So after 6k miles of smile-inducing driving, some updates which I hope will be useful to all.
Odd Wax Leakage
After a sustained burst of autobahn driving – around 2-3 hrs at 100-130mph, I checked the engine bay to find signs of what looked like coolant leakage.
After speaking to the dealer, he reassured me that this was just sealing wax 'settling in'. Hmmm..
Cheap boot liner from Amazon.de for only €22. It's called “Aristar 193154 Kofferraumwanne”. If you buy it from Amazon.co.uk, it costs £35.
http://www.amazon.de/Aristar-ANTI193...ilpage_o01_s00
F30 bonnet mod.
I finally got rid of that ugly shut line using PS Clone Filter Mod.
If only it was so easy.
Road Noise Comparison – Fiat 500 vs BMW F30 330d.
Using a decibel meter on my iPhone, I measured interior noise in the Fiat 500 and the 330d, on the same stretch of A3, with both cars travelling at 60mph. The results are astonishing. The road noise suppression on a supposed premium BMW is no better than that of a cheap runabout Fiat.
The Autobahn Test
We did a short hop from Dunkirk to Central Germany (near Darmstadt) via Belgium in 5-6hrs with breaks and traffic jams. The 330d afforded effortless cruising at 100mph to 130mph. Even at 140mph, no instability or lateral movement. I didn't go any faster due to traffic and wanting to maintain safe braking distance. As others have mentioned, this is truly a peerless car. At ease in traffic, twisty country roads and autobahns. Even allowing for autobahn speeds, I managed to get from Germany to Dunkirk on one tank of fuel with 150 miles to spare.