TIM BARNES-CLAY

Cars

35Sorted. Nov/Dec 2015

LIFESTYLE

There is a lot of mediaattention around the2015 BMW 3 Series atthe moment. That’sbecause the range hasbeen given an update,

consisting of sexier lights, freshbumpers, new engines and avaguely tweaked cabin.

Motoring journalist Tim Barnes-Clay drives thelatest BMW 3 Series, before the less-than-discreetPorsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS grabs his attention…

BMW 3 SeriesOut of the 3 Series line-up, the

£33,635 320d M Sport automatic isespecially important. This isbecause, traditionally, it’s the sportssaloon of choice in the UK.

Its 2.0 turbo diesel engineproduces 187bhp and gives the car asignificant turn of speed. And whenyou counterbalance its 0-62mph

sprint of 7.2 seconds and 146mphtop speed with an official combinedaverage of 67.3mpg, it’s hard to findanything to complain about.

I decided to test this very car bydriving to the UK from Spain. I wasalready holidaying with my familydown on the Costa Blanca, so Ifigured instead of flying back to f

Faster and Faster

Sorted Issue 49 Nov_Dec 15 pp 34-57.qxp_Layout 1 02/10/2015 15:20 Page 35

36 Sorted. Nov/Dec 2015

LIFESTYLE

Britain, why not bring my wife andthree young children home courtesyof BMW?

But first, I had to fly up to BMW’smedia launch event near Bilbao, andthen drive the 320d solo back toDenia, north of Alicante, to finishbuilding sandcastles with the kids.That was 400 miles; so, with the 1,300miles back home, I was looking at atotal of 1,700 miles behind the wheelof the BMW 320d M Sport.

Having not stopped for fuel on mysix-hour charge from northernSpain, my five-year-old son was firstout of the door on my arrival at our

rented holiday home. Heenthusiastically told me how muchhe loved the look of “our” new car. Icouldn’t help but agree. That’sbecause, whether you’re five or 65,BMW’s M Sport package draws theeye. The dropped sport suspension,dynamic front and rear bumpers,and large 19-inch alloy wheels arebefittingly aggressive, while insidethere are leather seats, as well asclimate control and those all-important ‘M’ symbols.

The next day, we crammed ourluggage, including a buggy, into theBMW’s boot and quickly

PROS ’N’ CONS• Appearance 3

• Power 3• Efficiency 3

• Driving enjoyment 3• Rear middle seat 7

FAST FACTS

Max speed:

146mph

0-62mph:

7.2 secs

Combined mpg:

67.3

Engine layout:

1995cc, four cylinder,

turbodiesel

Max power (bhp):

187

Max torque (lb ft):

295

CO2:

116g/km

Price:

£33,635

appreciated the four-door saloon’sability to ‘live on the motorway’.On top of that, the flexibility of theride, the excellent Sat Nav and theseats (apart from the middle bencharea – but more about that in asecond) amounted to long-haulparadise – for me and our threekids, anyway.

The only gripe during our 1,300mile journey was about theaforementioned rear centre seat.My wife found it too firm and got abit bruised from a seatbelt stalkthat kept digging into her thigh.The only reason she was sat there isbecause our two-year-old settledfar better with Mummy next to her.The other two took it in turns toeither sit in the back or ride upfront with me.

As implied earlier, the 320d MSport is more than capable ofpounding flat out across Europehour after hour. The BMW willgobble up unoccupied stretches ofbitumen at 140mph, no shakes.This halves the official fuelconsumption figure, but when it’s2pm on a Sunday on the Continentand the school term starts at 9amon Monday in Britain, it’sincredible how little you care aboutthe car doing sub-40mpg.

With the Eurotunnel taking only35 minutes, I had to rapidlyremember that back in the UK, myhigher-than-you’d-risk-in-Britainmotorway pace needed reigning in,big time.

Now, with all five of us backhome safely, I can only concludethat the 2015 BMW 320d M SportSaloon is one of the most awe-inspiring compact executive motorsever. Yes, perhaps a Touringversion of the 3 Series might havegiven us a bit more luggage space,but the car we had is still a decentfamily machine – and one I’dhappily cross large swathes ofEurope in again.

