HOT-HATCH DILEMMA

After seeing your story regarding the price drop of the BMW M140i I’ve put it on my ‘to consider’ list. It wasn’t previously on my radar as I was keen on the new Mk7.5 Volkswagen Golf R. That was until I found out that conducting more than 10 launchcontrol applications voids your clutch and DSG warranty.

I was also surprised to find out that it has a pesky counter within the car’s ECU. I imagine that the 0-100km/h time of 4.8sec for the Golf R is achieved by using the launch control... Needless to say I think I’ll put my deposit down on the M140i soon.

The quote I have for the M140i is $57,900 on-road, and I think that’s great bang for my buck. I change my cars about once every three years and this would be my first Bimmer – as well as my first sub-five 0-100km/h car. My previous two cars have been new GTIs, but the VAG dealer and factory experience is wearing thin on me.

It seems you’ve already made your decision, Jamie. We like the M140i a lot.