[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by SteVTEC

it's the concept model, not the real thing.

yeah. in the real car it'd be further away

[ward]

Originally Posted by BMWE90

yeah. in the real car it'd be further away

like on the hood!

[Jay_328]

I think the (concept) G35 looks better and I can live with the interior. But in the end the BMW will win out. It definately is all about the drive! And they've had me since the 90's.

I'm still waiting for that WOW factor from the new BMW coupe. Sadly it's hasn't happened yet.

[BMW320i]

4 me, i would take the 328, as we say in arabic (with my eyes blinded)

G35 is still a Nissan, and there's a difference between driving a Nissan and a BMW.

saftey, design, quality, engineering, etc...

im not saying japanese cars r poor in these things, but the germans r obviously ahead!!

its not all about power or look, if u go deeper, ull find the soul of the car...
.
.
.
.
.
racers section:
if the G35 was a choice bcuz of its powe, dont take it, when u loose a race, ppl will say u lost in ur sport car.
if u loose in the 328, it can b understood that u took the car not just 4 its sportiness...

THAT IS IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, AND HOW I SEE IT...

[BMW F22]

to be honest, the E92 doesnt give me that wow factor. But I know it's gonna grow on me just as the E90 did. As for the G35, it's a really good looking car. I dont know what the new one will look like yet so...Sometimes I wish that I've gotten the G35 instead but the ride and handling on that thing isnt near the E90's. So looks-wise, G35; overall-wise- BMW.

[SteVTEC]

Originally Posted by ward

if the torque peak is at 4800 RPM the curve is anything but nice and flat


the high torque peak is why the nissan motors feel weaker than BMW motors, even if they're not

right

stock G35 6MT dyno, overlayed along with a stock 2002 Maxima 6MT, both different versions of the Nissan 3.5L V6. The G35 torque curve is the yellow curve.



Extremely flat torque curve, about 228 wtq stock (268-270 lb-ft at the crank), with 96% of that available at 2500 rpm, which is as low as the dyno goes. It doesn't get much flatter than that. If you want to talk about engines that don't feel very powerful despite high horsepower ratings I can talk to you all day long about Honduh engines. If they had wanted to, Nissan could have just ignored the little resonance hump at 4800 rpm and rated the engine for 260 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm instead.

There are engines out there that state peak torque is at 5000 rpm yet still have nice flat curves and great low-end torque. And then there are engines out there that despite having peak torque at a nice and low 3200rpm, it falls straight off a cliff below that and people complain about lack of low-end. You simply cannot judge the powerband of an engine based on where peak torque and peak horsepower occur. It can give you an idea, but the dyno shows the true story.

[visor]

Holy smokes!

Looking at the graph above, there's about 18% driveline losses on the G35 6MT!

[SteVTEC]

2003 G35 sedan = 260hp/260tq. That's way LESS 18%


It's also way more than any stock M54 dyno I've ever seen (my buddy's dynoed at 200rwhp/200rwtq stock), and this is why the N54 TT is coming out. So you guys can thank Nissan for the 335i.

[ward]

Thanks for the dyno chart Stevetec! I guess it is flat


not sure why when I've test driven 350Z, G35, FX35 all the cars don't feel powerful down low in the RPM band to me, maybe it's gearing but to me the nissan cars feel slower and the BMW's feel like they have more torque (even though they don't)....

I don't know, just my butt dyno (which we all know is inaccurate) but those nissans feel like they lack torque to me (maybe I've been driving BMW's exclusively for too long)

[sleepermax]

I had a 2003 MT Maxima previous to my current MT 330i SP. I did miss the torque down low on the Max at first. It definitely IS "torquier"/more powerful at lower RPM's - without a doubt. But the Beemer is MUCH smoother and can rev up much more comfortably and predictably. The electronic throttle on the Max doesn't begin to compare with the linear precision of the 330's throttle. The handling, high speed stability, shifting/clutch action, and enjoyment factor are all exponentially better on the 330i, as is to be expected - Max was $21.5K new, Beemer $38K+.

One KEY to keep in mind which I think is downplayed, and SteV feel free to chime in here, is the impact on straightline performance of the heavy 18" wheels and runflats on the 330 with SP. They are VERY heavy at almost 60lbs unsprung weight per corner (one pound unsprung weight = approx 8 pounds "sprung weight" from an acceleration perspective)! My Max had the stock 17" wheels and when I changed just the tires to some that were 3-4lbs lighter I could actually feel a performance difference. So, for example, by going down to lighter wheels and tires, losing say 10lbs per corner, you would in effect be removing over 300lb's dead weigh from your vehicle. That has a HUGE impact on acceleration.

[charowls]

Originally Posted by ward

Thanks for the dyno chart Stevetec! I guess it is flat


not sure why when I've test driven 350Z, G35, FX35 all the cars don't feel powerful down low in the RPM band to me, maybe it's gearing but to me the nissan cars feel slower and the BMW's feel like they have more torque (even though they don't)....

I don't know, just my butt dyno (which we all know is inaccurate) but those nissans feel like they lack torque to me (maybe I've been driving BMW's exclusively for too long)

I couldn't help myself, sorry, but you couldn't feel the low end torque difference between your 330 and the 350z? I've driven the 350z and the only noticeable thing was how hard it pulled from the line. Also, for those talking about track performance, I know we love BMW's and all and they may be a bit faster around the track, but "far superior" is daydreaming.