Sorted Issue 49 Nov_Dec 15 pp 34-57.qxp_Layout 1 05/10/2015 15:58 Page 36

37Sorted. Nov/Dec 2015

LIFESTYLE

Iwas followed by the police theother day. Not because they likeme or anything – I suspect it wasmore to do with the yellow andblack Porsche 911 I was in.Funnily enough, I’m not in the

habit of driving like a boy racer nowI’m in my 40s, and getting a ban forspeeding isn’t a great career move ifyou’re a motoring journalist. So,doing 30mph through town with myfive-year-old son strapped to hisbooster chair in the passenger seatwas hardly the dodgiest thing to bedoing on a Sunday.

I’m not being paranoid, the copswere going the other way and thendid a 360 around the roundaboutand tailed me for the next couple ofmiles, before deciding I wasn’t a riskto the good people ofNorthamptonshire.

It could be my cynicism, and I’mnot suggesting these boys in bluewere frittering away our taxes, but Ido think they had more of aninterest in the blisteringly beautifulCarrera GTS. And who can blamethem? It’s an absolute stunner –whichever colour it’s cloaked in.

The 911, under scrutiny here, hasfar more to it than looks, though.The GTS badge stands for GranTurismo Sport – and, on this model,brings a 10mm drop in ride height.There are also an additional 30

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS horses tethered to the 3.8-litre flatsix lump, producing 424bhp in total.Other extras tossed in to give theGTS extra effervescence include bi-xenon lamps, Sat Nav, limited slipdiff and Porsche Torque Vectoring.

The rear of this 911 is broader, too,giving it a really aggressive stance –especially with matt black 20-inchwheels fitted at each corner. They

look fantastic, particularly againstyellow. Porsche anoraks will alsonote that the four exhaust pipes andheadlight surrounds are finished inthe same shade.

The interior is typical Porschedesign, but highlights are the GTSbadges woven into the seats, andbody coloured stitching on theAlcantara trim. The carbon fibre f

“BEHIND THE WHEEL, THE GTS FEELS SPADES MORESPORTING THAN A STANDARD CARRERA S.”

Sorted Issue 49 Nov_Dec 15 pp 34-57.qxp_Layout 1 02/10/2015 15:20 Page 37

38 Sorted. Nov/Dec 2015

LIFESTYLE

“ZERO TO 62MPH ARRIVES INJUST 4.0 SECONDS AND THETOP SPEED IS 188MPH.”

Sorted Issue 49 Nov_Dec 15 pp 34-57.qxp_Layout 1 02/10/2015 15:20 Page 38

39Sorted. Nov/Dec 2015

LIFESTYLE

@carwriteups

Tim is an experienced motoring writer with abackground in radio and TV journalism. Heputs his pedal to the metal each issue withhis must-read car reviews. Visitcarwriteups.co.uk.

on the doors, dash, seat base andconsole looks stunning, too.

Behind the wheel, the GTS feelsspades more sporting than astandard Carrera S. I drove the big-ticket Carrera 4 GTS that was fittedwith Porsche’s optional seven-speed, double-clutch transmission.It’s the gearbox to have, because itprovides a seamless shift betweenmanual and automatic control, soyou lose virtually no power whenchanging gear. The ‘4’, referred toabove, simply indicates that thatthe car has a four-wheeldrive system. This delivers terrific

and mid-range pull is addictive.Certainly, the car’s performanceflirts above legal limits enough tokeep you on your toes.

Quite honestly, the Porsche 911Carrera 4 GTS is everything a sportscoupe should be. It’s pricey, though,so you’ll need deep pockets to buyone. n

traction, allowing you to get on thepower quicker out of a corner.

Indeed, the performance of thesports coupe is extraordinary. Withthe rapid changing autotransmission, the 911 Carrera 4 GTSdrives as awesomely as it looks. Theride and handling is incisive, whilethe precision of the steering issecond to none.

Zero to 62mph arrives in just 4.0seconds and the top speed is188mph. The sport exhaust addsroars and grumbles and those quadtailpipes emit a crackly howl duringgear shifts. The 911 soaks up bumps

PROS ’N’ CONS• Power 3• Looks 3• Thrills 3• Grip 3• Dear 7

FAST FACTS

Max speed:

189mph

0-62mph:

4.0 secs

Combined mpg:

32.5

Engine layout:

3800cc,

six cylinder, petrol

Max power (bhp):

424

Max torque (lb ft):

325

CO2:

233g/km

Price:

£95,862

Sorted Issue 49 Nov_Dec 15 pp 34-57.qxp_Layout 1 02/10/2015 15:20 Page 39