Turned out to be a creaking polybush in the front wishbone. Couldn't be arsed with getting polybushes so just had both wishbones replaced with OEM parts.
Just started to notice this more recently. It's not really apparent at speed, only occasionally showing itself but at low speed going over speed bumps and the like there's an obvious creak/crash from the front left of the car.
It's definitely the left as I've made sure to go over speed bumps...
What do we make of something like a 27k mile gap and a 20k mile gap between services? I'd like to think it'll have a negligible effect in real terms given the engines are meant to be strong. I bought a 330Ci before that had over 30k miles between a service and it always ran sweetly at over 100k...
I'm in Angus so the closer to there the better.
Number 437 is for sale at a trader in Fife but reading the previous owner's experience has put me off the hassle of that one. That being said, this will be a second car and not a daily driver.