2013 135is owners discussion and photos thread!

[AGAV13]

As much as I love mine I still lust over the 1M every time I see one. It doesn't help that there are 2 in my town and several within miles. If things were different there would be one in my garage instead of the is, but at the time it wasn't feasible. I am still very happy with my purchase.

[Worra]

IEDEI, Would you mind sharing some rough figures as to what it ended up costing you to "trade up"

...for the other people in this thread that are...uh...thinking about doing the same thing..::looks around::

[Kouper]

Originally Posted by Worra

IEDEI, Would you mind sharing some rough figures as to what it ended up costing you to "trade up"

...for the other people in this thread that are...uh...thinking about doing the same thing..::looks around::

Yes, please. I resemble that remark!

[IEDEI]

ALRIGHT.

So first things first, if you remember when i first got my 135is after ordering it, it was flatbedded 4 hours later after all the coolant leaked out after a hose clamp was missing! So my 135is arrived with a bang.....and it also left with a bang because 20 miles away from where i was going to buy the 1M, i blew one of the runflat tires on a pothole! W T F. Runflat tires FTW though.....because i was able to make it to the dealer to get my 1M.



but all my flat-tire-horror was wiped away when i pulled up next to my new 1M





it's pretty remarkable how aggressive the 1M is when put side by side to the most aggressive looking 'stock' 135 which is the 135is. I always loved the way the 135is looks.....but i stood there staring at these two side by side for about 10 minutes until the dealership frisked my 135is away right from under me....to do the final trade evaluation. bye bye 135is :/

paperwork. blah blah. pay money. paperwork. coffee. restroom. paperwork. blah blah. bye bye.

I had to actually STOP DRIVING after about 20 minutes because i was too excited....i felt like a little dysfunctional child over-excited about everything. So that's when i took this photo and literally just stood there for 20 minutes staring and trying to calm my excitement......i can't get enough of it. the 1M has one of those weird things about it that sort of make it look 'unreal' as my wife puts it.....she says it looks like it doesn't really exist. I think it looks like a toy.



later on....when my mind isn't fried like it is today----i can post more of what i think it feels like compared to the 135is. For the time being, I will say that in the 3 hours i drove it today.....it felt absolutely fucking incredible. I think the 135is is a fantastic, fantastic car....and it's funny because the 1M still feels like the same car, but as if it was engineered directly by the hand of Zeus (Thor?). ha. At the same time, the handling feels entirely different...minimal to no body roll and just a very direct feeling for everything. i have no idea if that makes any sense. It feels agile. like really really agile.

Upon entering NYC, i realised just how much attention this car is going to attract. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists.....double takes, waving, thumbs ups, pointing......just bizarre to drive a 1-series that attracts supercar-levels of attention.

I arrived back in Brooklyn. Still can't believe yesterday i had a blue 135is in my garage and today i have an Orange 1M. WTF just happened?

[3002 tii]

Enjoy it in good health. We have similar commutes but I could never do it in a 1M. Not just the manual but putting the miles on her. But then again these cars were meant to be driven

So you gonna put a front plate on??!

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

Enjoy it in good health. We have similar commutes but I could never do it in a 1M. Not just the manual but putting the miles on her. But then again these cars were meant to be driven

So you gonna put a front plate on??!

yes i'm crazy. my philosophy is that my life is short and i want to drive the best thing i possibly can every day! i enjoyed every day of commuting in my 135is with the 6 speed....so much that i wanted something even more hardcore!

any suggestions for the front mount plate? need to find a non-drilled option. i was favouring using 3M double sided tape for that 'euro' look....unfortunately our plates are ugly as hell compared to euro plates!

[Kouper]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

yes i'm crazy. my philosophy is that my life is short and i want to drive the best thing i possibly can every day! i enjoyed every day of commuting in my 135is with the 6 speed....so much that i wanted something even more hardcore!

any suggestions for the front mount plate? need to find a non-drilled option. i was favouring using 3M double sided tape for that 'euro' look....unfortunately our plates are ugly as hell compared to euro plates!

IEDEI, What a beauty, congrats again!

When you trade in a leased car, do you have to pay current lease buyout price less whatever they offer you in trade, in order to get rid of it? Or do they have flexibility to do some creative things if you are trading it in on another BMW? Just wanting to understand how that works.

[PopsnBurbles]

That's one sexy ass beast you got there IEDEI! I love the color...well, everything about it! The only thing I hate is that it's not mine. Very nice and I am very happy for you that you've achieved the dream you've been pursuing. Congrats and again, very nice car. Does the 1M feel wider? Is the exhaust loud in the cabin? Now, what will you do when an M2 comes out? Regardless, enjoy your car and hope your wife is happy (and not complaining) with your purchase too.

