Anyone else falling OUT of love with their 1er?

[ridin135]

Originally Posted by Dak Tirque

or that I would like the car less for daily driving due to the fact that it would be even faster? (as above arguments state).

This is what I am trying to get across. Unless you are really a wreckless driver the power is way to much for the street.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by ridin135

This is what I am trying to get across. Unless you are really a wreckless driver the power is way to much for the street.

More power than you really need, maybe. But too much power? Sorry, but I don't understand what that means. The 80hp I added makes my car more capable of avoiding hazards, not less capable.

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by GaryS

My last car was an RX-8 - much slower than a 135i, especially at low to medium RPMs, but it revs to 9000. Of course that kind of engine is a blast in some ways, having to shift so much, but definitely not in the slam you back in your seat way.

My 135i's stock suspension was a bigger problem. After driving the RX-8 for 5 years, I was bored to tears by my 135i's grandmotherly handling. But many dollars in suspension mods later, I fucking love this car and can't imagine that another car out there could make me as happy.

Possibly one with DCT?

What is your suspension/tire/wheel setup?

[MarkR171]

Originally Posted by Dak Tirque

Well, having driven a 1995 Celica with a four-banger for the last 10 years, and now driving the 1er for the last two weeks, I can respectively disagree!

Not saying I share the same sentiment. I went from an SLK280 to a 135i. The 135 has nearly 100 more hp and torque and my god do I love it.

There are some roads I've driven where I could really push the SLK hard, but with the 135i, I have to hold back because the car is just too fast without pushing nearly as hard.

So, in some cases, it is more "fun" to drive a slower car hard through certain winding roads, but over all, I love my 135.

[1013mm]

cant wait to get in my car every morning

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by JB135MDCT

Possibly one with DCT?

What is your suspension/tire/wheel setup?

My car has BMW PS springs, Koni FSD shocks, Dinan rear shock mounts, M3 front control arms and front swaybar, and Michelin PS2s on stock 264 sport wheels.

I will definitely try DCT before I buy my next car. If it really can shift better than I can, I probably will want it.

[MarkR171]

Originally Posted by GaryS

I will definitely try DCT before I buy my next car. If it really can shift better than I can, I probably will want it.

No human being can possibly shift better than a DCT in manual mode + sport button. You click the paddle and you're in gear. No pause in power delivery, nothing. Just continuous power going up the gears and instant, perfectly rev matched downshifts.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by MarkR171

No human being can possibly shift better than a DCT in manual mode + sport button. You click the paddle and you're in gear. No pause in power delivery, nothing. Just continuous power going up the gears and instant, perfectly rev matched downshifts.

Provided you don't want to downshift more than one gear at a time, a fundamental weakness of every dual clutch setup.

[MarkR171]

Not necessarily. It will take longer than the .000001 second of a normal shift, but if you click down multiple gears it will downshift to that gear very quickly anyway.

[Dak Tirque]

Originally Posted by ridin135

This is what I am trying to get across. Unless you are really a wreckless driver the power is way to much for the street.

Originally Posted by MarkR171

There are some roads I've driven where I could really push the SLK hard, but with the 135i, I have to hold back because the car is just too fast without pushing nearly as hard.

So, in some cases, it is more "fun" to drive a slower car hard through certain winding roads, but over all, I love my 135.

What I don't understand is....Why did you all buy TURBO cars if you felt this way? Now, I understand the enjoyment of WOT taking the twisties with no fear of losing it, but why do you need to be WOT to have fun driving? Isn't it nice to know that the power is there if you need it? Is it not fun to test the g's without being pedal to the metal?

I also have the pleasure of being able to drive a '99 nsx regularly. That car and the 135i are close in terms of straight line performance (nsx has about 30 Hp less, but way lighter). Nothing I've ever driven gives me the thrill of taking curvy roads on with, shall we say, enthusiasm....but I hardly ever take the turns with WOT. It's completely stable and on rails with near perfect weight distribution. NO WAY IN HELL would I rather have a "slower car" so I could put the hammer down and feel "safer".

It's not a question of power..it's a question of design, suspension and the driver.

That being said...I can only see falling out of love with this car if all the notorious bugs that many here seem to be complaining about (rattles, hpfp..etc) come looking to bite me as well....fingers crossed!

[GaryS]

I should have kept quiet about DCT.

Let's not hijack this thread since there are so many on MT vs DCT already.

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Provided you don't want to downshift more than one gear at a time, a fundamental weakness of every dual clutch setup.

That would be incorrect.

Ok, Sorry I mentioned DCT, back to handling.

[Yogijet]

Originally Posted by BMW86

I love my 135i

Just got it but me too!

[ridin135]

Originally Posted by Dak Tirque

What I don't understand is....Why did you all buy TURBO cars if you felt this way? Now, I understand the enjoyment of WOT taking the twisties with no fear of losing it, but why do you need to be WOT to have fun driving? Isn't it nice to know that the power is there if you need it? Is it not fun to test the g's without being pedal to the metal?

I also have the pleasure of being able to drive a '99 nsx regularly. That car and the 135i are close in terms of straight line performance (nsx has about 30 Hp less, but way lighter). Nothing I've ever driven gives me the thrill of taking curvy roads on with, shall we say, enthusiasm....but I hardly ever take the turns with WOT. It's completely stable and on rails with near perfect weight distribution. NO WAY IN HELL would I rather have a "slower car" so I could put the hammer down and feel "safer".

It's not a question of power..it's a question of design, suspension and the driver.

