BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

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BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Chris the Sheep »

Hi all, sold my R3 about one year ago after 3 years of ownership. Nothing really driving a change except the fact that I just wanted to try something different.

By the time I boiled down all the criteria I settled on a BMW M235i. Here are my thoughts 1 year on....

Exterior
The R3 is a better looking car. The BMW is nice but the problem I have is that all BMWs seem to look the same, 2 series, 3 series, 4 series, diesel, petrol, xdrive. RX8s are far more niche which I prefer. Having said that the BMW nice looking car especially in the Estoril Blue like mine.

Interior
The BMW interior is more modern and is just nicer. Some basics like the option to point your mirror down when reversing, hands free and a better quality sound system are nice. I’m not a gadget person so there is nothing else better in the BMW from my perspective.
The R3 Recaro seats were immense. Sporty cars need nice seats. The BMW has comfy seats but they are nothing to look at and leave the car down, I suppose BMW reserved the fancy seats for the top of the range M2. However, the BMW does have heated seats which are nice on the cold mornings (queue much smugness from Evolve owners!)

Engine & Handling
I bought the car down South and it would have been rude not to pop into Birds BMW tuners while I was there so I got a Quaife diff (instead of the open BMW diff) and Birds tuned Bilstein suspension installed.
Coming from the Rx8, the power in the BMW is immense. Just squeeze the throttle and it takes off! The ride in the BMW is smoother as well. However I remember when I was selling the RX8 and I drove it back to back with the BMW and the difference in steering feel was worlds apart, you could feel every lump and bump through the steering wheel in the RX8 while the BMW just felt numb in comparison. One year on and I’m just used to the BMW steering so I suppose I don’t know what I am missing.
The BMW is immensely faster than the RX8 but maximum velocity isn’t something that I extract on a regular basis. Most of my driving is to and from work through some countryside and city. I relish the little events on a daily basis. For example there is a small off chamber roundabout on the way to work which I slide the back out every morning in the BMW (during suitable conditions). Equally coming home there are a couple of large open sweeping bends that you can spin up the wheels and get the car moving which I just wasn’t able to do in the RX8. Having the flexibility with extra power to do this is the single biggest smile factor in the BMW for me.

Ownership
The BMW has been bulletproof so far. No issues. Although I never thought I was worried about the RX8, I was, and I never realized until I sold it. My RX8 was mechanically sound but there was always something looming in my head that it wouldn’t start or that some numpty in the garage would flood it!
It’s also nicer having a newer car (2014 versus 2008). The BMW is solid, no creaks or noises, everything just works.

Verdict
I miss my R3 but as a car enthusiast it was time to move on and try something different. The BMW is my first taste of a proper modern, fast car. It’s taught me that for what I enjoy, absolute power is not everything but enough power to get the rear mobile is important to me.
I’ve pit some money into the BMW with the Birds package and a set of winter wheels and tyres so I need to keep it for another year. It took me a long time to bond with the BMW while the connection with the R3 was instant. I could see myself changing the BMW next year for something different. I’d prefer to be back in a Jap car as per my car buying history, previous cars were Celica VVTL-i, 350Z, Swift Sport and then RX8. Maybe the GT86 is the answer or maybe it is just underpowered? I went round this loop before where I would be buying a car for £12 - 15k and then spending fortune bolting on forced induction etc to make it what I wanted. I’ll just enjoy some sideways action in the BMW for the time being 8)

I would upload some pics of my car but my membership has lapsed and I can’t seem to do it now.

Has anyone seen my RX8 - 2008 BF58 ZXZ sparkling black and sold to a gentleman called Malcolm in Aberdeen? I live in Aberdeen and i’ve Never seen it again.
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by acegeezer »

I'll stick to my R3 thanks.. into the 6th year of ownership now and trouble free.. no rust anywhere body or underneath and better compression now than when purchased, still smiling too.. you can keep your beemer :) :thumleft:
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by plas87 »

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=79409&p=1208492#p1208492

read this, my thoughts on the M140i
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Chris the Sheep »

plas87 wrote:
Thu Jun 20, 2019 5:47 pm
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=79409&p=1208492#p1208492

read this, my thoughts on the M140i
That’s a fair review. I got the Quaife LSD to improve the handling as soon as I got the car.

I forgot to mention the noise! I’m like a kid in our underground car park at work, I just can’t help blipping the throttle on the cold start.