Meanwhile, I drove my 135is through a short piece of Mulholland Blvd for the first time ever. (From Benedict Canon to Laurel Canyon.) Of course, I had all nannies on or I wouldn't be here. I felt some roll but plants itself as I give it more gas. However, at some point, it felt like the car is going to under steer. I've never driven a car that shifts its weight as quickly as this car. It was scary at first but became fun as I adapted. I was too excited to notice the rear end wobble but I probably didn't push it hard enough. The steering was amazing and direct. Overall, the car is great but I'll still feel more confident in my ex-e90 328i. That may be attributed to the power/torque difference, the wheelbase, or it could be because I've never driven my car through turns this intensely before.

Then, I met a dude in a brand new Cayman driving fast through the canyons. I had my fun following him for a good mile. On some turns, I pull him in...on others, he pulls away. Of course, on straights I had to hold back because I get too close up his rear. I'll admit, I was the less skilled driver here. No, I never went past half throttle.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

yes i'm crazy. my philosophy is that my life is short and i want to drive the best thing i possibly can every day! i enjoyed every day of commuting in my 135is with the 6 speed....so much that i wanted something even more hardcore!

any suggestions for the front mount plate? need to find a non-drilled option. i was favouring using 3M double sided tape for that 'euro' look....unfortunately our plates are ugly as hell compared to euro plates!

I actually have a US Millworks plate bracket with quick release I might be selling. Let me know if you're interested?

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by AGAV13

As much as I love mine I still lust over the 1M every time I see one. It doesn't help that there are 2 in my town and several within miles. If things were different there would be one in my garage instead of the is, but at the time it wasn't feasible. I am still very happy with my purchase.

you should be happy with your purchase! the 135is is such a great car. Honestly i loved everything about it.....i think my problem was that i have wanted a 1M for 3+ years....before the 135is even came out, so for some reason i couldn't stop thinking about the 1M. Otherwise, i would have been 100% happy with a 135is.

Originally Posted by Worra

IEDEI, Would you mind sharing some rough figures as to what it ended up costing you to "trade up"

...for the other people in this thread that are...uh...thinking about doing the same thing..::looks around::

Originally Posted by Kouper

Yes, please. I resemble that remark!

Originally Posted by Kouper

IEDEI, What a beauty, congrats again!

When you trade in a leased car, do you have to pay current lease buyout price less whatever they offer you in trade, in order to get rid of it? Or do they have flexibility to do some creative things if you are trading it in on another BMW? Just wanting to understand how that works.

OK so here's the deal. I had a 'payoff quote' on my 135is that was around $41k. By the end of the deal, basically i lost about $3.5k getting out of my lease by trading the 135is in like a used car. Was it financially stupid? YES. Do i regret doing it? NO!

The biggest problem in shopping 1Ms is the MOST of them are selling over $60k. There are some in the $50-60k range, but some are better than others. I actually found with higher miles (3XXXX miles) but in FANTASTIC condition and owned by a real enthusiast who did extra service on it and is a lifetime customer of the dealer i bought it from. I was assured over and over again that the owner of the car was a 'meticulous' person. It shows. The interior of the 1M is more meticulous than my 135is which only had 18XXX miles on it when i traded it. The car i bought was sold to me in the low $50s. Some factory warranty still left....not sure what i will do after the warranty is over or if i want to add an aftermarket warranty. Will see how it goes to 50k miles....

So bottom line, you WILL LOSE MONEY in doing this type of deal. Getting out of a lease is never financially pleasing. Leasetrader wasn't really an option for me because my lease was an expensive one with 'high mileage' allowance and most people aren't interested in that much money monthly for a discontinued car when they could get an M235i for much less now.

My wife urged me to go for the 1M even though i was losing money on it....because life is short and my time is more valuable than any money!

as for getting "creative"....let me remind you that dealers are NOT creative people! lol.....they just want your money. I was shown Manheim auction prices for 135is countless times in their attempts to reduce the value of my trade in. I am a stubborn bastard though......like a really relentless man! LOL

Originally Posted by PopsnBurbles

That's one sexy ass beast you got there IEDEI! I love the color...well, everything about it! The only thing I hate is that it's not mine. Very nice and I am very happy for you that you've achieved the dream you've been pursuing. Congrats and again, very nice car. Does the 1M feel wider? Is the exhaust loud in the cabin? Now, what will you do when an M2 comes out? Regardless, enjoy your car and hope your wife is happy (and not complaining) with your purchase too.

