- There's something beautiful about European cars,
that are just about like, one generation old.
It's like this weird thing,
a little bit (clears throat)
like the crippling depression back in the winter time
due to the lack of vitamin C.
But it's a good thing.
Can't put my finger on it.
Okay, but I can, because the word is called depreciation.
Okay, when it comes down to these cars,
a year goes by, a generation goes by and it's great.
She's like a sucker punch to these cars.
And oh my goodness,
isn't it lovely when you snag one of them,
for 30% of their MSRP value just three years ago?
Because when you look at all the fancy stuff,
you get to have all of that without footing the bill.
And there's a lot of cars out there,
that now have a good chunk of automotive bite
that still keep the reliability and the style
to make everyone happy.
I'm Alex, alex.fi on Instagram.
And today we're gonna be talking about
one of the most popular platforms right now
to pick up second hand because of that big old D word, okay?
A car that was just a couple of two, three months,
looks brand new, and will annoy your neighbors
the moment you put a boot mod burble tune on it,
because it's a trash mod, okay? Get the right modification.
Ladies and gentlemen today...
(muffled voice)
Ladies and gentlemen, today
we're gonna be talking about you wanting to own a BMW F30.
(bright upbeat music)
(engine roaring)
(imitating engine noise)
All right, sorry.
And if you just haven't heard of us before,
welcome to Fitment Industries.
That was a very awkward transition into talking
about how we have our very own wheel company called
Artisa ArtFormed Wheels, that we just launched.
If you want to go check it out and be absolutely awesome.
We also have a bad-ass aftermarket vehicle gallery
where you can find out what exactly fits
your newly acquired F30 easily,
without having to dive through the forums
or spend hours pulling what's left of your hair out.
Right, that was me.
I did it when I was 16.
And that's why I'm here now talking to you,
3000 GT fitment was terrible and there was no gallery.
Okay, forums are lovely, but (bleep) do they suck?
It's a concise information every once in a while.
Now, let's chat about this car, okay?
Oh, and subscribe. Yep. Okay.
So let's chat about the good old F30, which was okay,
pretty damn good, okay.
It encompasses the sixth generation of the BMW three series,
like the F30, which is the sedan,
the F31, which is the wagon,
the F34 which is the Fastback or Gran Turismo.
And these guys were made from about October of 2011,
to right about skis 2019.
So quite a bit of time.
And this would also be the same timeframe
that BMW decided to cut a limb off the nameplate
and give their coupe and convertible models,
their own name plate that would be dubbed the BMW 4 Series.
Honestly, BMW changes more stuff about their lineup
than probably any other company literally every three years.
The F30 was a new touch on the age, old companies,
starting with a designer by the name of Christopher Whale.
Now Christopher was the same guy
that reshaped the mini models and the cars'
key design elements since 2013,
which was considered quite simply a success.
Okay, Christopher built the F30
to almost resemble that of previous generation 3 Series
with only making updates were needed
to give it a fresh interpretation.
And for the most part, a lot of people like
the fresh take on the 3 Series,
they're more just concerned
about the motors and stuff like that.
We'll talk about that later, all right.
More of a subtle take on the update,
versus BMW's more aggressive take on it
during its most recent revision.
This F30 was quite the heater.
And there were some additional small tweaks to the car,
to give it a sportier look, like the sloping hood,
the roof and (clears throat)
Zake- Zake line, which started at the headlamp,
ran to the rear door, and a second Zake line,
starting at the front fender all the way back.
Now, I don't know what,
that is just straight sourcing from a book,
which gives it a lightweight performance look,
even though it was just a 3 Series,
that's why it kind of has that crisp fender line.
Over all the design elements of Christopher and his team
that put into the car were pretty clean.
It was so clean that BMW decided
to keep the design elements for a relatively long time.
It was close enough to its predecessors to be relatable,
but new enough to give it a pop,
that the platform really needed.
And the design wasn't the only thing
that would be new for the F30.
This would be the first generation to be powered
by a range of turbskies.
And the one thing that kind of sort of upset people,
electric power steering.
When it was released in 2012,
the Geneva Motor Show, this made headlines.
Okay? And for those that love the purist mentality,
that BMW typically had, or was geared towards,
the changes were okay, by some, but skeptical by most.
