135i coupe and E46 330Ci side-by-side

[imported_NoelSmart]

Jesus it's a lot bigger than I thought... I'm gonna have a hard time choosing between a new 135i or a used E46 M3...

[joelk]

to me the E46 looks very very dated.

i personally like the more upright look of the 1er. notwithstanding the big cat eyes, the upright narrow look appears more uhm caffeinated. ready-to-go. the older E46 just looks tired. just my opinion of course.

[Impulse]

It looks like we will have really good vision from all angles.

[N54me]

Originally Posted by chriskurn

LOL the 135i headlights make the car look wide awake and ready to go. The e46 looks sleepy!

I totally agree here!

I definitely like the 1 over the e46. That was a really helpful set of pictures, but having a set of the e46 M3 next to the 135 is what i need to see.

Great post :roundel:

[jt328i]

Thanks for the great post.

This is exactly what I was looking for about a month ago when I started a thread asking for a side-by-side of a 1er and e46 coupe. Responses pointed me to a previous thread which I saw before, but the pictures didn't really capture what I was looking for... plus the repsonses were hostile, shit I just wanted some nice side-by-side pictues... some people!

Anyways, I digress. The thing that surprises me is how much taller it looks. I think the dimensional specs already hinted at this, but it's really apparent in these pictures, maybe it isn't quite wide enough to offset the height. That's why you have to with the 135i over the 128i, cause the aero kit also helps offset the height visually with the rocker panels. I still think the best angle of the 1er is the rear 3/4 view like in the 3rd picture... looks great! Even though the 135i starts at $42k up here in CAN, it's going to be hard to resist.

[asv]

Originally Posted by joelk

to me the E46 looks very very dated.

The E46 is essentially a 1998 design. How many 10 year old car designs still look that good?

[joelk]

Originally Posted by asv

The E46 is essentially a 1998 design. How many 10 year old car designs still look that good?

has it really been that long? yeah good point.

[darknightohio]

Originally Posted by asv

The E46 is essentially a 1998 design. How many 10 year old car designs still look that good?

Off Topic, but:
I gotta say the Silvia S15 still looks great for being about the same age:

[digitalinkartist@aol.com]

Who would have guessed, E46 guys hate it. Thread found here.

[digitalinkartist@aol.com]

Originally Posted by darknightohio

Off Topic, but:
I gotta say the Silvia S15 still looks great for being about the same age:

Umm yeah. But not quite accurate/fair cpomparo considering it's a widebody conversion complete with aftermarket front quarters, rear quarters, hood, bumper and flat black paint. I could post a number of early 90 fd rx-7's, nsx's and lexus sc models that have been brought into the 21's centrury and look incredible.

But stock 90's market 240's have extremely dated rear tails, or better yet, Pop-up headlights. (nothing screams dated better than pop-ups)

With that said, I do love the 240/Silvia platform as a tuner car.

[kobezklutch]

i think the comparison isnt very fair cuz that 3 looks like crap. compare the 1 to a zhp and its a much closer call, but imo 1 still looks better. heres the pics posted on e46fanatics:

[kfiducia]

i like the one-piece hood/grille on the 3, makes it look very fluid and the thin headlight/grille area is very sleek looking. still undecided on the 1 mirrors, they fit the design but have a weird shape. the 1 front bumper cover is much more aggressive looking. but since i havent seen the 1 in person, and i have been looking at the 330 for a while now i will have to reserve judgment on which is hotter.

im glad i don't live in a state that requires that hideous front license plate. shudder.

[jose]

I owned a e46 and it was terrific but it always felt big for a coupe, I hope that the 135 gives you a more compact feeling.

[MZWIE]

E46 coupe is still a much better looking car.

[ChrisK]

I also owned a e46 330ci and I like 135i better. Remember how everyone hated the 7 series redesign?

[Endgame]

I really love the 1er better. It has a more muscular look and stance. It really looks like an M car.

[sethchan]

I don't like the bottom edge of the headlight cluster on either car. But I think the 1 has a more coherent idea there. The increased height is also good for me, since my head hits the headliner in a lot of cars. And, overall, I prefer the more curvaceous 1 because it looks more distinctive. The E46 looks a little bland to me, though one man's bland is another man's subtle, of course.

[ChrisK]

This is the shot that did it for me. I still may get those wheels!

[ChrisK]

I have never been a big eylid fan, but check out what they do to the car...

[spudw]

^ Sorry chris, I'm not with you on that one. I like the shape it produces, but I'm afraid they would look like an add-on.

Looking at these comparisons, it really shows the effect of flame surfacing. The 3 Series is a bunch of folds and creases compared to the 1er, which a more organic shape. The 1er looks more purposeful and more capable by a long shot...

[ChrisK]

LOL I didn't mean I wanted to put on eyelids. I meant adding eyelids makes it look more like a 3 series.

[ChrisK]

I don't think the headlights will look that big once you have the angel eyes on like the picture above.