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An update - I managed to track down another 35i with adaptive M suspension at another dealers in the UK. After discussing with BMW they arranged for me to go and drive it to see if it made the same chirps/squeaks as my 35i. I drove it yesterday and guess what, it does make exactly the same squeaks. The service manager who accompanied me in the car I test drove also clearly heard the noises and seemed a bit surprised.
I have reported it back to my dealers who will report it back to BMW, not that I think anything can be done about it, more for BMWs information - maybe they will make an adaptation in the future. But it does seem that this is a characteristic of the adaptive M suspension. I believe this is the first small car that BMW have fitted this suspension to and my local BMW technician had already told me that he had heard this type of suspension noise coming from an older 5 series.
I suspsect many owners with cars with the adaptive suspension on it will not have noticed the squeaks as you do need to be on rough roads (ie like the UK!) in a built up area with walls/other parked cars/buildings close by (a few feet) to reflect the sound made by the suspension back into the car. You need to have the roof down or both windows fully open and driving at less than 30 mph. Having driven a lot in the US I suspect its much rarer to come across the sort of narrow, bumpy road conditions needed to hear the suspension.
Ah well I'll just have to flick to sport + when I drive through the centres of quite villages if I want to get rid of the squeaks, but don't know if my back and neck can stand it.....
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