Sharp looks, ballistic acceleration
Artificial eargasms and steering feel
The BMW M340i is a performance car meant to bridge the gap between the luxurious 3 Series and the bonker M3 while trying to offer you a package that’s the best of both worlds. Like every BMW, now and then, a mid cycle update is due to freshen things up. Like its more luxury-focused variants, the M340i also gets a few touch-ups here and there to spice things up. The M340i aims to be one of if not the best performance machines you can buy under 1 Crore with little to no competition available in the market.
There is no doubt that this is quite a performance bargain for any enthusiast out there, and its acceleration would rival that of the top-tier performance sedans of a bygone era. The M340i is quicker than an old M3, yet it costs closer to the current generation 3 Series, making it quite the bang for your buck package. My only gripe is how artificial many things feel that rob you of the purity of driving a fast-paced six-cylinder. Much of it concerns the future of BMW and electrification and how BMW is slowly getting rid of buttons and styling cues to prepare the next generation of buyers for the future BMW design language and strategy. Does this make the M340i any less fun? Well, sort of. But despite that, I’d reckon this is the best performance you can get, and if you want something even more practical, I’d advise waiting for the all-new X3 M340i, which should make it a whole lot more practical.
