Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The new 335i.

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted. I’ve been busy with work and life and all that. Blah, blah.
So, today I am writing about the incredible Teutonic machine that is the new (2007) BMW 335i. The first thing to note is the new model nomenclature. Unlike models in the past, BMW now is calling both sedan and coupe models “335i.” I think this, as most things that make life more simplistic, is good. Here are some of the numbers (for the sedan):
· 3,594 pound curb weight
· Twin-turbo 3.0 liter inline-6 cylinder
· 300 horsepower
· 300 lb-ft of torque (available all the way from 1400 to 5000 rpms!!)
· Power to weight ratio of ~12.0
· 6-speed manual transmission
· 0.30 Cd drag coefficient (pretty impressive)
· 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds (as claimed by BMW—I’ve already seen 4.9 seconds in a mainstream car magazine)
· 29 mph on the highway (allegedly)
· $39,700 base price
· $52,200 “well-equipped” (read: the way I’d build one)
BMW claims, “Turbo lag is a thing of the past…,” and based on the torque spread (a veritable plateau), it certainly appears as if that’s a valid claim. This characteristic can be attributed to the unique positioning of the turbos. BMW has assigned one for three cylinders, twice. In most previous twin turbo applications, the turbos were set up in a sequential manner, such that one would work at lower RPMs (usually to try and replace displacement), and the other would work at the upper end of the rev range. I’d love to see a long term test of a 335i to see if the 29mpg highway rating can be duplicated anywhere other than the EPAs fantasy route. Another issue is the price. Although the base price is pretty impressive for a good-sized German sports sedan with 300 horsepower, if you option it out, it is approaching the price of an E46 M3. At this price you have to bring the S4 (340 horsepower) into the equation at a base price of $47,500 and fully loaded at $55,100. One could certainly argue that with 40 more horsepower and arguably better equipped (plus VWAG’s best-in-the-industry interiors), that the S4 is worth the extra $3k. I’d be hard pressed to decide between the two.
However, to further complicate the equation, Vishnu Tuning has developed a software package for the 335i. If you recall, a previous post here discussed Vishnu’s amazing work with Evos. In this application for the BMW, the software increases engine performance to approximately 370 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque (!!). It can be your’s for $1,400. Vishnu claims a 4.5 second 0-60mph time, as well as a 12.8 second ¼ mile time. A 12-second, 3,600 pound, German six-cylinder sports sedan? Incredible. The upgrade would drop the power to weight ratio down from the stock 12.0 to around 9.7, which would put it ahead of the E46 M3 (at 10.3)—not to mention an increase of nearly 120 lb-ft of torque. I’m guessing you’d feel that. For comparison purposes, the aforementioned S4 has a power to weight ratio of 11.4 (that all-wheel drive will get you every time!). So, if we add the software price to the well-equipped price, we have a cost of right around $54,000. At this price point, I think I’ll be taking my chipped 335i over the S4. The actual reason this has been in my head today, is that I was perusing Tire Rack’s website, as I am apt to do, and thought it would be interesting to find out what size tires you can fit on the new 335i. Well, I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find out that you can fit 295 width tires on the rear-end of both the coupe and sedan. In fact, with a slightly larger offset (say around +40mm), you could even fit 305 tires on it. That would be pretty sick. Obviously, the problem with more horsepower (especially if you’re looking at as much as 370 horsepower) is getting that power to the ground. With 295 tires on the back (not to mention 305s), I don’t think you should have much of a problem at all. Additionally, I found a set of OZ Ultraleggera wheels (18s) that weigh only 18.5 pounds each (front) and 20.8 pounds each (rear). We’ve talked before about how important reducing unsprung weight is, and with wheels that light, it would definitely offer a noticeable improvement. Also, the rear OZs for the 335i that I found are, in fact, +40mm offset, so we could fit 305s on there. The only tires I found in that size (305 30 18), however, were DOT competition tires, so not that practical for everyday use, but pretty freaking cool for track days. The new 335i would a hell of a great everyday driver. Add Vishnu software, OZ 18s, and Michelin tires (including 295s on the back) and that would be an incredible package.
Oh by the way, have I mentioned the new Infiniti G35 sedan? 3.5 liter VQ35 V6 engine, 6-speed manual, 306 horsepower, 268 lb-ft of torque, power to weight ratio of 11.5, starting at less than $33,000. But that’s a discussion for another time…
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UPDATE: So, I just received the new European Car magazine in the mail yesterday. Lo and behold, what did they have on the cover? A comparo between a Vishnu 335i and supercharged E46 M3. It is actually a really good article. You should take a look at it if you get the chance. About the new 335i they say, “…[a]lthough 335i tuning is in its infancy, it’s a forgone conclusion this car will become the Toyota Supra of the Euro Bunch.” That’s a pretty huge compliment. I’ve written about what I think of the 2JZ-GTE engine. And I think that EC’s claim is probably not all that farfetched. Now, back to the article. Probably the most interesting part was the dyno sheet from the Vishnu 335i. It put down 346.8 horsepower and 391.6 lb-ft of torque. If you use a (pretty conservative) 11% driveline loss, then you’re looking at 385 horsepower (!!!) and 435 lb-ft of torque at the crank. That’s simply amazing. So it looks like Vishnu’s claims (discussed above) are actually pretty conservative. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the tuning community comes up with for the 335i.
Also, I realized I forgot to mention something of import in yesterday’s post. The 335i does NOT come with a limited slip (only M cars get them from the BMW factory). So, that is obviously going to have to be on the list with any performance mods you are planning on doing to your 335i. It doesn’t matter if you have almost 400 horsepower if your tires just spin…
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Next time we’ll discuss the best cross-country road trip/race cars. E63 wagon? S65? M5? S6? S8? Touareg TDI? Nope, it’s not any of these. It DOES, however, have a three-pointed star on the grill…