XSeries-forum

Hi guys, newbie here, transferring from the z4 forum after 2 years of fun. The nagging wife has finally made me succumb to getting a "proper" car.

I'm torn between two: the first is closer to home and is a 2005 3.0d "sport" but appears to have the colour coded bumpers ala the msport? The second is 150 miles away, £1000 more with same mileage but is a true "msport".

What is the difference between the msport and the sport? The sport doesn't have ///M on the steering wheel but apart from that I can't see any difference?

Any advice would be really appreciated and save me £1000!!!!

Cheers Dan

Hi and welcome,

Firstly if the bumpers are completely painted then this is an aftermarket paint as the only X to come with fully painted bumpers were the 4.6is/4.8is

As I remember the cars were sold as se or sport.  Yes the steering wheel had a M symbol and was fatter, along with sports seats, with electric adjustment and memory as well as black roof lining and and bigger 19'' wheels. There maybe a few other upgrades but elude me just now.

Don

Look up the vin of both vehicles (from the REG) and pretend to sell each on ebay. It will tell you whats recorded on the DVLA V5 for the spec name. Take the reg and find the last 7 digits of the VIN and you can get the official spec from the build sheet from bmwvin.

Thats the only way to be sure as Parkers shows both a sport and M sport spec as options:

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/used-revi ... equipment/

[quote="Dans6490"]
Hi guys, newbie here, transferring from the z4 forum after 2 years of fun. The nagging wife has finally made me succumb to getting a "proper" car.

I'm torn between two: the first is closer to home and is a 2005 3.0d "sport" but appears to have the colour coded bumpers ala the msport? The second is 150 miles away, £1000 more with same mileage but is a true "msport".

What is the difference between the msport and the sport? The sport doesn't have ///M on the steering wheel but apart from that I can't see any difference?

Any advice would be really appreciated and save me £1000!!!!



Cheers Dan
[/quote]

They don't do a Msport E53, mine had colour coded bumpers and was a 3.0 d SPORT. They did an IS model in the larger petrols, 4.6 and after 2004 4.8.
Msports didn't happen until rhe E70 after 2008 I think, early E70' s are SE

Oops, sorry I also assumed it was the X5,  so not sure about the bumpers but other stuff would be the same.  The black anthracite headlining is the easy give away.

Don

[quote="Dans6490"]

I'm torn between two: the first is closer to home and is a 2005 3.0d "sport" but appears to have the colour coded bumpers ala the msport? The second is 150 miles away, £1000 more with same mileage but is a true "msport".

What is the difference between the msport and the sport? The sport doesn't have ///M on the steering wheel but apart from that I can't see any difference?

[/quote]

I would guess the Sport has the Aerokit fitted which was a BMW add-on that you could specify from new or get it retrofitted later on.
This is my mates '05 2.0d with it fitted (His was done when the car was around 2 years old)





And this is a genuine M-Sport

Extracts from magazine reviews for the E83 X3:

Thanks for the info guys, I've gone for the Sport which after checking using the vin came with the aerodynamic package! Pics to follow when collected!

Good,  enjoy your ride.

Don

[quote="Don Coffey"]
The black anthracite headlining is the easy give away.
[/quote]
Mine is a Sport and has the anthracite headlining.  Think the anthracite headlining was an option on the Sport and standard on the M Sport.

[quote="Big A"]
[quote="Don Coffey"]
The black anthracite headlining is the easy give away.
[/quote]
Mine is a Sport and has the anthracite headlining.  Think the anthracite headlining was an option on the Sport and standard on the M Sport.
[/quote]
Everyday a a learning day. I've had a 330ci, 3 X5s (all E53) and 630ci. All were sport versions and all had anthracite headlining hence my belief that it was standard practice with all BMW sports upgrades.

Don

every sport bmw ive ever had which is alot has had the black headlining

All comes down to the age of the car and what BMW were doing at that time in the lifecycle of that models production. Z4s up to 2009 were either Sport or not so sports had anthracite headlining (coupes naturally not the softops). When the E89 was released in 2009 sport was dropped and replaced by M-Sport.

Go back in history further and my 1988 E24 645Csi had an M Sport Steering wheel but there were no "sport" or "m-sport" trims but it was a highline.

It was a mess, now I think its a little clearer but trims are forever changing!