KL2DC's E92 335i test with pics, video

[Schwepps]

Mr. Schwepps...you're statesside? Where are you? I

You've been partying too hard in Florida, KL2DC I posted this on Sept 6:

"Mini hijack: I'm in your neck of the woods at the moment, KL2DC, coincidentally also in New Jersey and amazed that you can do 120mph to AC! I see so many HP cruisers waiting to pounce all the time. Been E90 spotting here and in NYC to try and spot the difference in specs with back home, esp WRT wheels. Have only seen a couple so far, all the big trucks and SUVs block out everything else. Would love to hire a nice convertible and blast down Route 1 to DC for coffee with you but commitments don't permit."

Actually I'm in NJ and premium is 3 bucks here, but why would I fill premium into a rented Impala? Going home to roti canai tomorrow after 2 weeks of mostly Panera sandwiches and Tex-mex.

I've been tooling between NYC and Philly on Route 1 on personal stuff, and I've seen mostly 330s, in all the colours. Yeah, maybe it's the area as you say. Don't think there are many 4-cylinder cars here are there? All seem to be the higher capacity models. The smallest thing I've seen is a manual Mini convertible, which was struggling to pull away from the lights next to my basic, but V6-engined Impala.

 

[KL2DC]

Hey, c'mon! Not once did I hit my country, which I happen to love very much too. There are many things we can get which they can't here, like cheap and good food. I'm just saying that vis a vis motoring, they have it all. They can get every model of car you know at prices which will make you weep.

+1 ... agreed. I'm with Mr. Schwepps.

Well, the US is left out of many interesting models that is available in Europe and Japan due to demanding federal safety and emissions. As well as the picky Yanks demand all sorts of customer support infrastructure before considering a particular car marqu and model. Having said that, car for car, the US unequivocably is the cheapest place to buy a car. Even homeground europe's got nothing on the car pricing here.

 

[KL2DC]

For a while there, I thought I was reading a very high-quality professional piece out of a magazine ..... looks like one, smells like one!! Well done, KL2DC!!

Thanks Equalizer...I thought it was hastily written (didn't proofread, grammatical mistakes abound), the pics were supposed to be the main attraction

 

[minivan]

The ques of the BM coupe and the Infiniti are almost the same, especially form the rear.... But you can see from the even small portion of the Infiniti interior pic that the BM interior is more superior hands down...

how much is the Infiniti?? just to compare....

 

[KL2DC]

The ques of the BM coupe and the Infiniti are almost the same, especially form the rear.... But you can see from the even small portion of the Infiniti interior pic that the BM interior is more superior hands down...

how much is the Infiniti?? just to compare....

I think what you are refering to is the classic coupe proportions that both cars exhibit. Stylingwise, I find it quite hard to pick over the two. Undoubtedly, the Infinite G35 nee Skyline GT350 coupe is one pretty car. The styling is just about perfect and I have drooled over that car for quite some time.

...but, and as you had pointed out, when I was shopping cars, the interior of the G Coupe is really quite disappointing. Both from certain styling aspects (script of speedometer, orange lighting...) to materials quality. Nissan had recently been on an interior cheapening campaign. They make such pretty and wonderful cars but skimp on interior quality which to me never made sense as you spend all your time inside the car. Let's hope the MY2008 G coupe fares better.

Regarding pricepoint, base MSRP for the G coupe is about $33,500, and with popular options, averages 35-38k. Its relatively good value. In comparison, I expect a popularly-equipped 335 coupe (e.g. sport package, premium package, steptronic, metallic paint, navi) to be about 45-48k. So there is an almost 10k price differential vis-a-vis.

 

[adliz]

nice report! so, u reckon it can really take on the e46 s54? i read that it'd be close if not as fast..

 

[KL2DC]

nice report! so, u reckon it can really take on the e46 s54? i read that it'd be close if not as fast..

Based on limited seat time, the e46 M3 feels more intense (both in power delivery and driving experience) than the e92. I expect the e46 M3 to still have an edge over the e92 but with unequal driving skill, the table can be quickly turned, particularly so if the 335i is equipped with a 6MT.

 

[KL2DC]

Vishnu engineering out of California has started to do some tinkering. In their preliminary look under the hood they found:

1) The car doesn't have a MAF sensor. Instead it calculates load from 2 MAP sensors. One a few inches upstream of the throttle body and one in the intake manifold. The former actually being a T-MAP sensor (a MAP sensor which incorporates a temp sensor in one sensor body). Pretty neat stuff. I've read about this but have yet to see it any car first-hand.

2) Fuel rail pressure varies as a function of engine load. It can go as low as a few hundred psi to as high as 3000psi!

3) The crank trigger is still a 60-2 toothed wheel. They did not change over to the asymetric trigger configuration that is becoming popular lately for their multiple reference points (a plus when it comes to misfire diagnostics.)

With minor timing, fuel and boost tweaks and regular grade gas they found:

"The gains were greatest at higher engine speeds. At 7000rpm, it picked up nearly 70whp with richer-than-stock A/F ratio. Peak WHP increased from 278 to 310whp at 6000rpm. Torque from 288lb-ft to 311lb-ft."