Just like typical, every single time BMW releases something,
just kidding, we're all like that, we all hate change.
But, it did hit a soft spot because plenty of BMW fans
also happened to be massive fans
of naturally aspirated engines, just like Porsche.
This didn't have that.
They started to introduce forced induction.
Now, personally, they did it to keep it alive.
So I will take anything at this point
when it comes down to auto manufacturers
trying to do something to keep some sort of
performance lineage alive.
The inline engine would remain though,
with the N20, inline four, or B48,
the N55 three liter inline six, or B58 inline six.
The one most people will snag would be the N55,
which would come in the three 35 for plenty of reasons,
mostly for the fun factor and also the value for dollar.
But you can still get the inline four if you really want to,
If that's the only thing that can find.
We won't say anything, we promise.
Regardless of what F30 you look at,
as you get later in the generations,
the power, the tech, and the angry head lights
increase with it, because that's just how things go.
With the famous F33, 35, rolling out in 2011,
and staying until 2015.
300 horsepower, 300 foot pounds of torque from the factory,
single turbo was what people like you,
and people like me stare at and want.
Because it's a great value per dollar.
And I'm telling you, the hood line crease over the headlight
is probably the reason, in my opinion,
this car will look good for decades.
The F30 just did something right.
You can get in a real drive for it, which is great.
And from a reliability standpoint,
it was a notable step forward for BMW.
Does that mean it's perfect?
Well, I mean, probably not, but it is a good step.
So did people like it when it initially came out,
Question mark?
Well, do people like change, question mark?
Never answer a question with a question.
No! Okay?
But outside of the typical BMW stuff,
the F30 has become a car that many enthusiasts look to,
to get their feet wet when it comes to jumping to modifying
a European car that may or may not, also be,
your daily driver.
Which is why we're done talking about the short
and brief history of the F30.
You want some of that? Well, let me tell you what!
There actually isn't that much on this one, all right?
BMW was kind of subtle compared to the-
No! We are here to talk about you wanting to own
one of these angry headlight, bad boys.
So you want F30 BMW, which is just a fancy way of saying,
so you want a three series in a very specific year range.
Okay? And some sort of model type.
Probably the three 35, to be honest,
because that's the one that all of us are gonna go to.
Well set down your electrical jokes from the M3 community,
And grab your favorite ammo,
because we're about to make fun of N54s.
And now, we're gonna talk about what it's like
to actually own one.
First things first, there's a couple of two, three things
you need to know about this car before you pick one up.
And honestly, especially since there's
a vocal massive community of BMW enthusiasts out there
that will tell you if you did the right thing,
or the wrong thing, okay?
You don't need to ask them though.
They'll, they'll tell you regardless on
if you want their opinion or not,
because it is a huge, massive community.
Here's the biggest thing with getting an F30.
The handling is different than the predecessors.
This is mostly due to the fact
that it's an electronic steering versus hydraulic steering.
Now, some people say that it's lost its soul,
its connection to the road while others love it.
They don't think there's anything wrong with it.
So if you're in doubt, the best way to go about it
is drive a previous generation to see
if you like it more than the F30.
That is truly the, really the best, and only way, to know.
My opinion, I think that if you want something
a little bit more connected to the road,
go buy something 35 years old.
You don't need to only get the three 35 though.
The three 28 is capable of handling 300 horsepower
and torque, with an intake tune down pipes inter coolers,
and a couple extra ponies with water meth, if you want.
It just so happens that most go with the three 30
to the three 35 for the larger platform,
and modification ability, and the fact that it's most
of the top range that you can get on the F30 series,
without jumping into the EMP, which is not really an F30,
it's just starts to get confusing there.
The three 30 is a great place to start
from a tuning and a mod perspective.
Basic mods push you over the 300 mark,
without ruining reliability or having too many issues.
The B48 is also stronger on paper
than the previous N20 motor,
some debate, but for the most part,
it is a little bit better.
The fact that it's a closed deck block,
is great for enthusiasts as it is a bit stronger.
The three 35 though, super hot fire, okay?
It's not a massive jump over the predecessor
and there are still issues,
but it's nothing that you can't handle.
The three 35 single turbo though can be an absolute hoot.
Literally hoot, 400 horsepower, baby!
You can get it up to 400 horsepower
and 450 foot pounds of torque,
with some simple tunes and a few bolt-ons.