Meanwhile, I drove my 135is through a short piece of Mulholland Blvd for the first time ever. (From Benedict Canon to Laurel Canyon.) Of course, I had all nannies on or I wouldn't be here. I felt some roll but plants itself as I give it more gas. However, at some point, it felt like the car is going to under steer. I've never driven a car that shifts its weight as quickly as this car. It was scary at first but became fun as I adapted. I was too excited to notice the rear end wobble but I probably didn't push it hard enough. The steering was amazing and direct. Overall, the car is great but I'll still feel more confident in my ex-e90 328i. That may be attributed to the power/torque difference, the wheelbase, or it could be because I've never driven my car through turns this intensely before.

Then, I met a dude in a brand new Cayman driving fast through the canyons. I had my fun following him for a good mile. On some turns, I pull him in...on others, he pulls away. Of course, on straights I had to hold back because I get too close up his rear. I'll admit, I was the less skilled driver here. No, I never went past half throttle.

the 135is is a LOT of fun on twisties as it seems you have found out! I do agree with you about the weight transfer of it closer to the limit. It has certain characteristics which are a bit strange when you first see them...but you get used to them over time. It does want to understeer and then it wants to slip the rear.....the biggest difference with the 1M is that there is almost no body roll and going over bumps i don't feel any kind of weight shift or jumping or moving around....it feels like the whole car is doing everything together. In a straight line the 1M is faster, BUT not by much......with the M button pressed down the throttle is like a nuclear activator. I don't think i've ever driven a car with such quick throttle response as the 1M has when i have the M button pressed.

Not too many "pops and burbles" on the 1M exhaust. The 135is makes so many popping sounds i used to joke with my wife it's as if a team of 12 people are making popcorn on the back of my car. The 1M has a more 'deep' sound but almost quieter in some ways. Still satisfying though!

Either way enjoy your 135is!! it is a hell of a car and there really is nothing lacking about it!

[IEDEI]

went shopping, kids!

[CAVU]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

the 135is is a LOT of fun on twisties as it seems you have found out! I do agree with you about the weight transfer of it closer to the limit. It has certain characteristics which are a bit strange when you first see them...but you get used to them over time. It does want to understeer and then it wants to slip the rear.....the biggest difference with the 1M is that there is almost no body roll and going over bumps i don't feel any kind of weight shift or jumping or moving around....it feels like the whole car is doing everything together. In a straight line the 1M is faster, BUT not by much......with the M button pressed down the throttle is like a nuclear activator. I don't think i've ever driven a car with such quick throttle response as the 1M has when i have the M button pressed.

Not too many "pops and burbles" on the 1M exhaust. The 135is makes so many popping sounds i used to joke with my wife it's as if a team of 12 people are making popcorn on the back of my car. The 1M has a more 'deep' sound but almost quieter in some ways. Still satisfying though!

Either way enjoy your 135is!! it is a hell of a car and there really is nothing lacking about it!

Nice! Thanks for the information and comparisons. She's a beauty, enjoy it (I know you will!).

A colleague has a VO 1M he bought new, not his daily driver though, it can't have more than 10K miles on it yet. Agree with you on the exhaust, the 1M is a bit quieter, especially cold starts, but the 1M is perhaps deeper.

[3002 tii]

IEDEI - you really need to track the beast at least once. I know of smaller road courses with far less risk of damage if that's your concern. Think bigger auto-x with transitions to banked turns and straights. I'll probably take the 135is there 3rd week of July, probably one hour from Brooklyn

[meg180]

IEDEI Congrats on the beautiful new car! You should definitely bring it to the track

[motorchimp]

Congrats IEDEI! the 1M looks fantastic! Now do some donuts.

[IEDEI]

thanks everyone much appreciated! Drove most of the day yesterday and gonna commute with it today!

I am still pretty intimidated by the 1M. It reacts pretty differently than the 135is even on the street. The way it handles bumps is different....the steering is quick so turning feels quite strange....in a good way I think! I still do think that the N54 has a bit more lag than the N55-----but with the 'M' button pressed the throttle gets hyper responsive and I can't feel the lag anymore. Weird. I will say that I really don't think there's a huge difference in the straight line speed between the 1M and the 135is. the 1M pulls a bit harder all the time and the overboost is something you can feel...otherwise they are 90-95% the same in straight line speed. My guess is those of you with DCT would easily keep up through many speeds.

in the 135is, I always got the boy racer peeps trying "race" me on the road....now they just follow me and stare....LOL. so weird. Am not used to all this attention of people staring. Orange is a big culprit here....it's hard to be discrete in an orange 1M.

3002tii:
the idea of a safer, smaller road course sounds pretty appealing. shoot me some details if you have them....how does the millworks front plate mount work? I went to their website but it is pretty confusing. Tow hook?

[3002 tii]

For anyone else who has 1M envy but wants to take it to the next level, Dinan is selling their stage 3 1M

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/4515953455.html

79k, not bad! =D

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

thanks everyone much appreciated! Drove most of the day yesterday and gonna commute with it today!