 

[Zoggee]

Vishnu engineering out of California has started to do some tinkering. In their preliminary look under the hood they found:

1) The car doesn't have a MAF sensor. Instead it calculates load from 2 MAP sensors. One a few inches upstream of the throttle body and one in the intake manifold. The former actually being a T-MAP sensor (a MAP sensor which incorporates a temp sensor in one sensor body). Pretty neat stuff. I've read about this but have yet to see it any car first-hand.



With minor timing, fuel and boost tweaks and regular grade gas they found:

"The gains were greatest at higher engine speeds. At 7000rpm, it picked up nearly 70whp with richer-than-stock A/F ratio. Peak WHP increased from 278 to 310whp at 6000rpm. Torque from 288lb-ft to 311lb-ft."

I wonder why only now BMWs comes up with map sensors??btw, nice write up.

 

[KL2DC]

nice report! so, u reckon it can really take on the e46 s54? i read that it'd be close if not as fast..

Response Pt II

From SportAuto magazine... (335i supertest):

Laptime Nordschleife 8.26 min (4 seconds slower than M3)

Laptime Hockenheim 1.17,8 min (0,8 seconds faster than C55 and 1.5 seconds slower than M3)

0-100km/h 5.6 sec
0-200km/h 20,7 sec

36m slalom: 130km/h (M3 123km/h, C55 122km/h)

110m change lane: 136km/h (M6 137km/h, M3 136km/h, C55 134km/h)

Wet track: 1.36,8 min (M5 E60 1.36, 7min)

Acceleration 335i:
80-120km/h 4/5/6 gear: 5.5 s /6.5s / 7.9s
80-160km/h 4/5/6 gear: 11.4s/13,7s/16.7s
80-180km/h 4/5/6 gear: 14,8s/17,8S/ ---

M3
80-120km/h 4/5/6 gear: 5,2 s / 6,6 s / 9,5 s
80-160km/h 4/5/6 gear: 10,9 s / 13,9 s / 18,9 s
80-180km/h 4/5/6 gear: 14,1 s / 17,4 s / 25 s

C55
80-120km/h 4/5/6 gear: 6,3 s / 7,9 s / --- s
80-160km/h 4/5/6 gear: 12,8 s / 15,9 s / --- s
80-180km/h 4/5/6 gear: 16,3 s / 20,2 s / - s

"The 335i is a true dream car, nothing else, the quickest coupe without the "M" in its name."

Note: The test car was shod with 17"wheels and Bridgeston RFTs and not the optional 18" and 19" wheels, so figures could be better.

 

[omegaoracle]

Impressive, and for such a small price to pay stateside...
and as usual, nicely articulated post..
thanks for the quality write up bro

 

[Victor320]

Thanks a lot for the write-up, and the video was great! First in car video of the E92 that I've seen, and how lucky am I that it's a hot lap The car does seem very fast... now let's just hope a young guy like me will be able to obtain a test drive easily

Hey shragon, I didn't expect you to see you here! (I'm on BFC)

 

[Ade]

I think I'm gonna visit a nearest BMW dealer in Cali....hopefully the e92s are there

 

[KL2DC]

I think I'm gonna visit a nearest BMW dealer in Cali....hopefully the e92s are there

They're on the lots...mosey on over for a test drive. Don't blame me if you end up placing an order for one I darn nearly did!....

Btw the E90 335i's are rolling off the factory. We should see the first shipment in the US, soon enough. Giving myself 2 years....LOL

 

[adliz]

wud it be available in sedan form? how much do u reckon the coupe wud be? 500k? 550k?

 

[chubby]

kl2dc...brilliant write up mate..u writing for a car magazine or something and sweet ride u've got there bro

adliz...haa...orderr e92....dont waste time bro

 

[KL2DC]

wud it be available in sedan form? how much do u reckon the coupe wud be? 500k? 550k?

Yep, as mentioned...the E90 335i's are starting to roll off the assembly line. In the US, the 335i replaces the 330i and the 328i replaces the 325i. They both get an updated and faster-shifting Steptronic options as well as upgraded knobs. Prices went up about $2,200 across the board. And yes, the E90 335i will get the paddle shifter option as well....

I believe the E91 335i's are also starting to roll off the line....

 

[chubby]

kl2dc...mann u guys are soo lucky there...we'd be drooling just to get to see the car let alone sit and drive one

 

[KL2DC]

Chubby: Thanks for the kind words, but it is not deserved, I didn't spend any time on the write-up, was just keen to post pics.

I love these ride and drive events. What's not to like? They feed you, they kiss your ass all day, they give you free stuff and you get to drive the wheels off their car...all for free LOL This is what those auto journalists' lives must be like....

I will be attending a Lexus event in a few weeks. Looking forward to it, they are showcasing the new LS460. Of course they will have competing marques like MB, BMW and such. It's a whole day of fun. Watch out for a full length report to come...

 

[YellowMellow]

Good job KL2DC...