Newest Member Here =)

[3002 tii]

I just picked up my 2013 135is Le Mans blue with Boston black leather & stitching. Car is loaded with Premium, Technology, M-sport, DCT, heated front seats and HK surround. Le Mans blue is really impressive (way better than it shows in pictures). And the N55 is great, I didn't even take the car past 3000 rpms and I had no problem picking up speed when merging on the freeway.

The car will be my new daily driver (replacing an 06 G35x) so I've already set up an appointment for opti coat & clearbra. I already have a heavily modified Z4 track car so the only mods on this car will be Performance carbon fiber trunk lip, splash guards (yes they don't look great but I think LMB is dark enough to pull off and it'll protect the paint), hardwire V1, and tow hook plate. The car is perfect as-is, don't see the need for any other changes. The one thing that threw me off however were the pedals. The dead pedal has the aluminum cover but gas and brake do not. I thought those were included in the "is" package.

First impressions (after 20 miles)...

1) The run flats aren't as bad as I remember and this was coming home on I-95 crossing the GWB into NJ.

2) The exhaust sound is intoxicating. I can see how some think the drone might get tiresome over time but I don't mind it at all

3) NO lag which is a pleasant surprise! When I test drove my friend's 135is DCT few weeks ago, I was shocked at the throttle response lag, especially when trying to merge onto a highway. That car was an early build so not sure if there's been a software update but there is no lag whatsoever. Press gas, car moves.

4) The "I-drive" or whatever this last iteration is called is more intuitive but still not great. I'll have to play around with it some more

5) Car is perfect size for a modern day sport coupe. The back seats are still usable, overall visibility is good and the seats provide good lumbar support (my factory M-sport seats on the Z4 were terrible in that regard).

6) Brakes are very smooth and linear. On the 335i I drove couple years ago, I was surprised how sensitive the brakes were. The slightest touch would grab hard. On the Z, it was the opposite. You would really have to apply pressure to get the initial deceleration. This is right in the middle, very linear and smooth, not overly touchy/sensitive.

7) HK surround is worth it. I honestly didn't think the base audio was bad but I played a couple tracks over Bluetooth from my iPhone, anything from Nora Jones to Lil Wayne and it sounded better than my direct iPod hookup on my Z4 which has the Carver THX system (the equivalent of the top audio package at the time).


Out with the old




In with the ONE




and the track car




Factory exhaust note

PPK installed at VDC

[meg180]

Congrats on the 135is. Great to have another one in the area!

[Andrewcoja]

Congrats, I wish I could have that car. I love that color. I'll just have to wait until I can afford an M235i. As for turbo lag, are you sure it was turbo lag? It could have just been the lag of throttle and the transmission from being in normal drive mode. I had the same problem with my 328i. I'd see a gap in the free way and try to get around, hit the gas and nothing happens because the dumb AT takes a second or two to figure out that more throttle means "go faster." I have the same problem in regular drive mode for my 135.

Since I was used to my 328, I usually keep my car in sport or manual mode, look for the gap, shift down a couple times and when it's there I hit the gas and I'm instantly on my way. Even without the turbos, the N55 should still have enough get up and go to do what you need.

[PopsnBurbles]

Congrats on the car. Hope you'll enjoy it! Our cars look exactly alike from the outside. On the inside, your car's fancy with the tech and HK. Watch out, if you take it with sport button on + sport/manual mode, you might end up going past 4.5k rpm.

[roadcarver]

What psi are you going to run in your tires? I noticed the door jam states 36psi for the fronts and 39 in the rears which seems kind of high. The dealer had them at 30psi which is too low. I filled them to the specs on the door jam of 36 and 39 psi. The car felt a little rougher over the bumps but seemed to handle a little better but that could be just due to the tires breaking in. As I stated in the other thread, great car you got there

[AKopp]

Nice upgrade! Congrats and welcome.

[turbowolfe]

Beautiful car/color!

Also, nice z4!

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by meg180

Congrats on the 135is. Great to have another one in the area!

Thanks bud!

Originally Posted by Andrewcoja

Congrats, I wish I could have that car. I love that color. I'll just have to wait until I can afford an M235i. As for turbo lag, are you sure it was turbo lag? It could have just been the lag of throttle and the transmission from being in normal drive mode. I had the same problem with my 328i. I'd see a gap in the free way and try to get around, hit the gas and nothing happens because the dumb AT takes a second or two to figure out that more throttle means "go faster." I have the same problem in regular drive mode for my 135.

Since I was used to my 328, I usually keep my car in sport or manual mode, look for the gap, shift down a couple times and when it's there I hit the gas and I'm instantly on my way. Even without the turbos, the N55 should still have enough get up and go to do what you need.

Yea don't think it was turbo lag but there was some kind of delayed response in that 135is I drove. But luckily this one doesn't exhibit any of that.

