Naturally Aspirated or Turbo

[Mark M]

'08 135 - 8000 miles. No issues to speak of. Amazing car!!!

[cagekicker]

You Can't Compare. The 135 Of Course!

[frimmelnojerz]

Originally Posted by raceman

Depending on target, but N52 can be very nicely tuned to around 300HP, although with N54 is simplier and shorter way to get let say 370-400 HP.
With deeper tuning N52 can reach 400 HP without turbo what would be my personal preference over 400 HP with N54.
Anything over that requires lot of knowledge and work, so might be not the best choice.
So far I'm working on N52 with 300-310 HP target without touching engine itself, result will be reported shortly.

l
o
l.
let me know when you get to that lofty ass goal of 400 HP on your 128. I'll print this post out and eat the paper it was written on.

[frimmelnojerz]

Originally Posted by Yuzi

I've driven both 128i/135i/328i. I will say 128i fits right in the middle. 135i is a very fast car and 128i is a fast car. If you plan to drive your 1er in a daily basis then I would recommend a 128i. Believe me a NA N52 engine is more mechanically sounded than the twin turbo N54. Check out the mechanical problems 135i had on in the maintenance section of the forum and compare to the 128i, the 135i problems just dominated the whole section. I also remember reading a write up on a magazine comparing a 128i and a VW R32. The 128i is actually faster than the R32 according to their test. I've also destroyed my friend's 2003 G35 with my 128i. So speed is not a concern on this lil car at all. It's up to you man~ how much desire of HP do you have~! I might be biased because I don't go to tracking at all so there's no need for the extra money on gas/power.

Peace

the R32 is slower than molasses.

[ORIGIN M.]

Dude,,, there is not a tune in the world that will give a n52 400hp w/out Boost!

End of story!!!

Originally Posted by raceman

Depending on target, but N52 can be very nicely tuned to around 300HP, although with N54 is simplier and shorter way to get let say 370-400 HP.
With deeper tuning N52 can reach 400 HP without turbo what would be my personal preference over 400 HP with N54.
Anything over that requires lot of knowledge and work, so might be not the best choice.
So far I'm working on N52 with 300-310 HP target without touching engine itself, result will be reported shortly.

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by frimmelnojerz

the R32 is slower than molasses.

It is a overweight pig!

A huge diet would be in order.

[Yuzi]

Originally Posted by frimmelnojerz

the R32 is slower than molasses.

I agree but gotta compare the price tag too right?

[Advevo]

Atmo all the way.

turbo are laggy
turbo break down more easily
turbo goes more often in limp mode.
turbo overheats faster.

with the 128 you can drive all day on track without manny engine problems try that with a 135i. Temp is rising like crazy with the turbo cars.

[EngPhys09]

My pure and simple reason for getting a 128i is price. almost $10k difference in price for the cars I wanted.

I find it funny here how people explain that the 128i is more fun to drive. The power in the 135i is insain and amazing. Almost too much.

The other reason I got the 128i was I didn't really need 300hp everyday since I don't drive overly fast.

But well all know both are truely amazing cars and both should be treated with respect.

[SlicktopTTZ]

That's funny because I was hoping the 135i would be faster than it is. Anyways, I'm sure all the power junkies with 128s will be seeing a turbo/supercharger kit in the next 4 years anyways, perfect for cars just getting out of warranty. Either way FI FTW!

[The Cthulhu]

A turbo engine will always have shittier throttle response than an NA (and maybe supercharged) engine. If you want smooth and precise throttle control, 128i. If you want more power and faster, go 135i.

I wish my car could get the same horsepower and mileage with a naturally aspirated engine, but you can't have it all. The throttle response isn't perfect on the 135i, it blips funny and lags a little.

[blklacker]

Originally Posted by The Cthulhu

A turbo engine will always have shittier throttle response than an NA (and maybe supercharged) engine. If you want smooth and precise throttle control, 128i. If you want more power and faster, go 135i.

I wish my car could get the same horsepower and mileage with a naturally aspirated engine, but you can't have it all. The throttle response isn't perfect on the 135i, it blips funny and lags a little.

I notice zero lag.. and great throttle response maybe something is wrong with your 135i

[JimD]

If you floor the 135i from a stop, you will feel the turbos kick in pretty good around 2000 rpm. If you accelerate more gradually, you might not, I guess. The only time I drove the 135i was at the Performance Center and I floored it whenever possible. I loved the high pitched scream it made when going wide open. The guys driving the 6 series (V8) were the only ones who could keep up and they liked the sound of the turbo 6 too. I was a blast. But I like my 128i convertible more. The vert adds about the same amount to the price as the turbo motor. More chance to use the vert than the extra hp. I am looking forward to getting past the breakin so I can spin my motor up a bit more occasionally. Even keeping it down around 4500 rpm, it has enough power - but more is fun occasionally. So is the ability to go around a corner fast enough to get a little scream from some women.

Jim

[The Cthulhu]

Throttle blipping lags, the response is pretty non-linear. If you drove a NA Porsche and then a 135i, the turbo lag would be night and day. Everything reacts within about 1/4 to 1/2 a second, but blipping is even faster than that.

It definitely takes adjustment to drive a turbo car, and all turbos have some lag. I'm not knocking the 135i, it's just that a turbo car will never have as nice a throttle response as an NA car.

Just drive both and see which you prefer. You have to do some pretty ridiculous stuff to feel the turbo lag.

[frimmelnojerz]

I'm near speechless that people are even entertaining the thought of ANY n52 being superior to the n54 counterpart. You guys are flat out ridiculous.

[Mega Man]

If I didn't already have it in my head to get a turbo car before buying my current car, I would have gotten a 128.

[goffsroad]

Do I regret getting the 128...nope... If someone gave me the extra $7000 for 70 more hp, would I have gotten the 135...yep... am I sad i got the 128...hell no...

[ORIGIN M.]

I had a 328i 4 Door for a loaner car while my X3 was in the shop being serviced.

All I can say is it halls complete ass. I walked a older 530i bigtime! The guy thought he was something else, until I walked away, hitting about 130 or so, then he gave up and called it a day.

Love the sound, and it is nothing short of a smile maker.

[Wakka]

Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut

I have a 128i 4 Door for a loner car while my x3 is in the shop being serviced.

A 4 door 128i? I'd LOVE to see that, pictures please

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by Wakka

A 4 door 128i? I'd LOVE to see that, pictures please

LOL...I was clearly typing way to fast...

It is a 328i sedan, and it is a super fun car, except for the fact the non sport seats are a bit hard for my taste, but overall a great powertrain, even w/out the turbos.

[Advevo]

i had a 135i sold it after driving ///M3 E90.

Turbo lag is killing me. As long as they have not find a solution to turbo lag en get a throttle response like an atmo engine i don t want turbo ever again.

If bmw does n t make atmo anymore i buy myself a GT3.

[raceman]

Originally Posted by frimmelnojerz

I'm near speechless that people are even entertaining the thought of ANY n52 being superior to the n54 counterpart. You guys are flat out ridiculous.

Yes, N54 is much, much more powerfull stock engine.

But N52 requires a bit of smart parts swap (intake-downpipe decat-straight tube catback) plus software genius with pretty basic hardware to reach N52's full atmo potential (doing ~300hp/350Nm) what is in reality close to stock 135 (well still 135 will have slight edge in straight comparison), but overall feeling of non-turbo engine is more than great compensation for that.

Of course N54 can push much further with software manipulation, but turbo engine character and lack of reliability should be taken into account.
For 1er with lot of character I would take 125/128i + mentioned tuning over stock 135i any day of the week.