Overall your observation that it is not a true drivers car is probably correct.
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Boston Rotary »

My lad has the 135 twin turbo with decat down pipe and aftermarket catback currently running 420bhp. Sounds sweet but personally not sure on the handling.
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Chris the Sheep »

A lot of the owners run big power over 400 bhp. I think the majority of owners are just interested in having maximum straight line speed as opposed to handling :-k
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Boston Rotary »

Yeah I think your right, suspension is his next upgrade so we will see from there but I just think it’s too heavy.
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Ryan Rotary Performance »

I have both the M240i and a supercharged Rx8, for me, the BMW wins hands down for motorway driving and city driving due to the power and it being an automatic.

But when it comes to any road with a corner put me in the 8, i could not even hope to keep up with myself in the bmw vs the supercharged Rx8. The Rx8 is just hands down better!

Funnily enough i was in the 8 two weeks back and some guy in his brand new M4 thought he could get up my arse on a B road I know quite well. Well it just turned out to be embarrassing for him as i basically just played with him all the way to my destination, leaving him for dead at will. On a straight he would obviously have me, but B road? That is Rx8 territory!

When i got to the co-op for my bacon and eggs, he wouldn't even look at me! But the pretty blonde in the passenger seat did :p
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

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Legend!! ^^^ :lol: =D>
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BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by GreySilver Beast »

Have looked at buying a BMW :P , but the range of models and options are so bewildering #-o #-o #-o #-o
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by mi60o0 »

I can't comment fastest car I ever owned is the rx8 and for me is a nice car nice handling my family car is mazda 6 2.5 petrol but this is just 180hp. So isn't faster than the rex
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by plas87 »

The M2 is a proper drivers car and feels completely different to the M240i. I would say that's the next logical upgrade to the RX-8 if you are wanting something with more power but still handles well. Whether it handles as well as the RX-8 I am not sure but with my brief test drive it did feel similar. A super charged RX-8 is a different story however...
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

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My next adventure after the wedding is to go to mazdamx5oc hah I want bbr mx5 3rd gen
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Dr. FrankenRex »

This was a very interesting read, although I suppose the biggest factor which wasn't touched upon is the cost.

Whilst the BMW comes with more mod-cons, more toys and more power, it is a considerably more expensive car to purchase (and I'd wager maintain as a 2014 M235i will most likely be wanting you to service it at a BMW dealer? - this of course ignoring any need for a rebuild etc.); I don't know what you paid for your M235i, or for the quaife on top of the purchase price, but I'd bet it was more than a low mileage R3 and a rebuild. I'd wager it's probably in the territory of an R3, a rebuild and a turbo build - in which case I'd go for the R3 with a turbo.

The M235i is a good car, made better by an LSD I'm sure, but when the cost is taken in to account I'd rather have an 8, plain and simple. I do agree that the power (or lack of in the 8 by comparison) is a big factor in the equation, though.
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Chris the Sheep »

Good discussion lads and you can see from my review that I am not set on the M235i and there are a number of things I miss about my RX8.

I don’t have a long car history and as a car enthusiast I wanted to experience different cars. My buddy married his childhood sweetheart and I think he also wonders what it is like to try other ‘rides’ :lol: You don’t know what you are missing until you’ve tried a few different things.

I wanted more power and the BMW certainly delivers that. In fact, it has taught me that the 330bhp in the BMW is more than you could need. I don’t lust after big power cars anymore.

A 300bhp RX8 R3 sounds incredible. However, you need to know what you are doing with a modified car like that. I want a car to drive daily so it needs to be reliable. Equally if there is a problem I need the support to get it sorted. There is no specialist local to me so support with the RX8 was always a concern. A performance build from Ryan Performance or Rotary Revs etc would leave me with a problem in terms of getting someone to troubleshoot.

I know you can modify the hell out of a car to make it what you want. A number of the issues such as lack of power, folding mirrors, hands free, sound system are all mods that can be installed. However, there was alway something nagging at me with regard to putting lots of money into a car worth £5k, it just didn’t seem worth it but on the basis of how good a car it was I can look back on that now and reflect.

The BMW was something like £18k with the Birds kit another £2.5 or 3k. A lot of money. I sold the RX8 for something like £5k and it was a top notch car.

Even though the RX8 was a great car I think i’d have to try something else next! Boxster, Cayman, Classic P1 Impreza, DC2, EK9 Type R, Civic FN2 are all possibilities. In fact having more power has raised the question of going back to some classics.
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Dentist »

Irony of working in mechanic shop and repairing all sort of 2007 after BMW's which failed miserably, and seeking for RX-8 to buy !!!

