Any way to make our 135i slower?

[Seaice]

We were really looking for a 128 when we came across our 135. The plan was to give the car to our son when he turns 16 next year, but this 135 is just too fast for a teenager (and our peace of mind).

Is there any way to safely de-tune or govern it down the road?

200HP would be more than enough.

Thanks

[Fes128]

Blasphemy.

[Esteban]

A 16 year old boy can get himself in plenty of trouble with a 230 hp 128i. Just saying...

[IEDEI]

when i was 16...i drove a very old lime green 1977 Buick LeSabre which had 105hp and weighed 3600 pounds....and had a 0-60 time of 17 seconds......and i STILL got into tons of trouble.

My point is...it's not the HP that gets kids into trouble....it's the kid themselves!!

[BrokenVert]

Not to say that it will be the same for your son, but i've been driving my 135 since I was 17 (25 now). It's not an impossible car to own at a young age.

[drunkenup]

I had a 335i when I was 17. My peers were crashing cars far less powerful and quick around me but mine remains in one piece. Agreed, its so much more about the driver, less about the car.

[pepper135I]

Originally Posted by Seaice

We were really looking for a 128 when we came across our 135. The plan was to give the car to our son when he turns 16 next year, but this 135 is just too fast for a teenager (and our peace of mind).

Is there any way to safely de-tune or govern it down the road?

200HP would be more than enough.

Thanks

I have also had a 335 (lease) and 135i (purchase) since I was 17 (now 24). While your concerns are valid, then risk is relatively the same. Both cars reach speeds of access of 120 and move quickly .. That being said, "speed doesn't kill you, suddenly stopping does." It won't really matter if it's a 128 or 135 at 80mph or even 10 mph .

They do offer chip that you can plant into the car .. You set a speed of your choice and if the car ever drives past that speed it'll email/text you the gps location, time, and ect ... My buddy had it on his m3 back in 2007. He really couldn't do much but try to guess their password and de activate the chip .

[mackeroni]

This response is not going to put you at ease...

My Dad used to change cars like some guys change socks. He tended to swap or trade for something different every six months or so. This gave me the chance to cut my teeth on lots of different vehicles when I was between the ages of 16 and 20 or so. When I could get away with it, I drove every single one OCCASIONALLY like a bat outta you know where. This included everything from a 1965 36 HP VW Beetle to a 1969 300 HP Pontiac Catalina and everything in between. Looking back, I had lots of fun, several fender benders (which I always paid for out of my own pocket) and it is a miracle I never hurt anyone including myself.

My perspective is that you cannot put a normal 16 year old in a car with 300 HP without understanding that he/she will at least occasionally test the limits of acceleration and grip.

[dm874]

I feel like the original post is unintentionally offensive to 128 owners

[dsocold]

now i have seen it all


ps you could buy a cobb (irony) and flash the cobb valet map and it will give him about 170hp 4k rpm limit haha

[Dackelone]

Yes, you could have any one of the many flash tuners - give you a "low output" sw flash. I think even the JB4 has a "zero boost" setting... but your son might be smart enough to figure out around that(just by pressing down the steering wheel buttons) and then he will have 400+ hp machine! lol


Have you ever thought of sending your son to one of those HPDE's for teens. They aren't very expensive and it just might teach him to avoid hitting that tree or animal one day/night.

[RoundelM3]

...or you could just get the boy a used Honda Civic until he's ready for something with more power and handling. Find a 2-door coupe, dress it up some with wheels, maybe exhaust and so forth. Manual transmission would be good too - good way to sharpen his driving skills and make him pay attention to what he's doing behind the wheel. BMW CCA Foundation sponsors "street survival" driving events for teens to teach them actual driving skills (how to handle skids, wet roads, etc.).

[lakefront]

Originally Posted by roundel335

...or you could just get the boy a used Honda Civic until he's ready for something with more power and handling. Find a 2-door coupe, dress it up some with wheels, maybe exhaust and so forth. Manual transmission would be good too - good way to sharpen his driving skills and make him pay attention to what he's doing behind the wheel. BMW CCA Foundation sponsors "street survival" driving events for teens to teach them actual driving skills (how to handle skids, wet roads, etc.).

This.....a late model BMW is too nice a car for a teenager.