Originally Posted by 328pride

Congrats on the car. Hope you'll enjoy it! Our cars look exactly alike from the outside. On the inside, your car's fancy with the tech and HK. Watch out, if you take it with sport button on + sport/manual mode, you might end up going past 4.5k rpm.

Good to know, don't plan on pressing that button till I pass 1200 miles but appreciate the heads up

Originally Posted by roadcarver

What psi are you going to run in your tires? I noticed the door jam states 36psi for the fronts and 39 in the rears which seems kind of high. The dealer had them at 30psi which is too low. I filled them to the specs on the door jam of 36 and 39 psi. The car felt a little rougher over the bumps but seemed to handle a little better but that could be just due to the tires breaking in. As I stated in the other thread, great car you got there

Haven't messed with pressures yet but I'm assuming they filled to whatever the door jamb says

Originally Posted by AKopp

Nice upgrade! Congrats and welcome.

Originally Posted by turbowolfe

Beautiful car/color!

Also, nice z4!

Thank you!

[IEDEI]

the NYC/NJ collective is picking up steam!

we gotta have a GTG sometime in the autumn! Hopefully after mid-October as my schedule is really bad until then.

congratulations again! Very exciting! I am dreaming of the day i can hear that exhaust through my daily commute!

you got the black/blue stitched leather too right?

the aluminium pedals are only on the 6 speed manual cars!

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

the NYC/NJ collective is picking up steam!

we gotta have a GTG sometime in the autumn! Hopefully after mid-October as my schedule is really bad until then.

congratulations again! Very exciting! I am dreaming of the day i can hear that exhaust through my daily commute!

you got the black/blue stitched leather too right?

the aluminium pedals are only on the 6 speed manual cars!

Yea got the stitching. Shame on the pedals, oh well

Video uploaded for exhaust...

[Bama335]

Beautiful car!! Took them long enough to get it to you but the wait is finally over

[lastMleft]

Love the blue, congrats

[BatteryPowered]

Congrats on the new daily driver.

Surprised that run flats did not bother you going over GWB. I picked up the car in NJ and on the way home had 2 "pothole explosions" going over amazing NY roads. Run flats were gone the 1st week and the ride is much improved.

I was expecting N55 to have an instant response to gas, but it's not the case on my car. If I drive in regular drive mode and see a gap on highway I most likely will not make it there, because there's a delayed reaction to gas input.

Sport button completely transformers the car and all "lag" goes away. Almost feels like big American V8 engine. With that said, Sport button will not make you go over 4K RPM, it just makes car a lot more responsive. If you move shifter to left (sport position) it forces the shifts to happen much later and in general to hold the RPMs abnormally high.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by BatteryPowered

Congrats on the new daily driver.

Surprised that run flats did not bother you going over GWB. I picked up the car in NJ and on the way home had 2 "pothole explosions" going over amazing NY roads. Run flats were gone the 1st week and the ride is much improved.

I was expecting N55 to have an instant response to gas, but it's not the case on my car. If I drive in regular drive mode and see a gap on highway I most likely will not make it there, because there's a delayed reaction to gas input.

Sport button completely transformers the car and all "lag" goes away. Almost feels like big American V8 engine. With that said, Sport button will not make you go over 4K RPM, it just makes car a lot more responsive. If you move shifter to left (sport position) it forces the shifts to happen much later and in general to hold the RPMs abnormally high.

Your experience with the lag is what I felt during my test drive and again that car was an early build but my 7/2013 production didn't feel that way at all, weird...

[afisherunc]

Originally Posted by 3002 Tii

Yea don't think it was turbo lag but there was some kind of delayed response in that 135is I drove. But luckily this one doesn't exhibit any of that.

I expect I have the same lag problem you do, only on my 135i. That is the one thing I do not like about my car. My fiancee has a Hyundai Genesis Coupe and immediately when you touch the throttle it starts moving. The 135 takes a second to decide to go. Even in sport mode this happens, the only difference being when it goes, it jerks you forward. My fiancee won't even let me drive with sport mode on while she is in the car because any time after we come to a red light/stop sign I put my foot on the gas, it lags, so I push a little more thinking "let's go" and it jerks forward. Annoying. Glad yours is fixed! I have read the PPK resolves this issue, so maybe that is why it is absent in your 135is.

[No Style 135is]

Congrats! Love the color !

[BMW86]

Congrats! Nice Z4 too.

[golf_234]

Niice

[mb135is]

Just saw this intro thread. Welcome again! Nj/ny 135is people - October 5 for a get together?

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by mb135is

Just saw this intro thread. Welcome again! Nj/ny 135is people - October 5 for a get together?

Sorry man, I'll be at NJMP Thunder with PCA that weekend. How about weekend before?

[mb135is]

could do Saturday of that weekend.

[TheSt|G]

Don't get the OE splash guards, they rub the paint below them with trapped grit.