All engines fail IF it doesn't maintained properly mate.
I opened so many BMW engines which are famous for reliability on car with ~ 80,000 milage and they be on 2nd repair, ( the baring is + 0.50mm )
No other car I drive in the this price rage was ever close to rx8 handling, suspension and wight distribution is amazingly good =D>

any way, end of day it's matter of taste and some people dosen't have taste lol

My friend have E92 M3 and expend 1200 on brake, another 1500 for throttle actuator and......
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by 350matt »

the big thing though is the price
there's almost nothing else you can buy for a 3-4K say thats in the RX8 class for handling and its not that slow either

so to say a 18K car is better than a 3k rexi is hardly surprising

perhaps whats more surprsing is that you have to spend that much to find something else that scratches the itch
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Dazza44 »

I got a 5k bike that handles extremely well (obviously rider dependent)
And will blast pass both with great ease

But I still find my 8 a pleasure and.thrill to drive.

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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Dr. FrankenRex »

Chris the Sheep wrote:
Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:38 pm
The BMW was something like £18k with the Birds kit another £2.5 or 3k. A lot of money. I sold the RX8 for something like £5k and it was a top notch car.
That's kinda what I was getting at, for ~£21k I'd expect it to feel more luxurious, more refined, have more toys and inevitably more power. If that floats your boat then fair play :thumleft:

I often sit and think about having a play in different things, but what happens to me is I borrow a mate's car, have a bit of fun for an hour or so then get back in the 8 that just feels different. Never left without a smile on my face in it, so I guess that's why it's still in the barn rather than wafting overseas somewhere.
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by New Duke »

Not mentioned so far is that the M235i (correct me if I'm wrong) is only available as a 3 door. So it's useless for anyone ever needing to transport passengers. Putting child seats and then a child in a 3 door hatchback is masochism. Watching friends climb out the back of a hatchback is ridiculous and making old relatives do it is humiliating.

We're a 3 car family and even then my 8 has to occasionally be used for the school run. Limiting myself to a 3 door for that would be bananas. If you never take more that one passenger cool and enjoy, but for everyone else... just why....

3 doors only belong on cheapie/entry-level hatchbacks. Not cars marketed as premium vehicles. Pay more and get less in so many ways. Should be a 5 door or full on 2 seater.
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Ranjan »

Haydn,

Couldn’t agree with you less about the desirability of 3-doors, I am sick and tired of manufacturers making brilliant cars that are totally impractical in every scenario except as a Sunday drive. Try a weekend away for two in a Chiron, Zonda, Mclaren, LaFerrari; bloody useless. That is why people choose Astons and 12-cylinder Ferraris.

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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by New Duke »

Totally get your point Ranjan. But that's confusing passenger seats with storage space, which rear seats are never ideal for in a 3 door. Twisting your spine to retrieve a heavy bag from the rear seat in a 3 door is asking to strain something.
Sounds like you need a supercar with a big rear or front boot. Thankfully McLaren has listened and made the GT with 570 litres of storage space. It's like they had you in mind :thumright:
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Ranjan »

Haydn you beauty,

Did not know this thing existed :thumright:

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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Chris the Sheep »

Ranjan wrote:
Mon Jun 24, 2019 2:50 pm
Haydn,
Couldn’t agree with you less about the desirability of 3-doors
Ranjan.
The BMW 1 series and 2 series are both based on the same platform and have the same engine. If you want the 5 doors then the 1 series is the way to go and it is a much more popular car as a result. It just doesn’t look as good in my view.

Personally, I am partial to the sleeker 3 door coupe look. The RX8 is probably the only car I have ever seen to carry off the coupe look with 4 doors. I have just one kid so there is no real difference putting him in the back of 3 door or the RX8 but it would be a pain if you had to out someone behind the drivers seat :-k
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Re: BMW M235i versus RX8 R3 1 year on

Post by Chris the Sheep »

Dr. FrankenRex wrote:
Mon Jun 24, 2019 9:10 am
Chris the Sheep wrote:
Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:38 pm
The BMW was something like £18k with the Birds kit another £2.5 or 3k. A lot of money. I sold the RX8 for something like £5k and it was a top notch car.
That's kinda what I was getting at, for ~£21k I'd expect it to feel more luxurious, more refined, have more toys and inevitably more power. If that floats your boat then fair play :
I wouldn’t say that spending a load of money floats my boat! I think it’s a testament to the value of the RX8 that it is so much car for the money.

The value of the RX8 still seems to be relatively stationary. However, the older Jap classics are going through the roof. It looks like you need £10 - £12k for a decent Honda Integra DC2. It makes me wonder when the RX8 prices will start rising :-k