Fierce & demure

The brilliant BMW M340i has recieved a minor update to improve its appeal to the sophisticated customer, but does this mean that the budget performance formula is diluted? We find out

- Anagh Bhaskar

Our country isn't one with a large population of performance cars, and for many reasons. In such a market, achieving more than 1,000 unit sales for a perfromance car is beyond commendable, and that is the car that you see on these pages, the 2024 BMW M340i.

It hasn't been very long since we last drove the BMW M340i, which was beefed up with some minor changes and now it's time again. Oh did I sound like I was complaining? Not at all. The M340i is an idea, made into a product, it is the shortwheelbase 3 Series, with the B58 motor, that is a slightly watered down version of the S58, which powers the M2, M3 and M4. The result is a car that plays so heavily on its duality of nature, that it starts pulling on one's heartstrings after just a few minutes behind the wheel.

Now given the choice between the BMW M2, the hot-headed RWD coupe or the M340i, I'd choose the former, but that is because the quintessential RWD sports coupe format is the peak in any enthusiasts mind, and the M2 by all means is the perfect car, especially with the stickshifter. But lets say you are a bit sceptical about going all in into a hardcore sports coupe, and would like to have a car that isn't going to wake up the neighbors or scrape its belly on speed breakers, then you should keep reading.