[135TX]

Originally Posted by roundel335

...or you could just get the boy a used Honda Civic until he's ready for something with more power and handling. Find a 2-door coupe, dress it up some with wheels, maybe exhaust and so forth. Manual transmission would be good too - good way to sharpen his driving skills and make him pay attention to what he's doing behind the wheel. BMW CCA Foundation sponsors "street survival" driving events for teens to teach them actual driving skills (how to handle skids, wet roads, etc.).

This is the best suggestion so far, sell the 135 and buy him a manual accord and have him take some driving lessons. Then once he graduates high school or college buy him a nicer/newer/ faster car.

[PopsnBurbles]

We all still have immature moments and some even suffer from road rage even when outside our teenage years. Personally, I've never bitten into a street race ever. I'd say I'm even getting bullied on the road. Who am I to talk? I'm still within 10 years of being a teenager AND do both things I mentioned. However, I'm no mutual wound licker.

My first car was a 230hp 328i but the first car I ever drove was a very torque-y 2005 VW Beetle 2.0. No accident that was my fault. I only scrapped the front bumper and both passenger side wheels. I then ranged driving cars from 160hp to 300hp. No accidents whatsoever not even damaging their wheels.

My point here is if shit happens...shit happens. The car's power is not the major player here...it's how the driver will handle that power at a given time. Let's not forget the driver's driving environment...If you have any other car, I'd suggest "evaluating" him first and see if he'll abuse the power.

Whether you give your kid the 135 or not, please teach him how to handle that power. I was driving much slower than normal in the rain at some mountain. Not one soul taught me anything about what to do when your car ends up sliding (all my nannies were ON). I luckily caught the slide and lived that day. That sure straightened my ass up but it did push me to try to learn the basics of sliding cars.

[zx10guy]

This reminds me of the age old argument of if a beginner can handle a liter sport bike. Yes, it's all about the driver/rider. And that's where the focus needs to be. While a car with 300 HP driven like a granny car won't be more dangerous than say a Yaris, the envelope of forgiveness is much more narrow in a 300 HP car versus that Yaris. If this driver hasn't had much experience or driver training, providing a high horsepower car will increase the risk that this driver is going to get him/herself into trouble.

There's a reason overseas countries have a graduated licensing system for motorcycles. Not sure if there is one for cars. You cannot buy a big engined motorcycle without having some road time under your belt.

[HOGGLIFE]

I would be dead if I had an M3 or 135 at 16. Straight up.

[Seaice]

Originally Posted by 135TX

This is the best suggestion so far, sell the 135 and buy him a manual accord and have him take some driving lessons. Then once he graduates high school or college buy him a nicer/newer/ faster car.

Actually, that was exactly what I intended... We had been looking at Fiat and Alfa spiders (of which I've had a few) as a project car for the next year. I wanted him to have a manual to avoid as much as possible, his texting and driving, and to show him that 100hp in a little car is more than fun enough.

However, in the middle of this, we came across the 135, my wife liked it (actually she said "I'll drive that") and after 30 years of marriage, you know I had to buy it. Of course I wanted it too.

[Seaice]

Originally Posted by pepper135I

I have also had a 335 (lease) and 135i (purchase) since I was 17 (now 24). While your concerns are valid, then risk is relatively the same. Both cars reach speeds of access of 120 and move quickly .. That being said, "speed doesn't kill you, suddenly stopping does." It won't really matter if it's a 128 or 135 at 80mph or even 10 mph .

They do offer chip that you can plant into the car .. You set a speed of your choice and if the car ever drives past that speed it'll email/text you the gps location, time, and ect ... My buddy had it on his m3 back in 2007. He really couldn't do much but try to guess their password and de activate the chip .

Thanks, this is what I was thinking, even better would be rev-limiting and/or a governor to limit top speed.

[dcaron9999]

Depending on Model Year of your 135i, a Cobb Access port has a "valet" mode OTS map, and PTF can build you a custom tune to do impose the behavior you desire on your N54/N55 turbo-six. Just hide the Cobb AP3 device from your son ... LOL

BMS JB4 has this as well, but easy to change map from the driver's seat.

[3liter1]

Trade it in. Not sure what year your 135 is, but I bought a nice 2009 128i last year for 14.5k from a BMW dealer. Still had a year or so of CPO left.

[zx10guy]

I'd hold on to the car and just buy an old beater for $3k. You're probably going to pay that much in insurance anyways putting your kid on the 135i as a primary driver.