My New Car: '09 135i

[WORD]

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to share some pictures of my new car and introduce myself.

About a month ago, I picked up a Black Sapphire Metallic '09 135i with the M Sport package and some other good stuff, like a CF trunk lip and performance bumper, complete with some pretty trick brake ducts. This is my first non-Japanese car, and the first with more than 4 cylinders.

Previously, I had an '05 Evo VIII. I had moved up to ASP in local autox by the end of May, but noticed a blue STU-prepped 135i killing it in my previous class. I watched him go from relatively slow, to maybe within 1.5s from me in my ASP Evo. It was a joy to watch the car while corner working - shame I never got to discuss his setup.

I had been wanting a 335i for a while, as my wife was getting embarrassed taking the Evo out...frankly, I was too. It was obnoxiously loud and scraped everything. Fast as it was, there's certain tradeoffs you accept when owning a car based on a Lancer . I preferred the overall compactness of the 1 to the 3.

The N54 press impressions were all great, but I had never gotten a chance to experience it myself. So, when I got home after seeing that blue 135i, I started searching and found two with 6MT (required) within 300mi of me, both under 50k miles and around $25k: one Jet Black ('08), one BSM ('09). I drove the JB '08 and fell in love...I mean, I thought the car would be an absolute softy compared to the Evo, but it certainly has an edge. I did a quick 1-2-3, chirping tires in 2nd and 3rd without really even trying...I looked down and realized I was going way faster than I had thought. Cool. I then tossed it around some turns and wasn't disappointed there either. With a CEL on and priced at $22k though, I knew there had to be a catch. Later, I got the Carfax, which reported it was a CA buyback; apparently a really common with consistent HPFP issues during that time.

That night I drove the '09 BSM one and bought it. I preferred the all-black interior on the '08, but this Savannah Beige looks pretty classy against the BSM. At 34k mi and just under $26k, it seemed like a pretty good deal. Check the pictures below - I'll have better ones eventually.

I'm looking forward to contributing as much as possible and getting into some local events to see how it stacks up to the Evo!

The old:
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And the new:

[WORD]

A couple more, still-not-so-great shots. I removed the license plate bracket and ordered a new tow hook cover.

[b1aze]

Nice pickup with the BMWPerformance aero bumper!

[Venom]

very clean!

[Bmwbreed]

Love the perf bumper and interior combo. This is making me wanna get the performance bumper more and more

[WORD]

Thanks guys! Already looking at mods that will allow me to remain in D Stock for autox. JB4 obviously, since you can disconnect, then eventually a dedicated wheel and tire set.

[GermX-85]

[golf_234]

Love the car. At first I was picturing an all beige interior and was disappointed, but then I remembered it is two tone, and saw the photo, and love it. Imo the two tone is even sportier than the all black, and adds some contrast. The one thing i would suggest is the 1M floor mats. , honestly to all of the people on the board with 135s/128s. Gives you a nice swap out for summer, have the M embroidery, and orange stitching around the perimeter. really sets off the interior of the car, prob the best $115 I have spent I love them. Just go to getbmwparts.com and browse the 1 series specials.. don't look too long, you will probably find other things you want too haha.

[WORD]

Thanks for the floor mat suggestion. My car actually needs some new ones, so I'll definately pick up a set. Heh, yeah I already have so many plans for the car...I need to relax!

[GermX-85]

I had the same reasoning behind picking up my 135i. just watching them rip it up at the local AutoX events/track. So i had to get one. i just picked mine up this past March. and im loving it..

here my old car:



current car:

[WORD]

Great looking car, Germ. How does it compare to the Civic? Looks like it was pretty dialed in. The Evo was a great autox car, but when I realized I could have that much fun, in a much nicer package, I had to do it.

[GermX-85]

Originally Posted by WORD

Great looking car, Germ. How does it compare to the Civic? Looks like it was pretty dialed in. The Evo was a great autox car, but when I realized I could have that much fun, in a much nicer package, I had to do it.

Thanks man Its hard to compare the two because the civic was pretty much a full raced out car all i was missing was a roll cage lol. But if i had to compare i would have to say the ride comfort is a big difference. you just feel so snugged in the 135 lol. power wise my civic had the upper hand becasue is was fully built (400hp to the wheels) vs the stock 135. but after i did a few things to the 135 i was like . but one thing i do suggest you to pick up is a front sway bar for sure if you hadnt done so yet.

And like you said going to dinners or special events in lowered car and being loud as hell wasnt happening so much. Plus my civic had such a light fly wheel (8 lbs) im always revving the damn thing and im only going 5mph lol.

[WORD]

Just got back from Vegas. Sadly, no money, but my car was in for service while I was out, and look what I found when I went to pick it up this morning:

[jpsket]

Great looking cars... both the Evo and the 135i.

[cbl117]

Congrats on the new car. Where did you get your front license bracket?

[Hokie135Hi]

Originally Posted by GermX-85

I had the same reasoning behind picking up my 135i. just watching them rip it up at the local AutoX events/track. So i had to get one. i just picked mine up this past March. and im loving it..

here my old car:

Nice CR-Kai's. One of my favorite wheels ever. Had them on my RX-8. I need to get into some auto-x events around here in Virginia.

[WORD]

Originally Posted by jpsket

Great looking cars... both the Evo and the 135i.

Thanks! I miss the Evo a lot.

Originally Posted by cbl117

Congrats on the new car. Where did you get your front license bracket?

That was actually on the car when I bought it, so I can't say. It attaches to the tow hook hole, which is pretty sweet.

[Colt]

What's your mod list plan?

Nice cars

[Freon]

The 135i really is a great "tuner" car. Seems to be a popular step after STIs and EVOs. You'll have fun at the autocross, but the stock suspension really does seem to lag a bit behind input. It needs front camber as well or you will shred up your front tires quickly. It's a ton of fun once you learn to control it! It's nothing like "point and mash" in an AWD tuner car.

[WORD]

Originally Posted by Angerman

What's your mod list plan?

Nice cars

Thanks! Short term mods include JB4 (I mean, why not), 17" wheels/tires, 255 all the way around (I'm aware this will take some work), Vorshlag camber plates. The rest of the suspension is undecided. I've been told the front sway is pretty much mandatory, and that the car is underdamped, so springs alone will not fix anything.

I did an autox this last weekend and finished rather poorly. This is mostly my fault - I've never raced anything but my Evo, which allowed you to be on the throttle earlier and more often - especially in the slaloms. The 135's back end was everywhere. I cut a pretty decent three seconds off my first run, but was still, overall, unimpressed with how much the car plowed. That will be addressed. Driving RWD fast requires finesse, which I realize the Evo's AWD and three LSD's sorted out for me. I was prepared for this.

Still, the car has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, extracting it will put me back against the Evo guys I used to race against, and they're a tough crowd. I'll be frequenting the autocross/track section quite a bit to see how I can use the 1's dynamics to my advantage in STU.

As enthusiasts, we mostly evaluate our cars by performance in racing and such. However, this car is an absolute joy to drive on the street. My mod path will focus on preserving that as well.

Thanks again for the comments guys!