That being said...I can only see falling out of love with this car if all the notorious bugs that many here seem to be complaining about (rattles, hpfp..etc) come looking to bite me as well....fingers crossed!

A fully modded 135i and a stock 135i are totally different worlds and its not about wide open throttle half throttle rockets you past the speed limit to.
The car is just to quick to have fun with unless you dont want your license any more. I guess it is just hard to explaine until you drive around in it long enough.

[Yogijet]

Originally Posted by RPM90

I've had none of the problems you describe.
Other than the HPFP, and some squeaks which many seem to have, there is no reason to have to defend my 2nd BMW and 4th German/Europen "cachet" automobile. Japanese luxury? That would by some Lexus models, other than that they aren't any better at luxury.

BTW, the 1 and the 3 aren't really "luxury" cars, and the 1 surely isn't and wasn't intended to be. Higher price tag doesn't a luxury car make.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[Dak Tirque]

Originally Posted by ridin135

A fully modded 135i and a stock 135i are totally different worlds and its not about wide open throttle half throttle rockets you past the speed limit to.
The car is just to quick to have fun with unless you dont want your license any more. I guess it is just hard to explaine until you drive around in it long enough.

I understand that modded cars are different beasts than stock
Your post doesn't shed light on why you bought a turbo if you are afraid of the speeds it can attain. I don't need to drive a 135i for extended periods of time to understand how it's NOT fun to drive because it's too quick... that will never happen with ANY performance car I buy or drive.
No offense... I don't understand your logic...

Sorry OP...don't mean to threadjack....

[MarkR171]

So I drove my SLK today, haven't driven it in 12 days since picking up my 135i. God, it's hard to imagine I actually liked that car.

The seats felt hard, the roof squeaked and rattled, the transmission (auto) was sluggish, and the steering wheel was wide (diameter) and very thin. There was also no feel in the steering. Besides all that, it felt like it had no power. The 135 has spoiled me and I retract any statement I made about the SLK being more fun because I can drive it harder.

[Yogijet]

Originally Posted by TMR013

That's only becuase you can't hear them over the scream of the engine, and all the other noise that comes through.
Said with nothing but love for the car.

YEAH!! I love the S2000 too but it's not a 135i.

[Yogijet]

Originally Posted by RPM90

Hell yeah.
Our 135i is about as fast, and almost handles as well as the E46 M3, but the 135i has a MUCH better daily ride.
I've driven a number of E46 M3's and all really require a dedication to accepting a suspension that CRASHES over everything except a smooth road, and good luck finding those in most areas.

The 135i is a awesome automobile in terms of performance. Yes, it cost a bit more than other cars in it's genre, but it also has a higher resale value, so it's a wash. The biggest expense is the initial outlay of cash to get in it, but you do get a better return when selling it, it's all relative.

Other than the people who are having an exceptional number of problems, I just don't see how someone can get bored with it's performance even in stock form. I mean, 0-60 in under 5 seconds and the 1/4 in the 13's with trap speeds in the 100's!? These numbers were reserved for "supercars" over a decade ago. It could be my age cause I remember when 0-60 in the low 6's was amazing for a reasonably priced sporty car, and the handling and braking were no where near the level of the 135i.

Reading some of the comments on this thread makes me think why all these people who must have had Porsche turbo's, ZR1's, and Ferrari's are buying a 135i, cause your boredom has to be compared to something amazing you currently drive or had owned before you got your 135i.

My 135i is THE fastest stock car I've owned, and it IS quite fast, and for daily spirited street driving there isn't much you can throw at it that will unsettle it.

The reason it generates so much interest and commentary, positive and negative, is because it is simply special. It makes you want more, which most people interpret as boredom, and it is simply that it is tuned in such a way that it can do more, and a lot more. Ample evidence of this more-ability is to be found in the number of after-market options there are for the exhaust, the suspension, engine, and I could go on. Has its flaws but it's a special piece o' kit that in one minute of driving can coddle you making you feel like a prince on the one hand, and stick its hand down the front of your pants making you feel like a trick/john with its unmatched tantric engineering expertise (per Robert Wilson) on the other. Your choice. Just love and thank God for my baby shark, man. Just love it.

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by MarkR171

So I drove my SLK today, haven't driven it in 12 days since picking up my 135i. God, it's hard to imagine I actually liked that car.

The seats felt hard, the roof squeaked and rattled, the transmission (auto) was sluggish, and the steering wheel was wide (diameter) and very thin. There was also no feel in the steering. Besides all that, it felt like it had no power. The 135 has spoiled me and I retract any statement I made about the SLK being more fun because I can drive it harder.

You figured this out in 9 hrs? Mark, It's OK, You are one of us now, and life will only get better.

[Yogijet]

Originally Posted by whatsthebuzz

I've had mine for almost 8 days so we are still in the honeymoon period...4-5 laps around town each day, it's tiring, but fun.

I'm about 8 weeks in and it has taken a new Samsung LED TV to keep me running a full tank longer than 2 days!

[Yogijet]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

Well it happened. Today is the day that I realized how much of a bitch my car really is and how much I hate her.

I put my computer bag on the passenger seat and it was fine. I drove onto the highway and out of the blue the gong starts going off, and it wouldnt stop.

So I put the bag on the floor, but I accidently knocked the car out of sport mode. The car is such a bore to drive in D, I dont know how people do it.

lol. the manual tells u not to be stuff on the seat coz the weight mat is very sensitive. I put my less than 10lb D700 with lens set up on the passenger seat and same thing.