[V1.47fan]

Only the great minds at GRM can come up with this type of direct and relevant comparison and with AX and track times to back it up,Great car mag! I really enjoyed the August issue,it really hit home.Great review by BimmerWorld owner and Roundel groupie James Clay and the other drivers and car enthusiasts.

M3









335i

I autocross my 335i and James Clay review is spot-on.









135i







The one thing that left me scratching my head was the 0 to 60 times on all cars,they seem a bit slower,even more so for the M3.

[ArmyBimmerDude]

M3 Review: "The torque gives it an instant out-of-the-corner punch that the siblings lack".....what?! More B.S. reviews.

Thank you for the article though!

[zackday30]

Cool article! Nice find bro....I enjoyed that. It is interesting to see that the 135 beat my baby, not too surprised taking to mind it is a bit lighter than the 335.

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by ArmyBimmerDude

M3 Review: "The torque gives it an instant out-of-the-corner punch that the siblings lack".....what?! More B.S. reviews.

Thank you for the article though!

You probably know more about racing than James Clay and S. Lear, both mention a bit of lag from brakes.I feel the same way about the 335i on a hot humid day,there is no out-of-the corner punch because of turbo lag,the punch comes in much later after you mash it.
Driving around town,the car temp is much lower with almost zero turbo lag on a AX course my engine fan is on constantly with the oil temp on the high side and more turbo lag.

[5soko]

nice, where can i get a copy of this?

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by 5soko335i

nice, where can i get a copy of this?

Barnes and Noble.

[5soko]

thank you sir. thanks for the scans.

[NMS335]

If you get a NASA membership you get the magazine for free as well. I also read this article and thought it was a very well written great comparo. I just wish they had video tape'd it and put it on the website so I could have a video copy of it as well.

[Year's_End]

Actually, Edmund's Insideline did a comparo of the M3, 135i, and 335i about a month or so ago.

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Loyalist

Actually, Edmund's Insideline did a comparo of the M3, 135i, and 335i about a month or so ago.

Did they use AX and track times too? they didn't use the E92 M3.

[5soko]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Loyalist

Actually, Edmund's Insideline did a comparo of the M3, 135i, and 335i about a month or so ago.

the 335i they used for testing didnt have sports package, that test wasnt really comparable.

[JO3]

One cool thing to note: The 335 is almost perfectly corner balanced from the factory! It's only 12 lbs or so off.

Of course, throw the driver into the car, and the numbers will change, but cool nevertheless.

[5soko]

i have to admit, on average on there roadcourse, the M3 had just a bit over a 1.7 sec advantage over the 335i, isnt bad at all, since the M3 wears bigger and stickier rubber, better suspension components, and more WHP, i was expecting more, maybe a 2-3.5 sec advantage. in the autocross section the M3 advantage fell further to a 1.3 sec. i think a tune and bigger wheel/rubber alone would help the 335i a whole lot.

so for future reference, tune,sways,PS2's on 19's, suspension.

the 135i was sure disappointing in a # of ways. power, accel, roadtrack feel/performance. with its lower weight, smaller wheelbase, i expected it to do better, but i guess my test drive just backed up my review on the car and why i took another look at another 335i over it.

[Greeney]

Originally Posted by 5soko335i

the 335i they used for testing didnt have sports package, that test wasnt really comparable.

It doesnt matter in the E92, same suspension. All couples come with a sports setup supposedly.

[5soko]

tires make big difference in these tests, having all season tires for testing compared to summer performance tires will help, braking, accel traction, and track times. but you are right from what i hear about the e92 and there suspension.

[Fuh Teng]

I still want the 335i. If I want a 2-seat toy (because you can't get an adult in the back with PAM and a shoe-horn), I'll get a replica cobra thanks, for LESS than a 135i (of course, the cobra isn't anywhere close to a daily driver). I'll gladly pay a little more and add the extra weight for the chance to carry 4 people, not 2.

I really want to drive a 135i, but... with the two tiny rear seats, it is a toy to me, and that's it.

Fuh

[clubspec330i]

Originally Posted by Fuh Teng

I still want the 335i. If I want a 2-seat toy (because you can't get an adult in the back with PAM and a shoe-horn), I'll get a replica cobra thanks, for LESS than a 135i (of course, the cobra isn't anywhere close to a daily driver). I'll gladly pay a little more and add the extra weight for the chance to carry 4 people, not 2.

I really want to drive a 135i, but... with the two tiny rear seats, it is a toy to me, and that's it.

Fuh

As a current owner of the current E92 335i, I beg the differ. It seems that 135i has more rear passenger spacing than my 335i, which is nothing better than space for a 5ft tall < 150# person. The 135i seems to have more Oops than 335i but not as stable.

If I can add one more thing to 335i, it would be 3.65 LSD. I think, I might be wrong here, with bigger rearend and LSD, 335i might more similar out of the corner torque similar to M3. With PS2 and suspension, it will give the M3 a run for the money but it will not be the M car.

I am going to AutoX my E90 M3 this weekend. If my wife is willing, I will ask her to bring her E92 335i so I can compare.

Cheers,

[Robert]

After test driving the 335i and owning a 135i, I say I should have bought the Lotus Elise. Neither is the purposeful machine I was looking for. BMW is really jack of all trades, do them all pretty well but not expertly well. Oh and did I mention the engine problems you may encounter? You aren't going to find that on a toyota engine. I think set of a springs and shocks will improve 135i's handling.

[5soko]

Originally Posted by clubspec330i

As a current owner of the current E92 335i, I beg the differ. It seems that 135i has more rear passenger spacing than my 335i, which is nothing better than space for a 5ft tall < 150# person. The 135i seems to have more Oops than 335i but not as stable.

If I can add one more thing to 335i, it would be 3.65 LSD. I think, I might be wrong here, with bigger rearend and LSD, 335i might more similar out of the corner torque similar to M3. With PS2 and suspension, it will give the M3 a run for the money but it will not be the M car.

I am going to AutoX my E90 M3 this weekend. If my wife is willing, I will ask her to bring her E92 335i so I can compare.

Cheers,

um not sure which 135i you have been in unless it said 535i in the back, there is almost no knee room in the 135i so unless you under 5'2" your aint gonna fit in the back for anything longer then a 30 min drive hah and head room is horrible, even worse then the 335i's.

[Kiemyster]

so. the 135i is only 152lbs lighter than the 335i? LOL

[Robert]

Originally Posted by Kiemyster

so. the 135i is only 152lbs lighter than the 335i? LOL

Enough to feel the difference

um not sure which 135i you have been in unless it said 535i in the back, there is almost no knee room in the 135i so unless you under 5'2" your aint gonna fit in the back for anything longer then a 30 min drive hah and head room is horrible, even worse then the 335i's.

I think he meant on the 335i he would have to recline the seat back further because his head hit the ceiling otherwise. By reclining the seat back you eat into the rear seat even more with the seat position all the way back. It's all centimeters we are arguing about here. 335i coupe's rear seat is puny as well, e90 335i on the other hand has a much larger room.