BMW 3 Series GT – Images, Colors & Reviews
At the other end of the GT M Sport, under the hood, rests a 1998cc, turbocharged 4-cylinder motor which makes 252bhp at 5,200rpm and more importantly, 350Nm of torque between 1450 and 4800rpm. This engine is mated to ZF’s evergreen eight-speed single clutch gearbox that’s one of the highlights of the whole drivetrain.
While it’s no M3, this car is a willing performer and makes for a good tool for ducking in and out of city streets, with hardly any turbo lag noticeable between light to medium throttle inputs. Better still, this four cylinder motor is absolutely refined and up till 5,000rpm and thereabout, devoid of any vibrations whatsoever. It’s only when you floor it that you will find some turbo lag down low, but once above 3,000rpm the acceleration is effortless with a nice mid-range pull that doesn’t leave you wheezing for revs. It came as no surprise when we strapped our timing gear and recorded a 0-100kmph sprint time of 6.31 seconds, hitting 150kmph in an equally impressive 13.18 seconds. In gear, too, the acceleration is strong with 40-100kmph and 20-80kmph coming up in 4.96 and 3.94 seconds respectively.
The ZF eight-speed gearbox deserves all the praise it gets – it is exceptionally smooth and for a single clutch unit, super quick at the same time. Drivability around town is superb since there’s no lurching in stop/start traffic – a big plus for those who tackle rush hour traffic daily. Meanwhile, the driving modes include the usual suite – Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport+, with each behaving exactly as expected. In Eco Pro, the throttle response is suitably dull and the gearbox, too, upshifts at the earliest. Things get better in Comfort mode which maintains a fine balance between economy and relentless acceleration. The drivetrain is fully charged up in Sport and Sport+, delivering sharp throttle response and slick gearshifts.
With eight gears and a wide power-band, the 330i M Sport is an effortless cruiser. Its long-distance ability is supplemented with a hushed cabin – road noise is kept to a minimum even at highway speeds. More importantly, the low speed ride is surprisingly plush and absorbent despite the lack of adaptive dampers. Having said that, the unusually soft suspension setup plays spoilsport at high speeds as the car tends to wallow with constant vertical movement. Although it isn’t as precise as the E90 325i or 330i, the M Sport version’s well weighted steering and body control is more than adequate for a luxury barge. The brakes are likewise brilliant and never lose precision, even after repeated high speed stops.
