green) are the two least-ordered colors, at least on coupes in the U.S. I wonder if greens are more popular in Europe. Odd that different colors are offered in different markets, by the way. If you go to the German site, http://ecom.bmwgroup.com/ecom30v1/DE/BMW/de/pages/vse/index.jsp?process=vse , you'll see that techno violet and velvet blue are offered as standards, and I'm not terribly surprised they're not standard here. On the other hand, a light gold metallic is also offered there, and I find it curious that its not offered here; I would think it would be quite popular. But then, what do I know? I am, after all, ordering an uncommon color.

By the way, if you want to search the archives for examples of this color, be sure to search under both "gray green" and "grey green." I notice than the Build Your BMW page on the U.S. site calls it Gray Green Metallic, but that the Owners' Circle calls it Grey Green Metallic. Certainly this color looks quite different under different lighting conditions. The picture on this page is among the "bluest" examples of the color I've seen. Depending on lighting conditions, green, silver, or occasionally blue can predominate, which I find fascinating.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the nat brown interior on mine goes with the exterior; I haven't even seen that combination in a photo, much less in person. I think it will be great, and I won't "see myself" too often.

Good luck with yours!

[GimpyMcFarlan]

Regarding tires... Definitely get winter wheels. I have a set of 17" Michelin Pilot Alpins that I would consider manditory for winter driving. The standard tires that come with the car just don't the job even with the DSC in the BMW.

The Birch Trim is very nice. I get envious every time I see it with Natural Brown. :bigpimp: I really wish I knew about it before ordering my 330Ci, but it is doubtful my dealer would have agreed to get it for me. :tsk:

[Alex Baumann]

@waxhaw

Velvet Blue, Technoviolett and Carbon Black are standard colors if you order the Clubsport Edition. Otherwise they are individual for 'regular' 3 series.

[kba]

Thanks to everyone who posted the pics of the gray green metallic coupe. I think it looks neat and agree with waxhaw- it really stands out . Silver looks great on the car but is very comon and I really like the Nat Brown leather. A number of people have said that I can order the birch (not "burch"
: ) wood in the US. How ?
Won't the dealers just say it's not available?

Question for GimpyMcfarlan: I am just east of you in Ohio. Which tires came with the car? How were those tires in the rain? It looks like the consensus is that I need dedicated snow tires, but I just want to know about how the 330ci performs in the rain with the standard tires. Also, how 'bout them Buckeyes ? :thumbup

[GimpyMcFarlan]

Hi kba,

The optional 18" wheels came with Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tires. They are 225/40 in the front and 255/35 in the rear. In my experience, they have very good wet weather grip during every day driving. I've never hydroplaned during moderate to heavy rainfall. However I have felt some loss of grip during "spirited" cornering in the rain.

I have 17" wheels with Michelin Pilot Alpins for winter tires. They are 215/45 all around. They have been excellent winter tires for me. There is no way I could have survived the last winter we had without them. I almost go stuck in my apartment complex b/c the Bridgestones could not climb the moderate drive out even with DSC on packed snow. I had to drive into work once with 3-5 inches of snow on the ground but with the Alpins I just just took it slow and plowed through.

Oh by the way... GO BUCKS! :D

[Phil F]

Originally posted by kba
Thanks to everyone who posted the pics of the gray green metallic coupe. I think it looks neat and agree with waxhaw- it really stands out . Silver looks great on the car but is very comon and I really like the Nat Brown leather. A number of people have said that I can order the birch (not "burch"
: ) wood in the US. How ?
Won't the dealers just say it's not available?



(i) Grey green w/natural brown should look great--as long as you like grey green. I've ordered the very common TiSilver w/natural brown and I think that will look great too. (My car is on the Jingu Maru, scheduled to dock in NYC on June 30. I'll find out soon.)

(ii) Give your dealer the parts numbers for birch trim that are posted on "Nat Brown's" (aka Gary Ray) site. They should come up on his computer. As I recall it was a bit over $500 to order the birch trim kit.

[Mapman]

Originally posted by GimpyMcFarlan
I have 17" wheels with Michelin Pilot Alpins for winter tires. They are 215/45 all around. They have been excellent winter tires for me. There is no way I could have survived the last winter we had without them. I almost go stuck in my apartment complex b/c the Bridgestones could not climb the moderate drive out even with DSC on packed snow. I had to drive into work once with 3-5 inches of snow on the ground but with the Alpins I just just took it slow and plowed through.Amen. I have used Pilot Alpins on a couple of cars for light-to-moderate snow duty. Great H-rated winter tires.