I am still pretty intimidated by the 1M. It reacts pretty differently than the 135is even on the street. The way it handles bumps is different....the steering is quick so turning feels quite strange....in a good way I think! I still do think that the N54 has a bit more lag than the N55-----but with the 'M' button pressed the throttle gets hyper responsive and I can't feel the lag anymore. Weird. I will say that I really don't think there's a huge difference in the straight line speed between the 1M and the 135is. the 1M pulls a bit harder all the time and the overboost is something you can feel...otherwise they are 90-95% the same in straight line speed. My guess is those of you with DCT would easily keep up through many speeds.

in the 135is, I always got the boy racer peeps trying "race" me on the road....now they just follow me and stare....LOL. so weird. Am not used to all this attention of people staring. Orange is a big culprit here....it's hard to be discrete in an orange 1M.

3002tii:
the idea of a safer, smaller road course sounds pretty appealing. shoot me some details if you have them....how does the millworks front plate mount work? I went to their website but it is pretty confusing. Tow hook?

Will shoot you PM re: track

Yes, runs off tow hook. I personally don't like double sided tape because 1) peeling off bumper isn't easy and 2) if someone backs into you, there's a good chance your front plate will bend/warp and scratch the bumper.

Offset look isn't ideal but this thing is so robust (at least the US Millworks version) I don't see this thing ever bending. The Quick Release hardware is just a way to quickly remove the plate say before going into a car wash (rather than using a hex key to manually remove the assembly, 10 secs vs 3 mins).

[Splinterz88]

Congrats on pulling the trigger. You will love this car. Just make sure you keep an eye on the conditiion of the tires.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

Will shoot you PM re: track

Yes, runs off tow hook. I personally don't like double sided tape because 1) peeling off bumper isn't easy and 2) if someone backs into you, there's a good chance your front plate will bend/warp and scratch the bumper.

Offset look isn't ideal but this thing is so robust (at least the US Millworks version) I don't see this thing ever bending. The Quick Release hardware is just a way to quickly remove the plate say before going into a car wash (rather than using a hex key to manually remove the assembly, 10 secs vs 3 mins).

ahhh good point about the double sided tape. people hit plates here all the time.....are the same kits compatible between the 135is and the 1M? i found their website kinda confusing.

So why are you getting rid of yours? not gonna keep a front plate anymore?

Originally Posted by Splinterz88

Congrats on pulling the trigger. You will love this car. Just make sure you keep an eye on the conditiion of the tires.

thank you man! good advice!

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

ahhh good point about the double sided tape. people hit plates here all the time.....are the same kits compatible between the 135is and the 1M? i found their website kinda confusing.

So why are you getting rid of yours? not gonna keep a front plate anymore?



thank you man! good advice!

I have a spare front plate kit off my Z4 so just using that for the 1-er. The Z rarely gets driven on street so pulled the plate off it. No clue if 1M and 135 is same, I'd give them a quick call.

[PopsnBurbles]

I took my car to Angeles Crest highway down here in SoCal with my older brother. It is such a beautiful piece of road. From the La Canada end, it starts out in a desert-ish mountain road and gradually becomes a forest filled with pines. After pine area, it's just a bunch of farms and fields past what I think is the Wightwood area. It's a 66 mile stretch of beautiful scenery with not very many cars (at the time I went there). Well, it's not quite a simple stretch...it's 66 miles of twisties. I did not mess around with the car too much. I went by the speed limit and played nice but I still had fun driving. I punched it a little on the straights and reached 80-100mph in an instant! There aren't many instances to go wild. The turns are blind, on coming traffic may come, and there may be random critters or rocks on the road. There's a tunnel on a straight road...OH THE TUNNEL! Either way, this is a very nice place to drive through whether you're the driver or the passenger it's amazing. I'll admit, the 66 miles may be too much for the passenger but it's not enough for the driver. I recommend everyone to experience it!

BTW, our cars sound GORGEOUS! This place felt like the home for my DCT. I felt no effort from my car at all going up and down...left and right. I'm sure people with 6MT would have a blast if they go a bit into the fun mode.

Warnings from me:
- It may be misty because it's on a mountain
- LOTS of blind turns...do not mess around too often
- Some turns end up sharper or wider than I expected.
- Rocks on the road LOOK OUT for them
- Pull over for the faster traffic. If you desire to pass someone (it's illegal) do it SAFELY on a straight.
- It's too beautiful for the passenger but it's too fun for the driver
- Do not tailgate or follow too closely, some drivers can get scared and unintentionally brake on you. I saw it happen!

Sorry, no pics...I initially went there for the scenery but I ended up going for the drive and ignored the pictures. I plan on doing PCH next.