Not only that, but playing with a single turbo setup
can be fun and playing with the torque range becomes a blast
when you introduce E85 to your life.
There's something to be said here though,
that the modification skill I would say,
is a little bit taller than entry-level platforms.
What I mean by that is, it does take a little bit more work
to get this thing to do what you want,
versus jumping into something a little bit more basic,
like an LS.
As you go into modifying the three 35I,
You'll need to learn about things
like electrical or EWG wastegate versus pneumatic wastegate.
Pneumatic, pneumatic wastegates.
Why put a P there if it doesn't exist? Okay?
And their differences.
Try to get EWG is as they're on the newer three 35s,
and they're generally better.
You'll need to learn about how
that plays into high flow cats,
and the specific tune you'll need to ensure
the computer remains happy and smiling,
versus throwing it into limp mode every single time
you go to wat.
Lars had one (bleep) wat and go into limp mode
and it was awkward, all the time.
However, the sandwich recipe for success on the platform
if you wanna keep it easy especially
as you jump into the three 35 is very very simple.
And you don't even have to take my word for it.
The internet and communities will tell you what to do.
JB for piggyback too.
That's like a go-to must-do all right.
Intake. BMS is a common one
but you can get multiple different types.
Most people go with a BMS.
Catless downpipe, don't tell the EPA, okay?
But this part helps a ton with breathing in the turbo,
and getting the gas moving.
Honestly, anything that's ever gonna help with breathing
or exhaust, is really gonna help move
any sort of force-induced car.
As long as you keep heat soak away.
Three and a half, isn't your exhaust, come on,
you have to keep it cool.
A front mount intercooler will help with cooling,
especially since the N55s need all the help they can get
in that tiny compact car.
They did stuff a lot into these engine bays,
which can make it a little bit difficult to work on,
especially if you're new to working
on something as compact as this.
The E85, this one scares people sometimes,
but it's totally worth it.
As long as you get the tune, you'll be okay.
Just make sure you remind your friends,
if they do borrow your car, that you need to put 85 in there
or unless you have flex soon or something
that automatically tells you if it's the E85 not.
The great things about this platform
is that there are so many places,
so many communities that will help you.
Because it's such a mass produced car.
That list above has a full write up on BMW tuning.
I don't to make it up.
You can join hundreds of thousands of forums, groups,
and clubs that know so much about these cars,
that you'll likely never run out of things to do.
In addition to that, they'll help you along
every step of the way.
Pair that up with a proper fitment and you're practically
set to go literally anywhere.
And these cars look incredible for what they are.
And I recommend doing a staggered setup.
You can go a nine and a half and a 10 and a half,
with plus 22s with either nineteens or eighteens,
while others are doing an eight and a half plus 35 front,
and 10 and a half plus 35 rear, with two 35-35 fronts,
or two 55-65 rears, no matter what,
a staggered set up looks incredibly clean here,
especially with the wider arches,
especially something like a double five spoke,
or directional seven spoke,
like the elder there's the plug,
or double five spoke.
You're gonna make it look really good.
The 35 series sidewall gets an aggressive sporty look
and something like BC racing coil overs just nailed
the car's overall look without having to worry
about any sort of reliability.
You can get a nice, good, flush, fitment
without having to worry about daily driving.
Throw some air on it, and you'll be happy.
The question is, are these cars perfect?
And the answer is no.
Are they a great entry level car to start? Kind of.
They're a little bit tougher.
But can they be an absolute beast?
And the answer is absolutely!
The F30s are the perfect combination of cars
that have already depreciated, the ability to modify,
how available they are, and good looks that makes 99%
of every car enthusiast out there happy.
You just need to be a little bit more careful
playing around with the motor,
keeping your maintenance up to date, and for the love of God
just try to stay away from the only modification
you're gonna do which is a verbal tune.
There's so many other things out there that you can do.
Okay? I'm trying to sleep at night and I hear it.
I hear it in the distance.
It's like a nightmare.
I can't tell if it's true or not.
I'm trying to work on things and I hear a drive across-
But what do you think about the F30?
Let us know below, and if you're looking for
aftermarket wheels, tires, or suspension,
be sure to hit us up over at fitmentindustries.com.
I'm Alex from Fitment Industries, and we will see you later.
Peace.
(upbeat music)