I liked how one poster decided to put it. To paraphrase: "drive both, if there's no difference, buy the cheaper one"

[e90fan1234]

Originally Posted by sunchild

the interior is ugly... looks like space trek ... good God

What's space trek?

[BIMMERVIBE]

Originally Posted by e90fan1234

What's space trek?

lol i think he meant star trek


but id get a g35, especially if its the next generation g35 over the 328.

335i vs g35 would be a tough decision, ill wait till i see both cars before i make final judgment. Besides we havent even seen the e92 in person yet.

[Agni]

I dont know about the coupe, but the Sedan looks really nice! lots of bang for the buck. ~40k and its high tech and 310hp.

From what i read Nissan is going to great lengths to make this an amazing car, incl heavy concentration on the exhuast sound and driving dynamics.

I think the sedan is pretty nice looking,



As nice as it looks, i think i would still take the 328i. One big drawback is that the auto trans is 5spd!

[ward]

Originally Posted by charowls

I couldn't help myself, sorry, but you couldn't feel the low end torque difference between your 330 and the 350z? I've driven the 350z and the only noticeable thing was how hard it pulled from the line. Also, for those talking about track performance, I know we love BMW's and all and they may be a bit faster around the track, but "far superior" is daydreaming.

I liked how one poster decided to put it. To paraphrase: "drive both, if there's no difference, buy the cheaper one"

back when I test drove the 350Z I was still driving a E30 325e (eta motor)
When I test drove the G35 and FX35 I was driving an E36 M3

even when I was in a clearly slower car (E30), there's just something about that motors power delivery that I personally don't like. Probably just a personal preference thing, but I don't like the way that nissan motor puts down power.

[BMW320i]

Originally Posted by Agni

I dont know about the coupe, but the Sedan looks really nice! lots of bang for the buck. ~40k and its high tech and 310hp.

From what i read Nissan is going to great lengths to make this an amazing car, incl heavy concentration on the exhuast sound and driving dynamics.

I think the sedan is pretty nice looking,



As nice as it looks, i think i would still take the 328i. One big drawback is that the auto trans is 5spd!

i would say it again, that that IDrive-look a like looks far from the driver's hand, sometimes i feel that Japanese designers never really sit in the car and drive it, they just think its beautiful n put it into production

[MIKEYMIKE]

The torque curve on the VQ35 engine is EXTREMELY FLAT AND LINEAR....

Ward, try test driving a g35 and you will see that for yourself.

Obviously the BMW is the better car, but you pay more for it. So it's just a question of what's important to you. You can get a 328 that's not fast at all. Or get a g35 for the same price that offers the speed and performance as the 335 for less money.

Both are great cars.

[akhbhaat]

It's impossible to say when neither car is even on the street yet.

I suspect that, like its predecessor, the G35 will be disappointingly slow given the amount of power it is purported to have. Even still, it will almost certainly be a good deal quicker than the 328.

But power isn't everything. I'll have to drive them to let you know. I'm not particularly fond of the current G35 for a number of reasons, so unless Infiniti gives it more than a cosmetic facelift and more power, I probably won't consider it.

In case we've already forgotten, the current G35 was much overhyped and subsequently under-delivered. Let me put it this way: if Lexus can't thoroughly best the 3 series and charge less in the process (and the IS350 is, honestly, a fairly superb car), who honestly believes that Infiniti can accomplish such a feat?

[Frank_NJ]

For what it is worth.....when it comes to handling and "feeling connected" with the road you will never beat the BMW. With the BMW you will always have this feeling.

[Hej]

Originally Posted by E924ME

Besides - you would still be driving a Nissan.

IMHO, every person who makes a comment like "It's still a some other brand" is a complete 'tard. Is narrow minded brand snobbery really the best reason you can come up witn not to buy anything but BMW?

Originally Posted by Hej

IMHO, every person who makes a comment like "It's still a some other brand" is a complete 'tard. Is narrow minded brand snobbery really the best reason you can come up witn not to buy anything but BMW?

I would respond to you like this:

This is a BMW forum, more specifically it is a 3-Series forum.

And even more specifically it is an E90 forum.

Most folks that post here own at least one E90.

And I would point out further that most of us have driven Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, Volkswagens and Volvos prior to owning our E90(s).

I would be willing to bet that most of the members here don't really give a rat's @ss about other brands.

We are E90 enthusiasts!

(Go figure!)

Jeeez! Am I alone here?

[ska///235i]

Originally Posted by charowls

I couldn't help myself, sorry, but you couldn't feel the low end torque difference between your 330 and the 350z? I've driven the 350z and the only noticeable thing was how hard it pulled from the line. Also, for those talking about track performance, I know we love BMW's and all and they may be a bit faster around the track, but "far superior" is daydreaming.

I liked how one poster decided to put it. To paraphrase: "drive both, if there's no difference, buy the cheaper one"

yea...my cousin has a 350z, thing is fast...I mean FAST
i know i only have a 325xi, but I drove his car and I really doubt a 330 can beat a 350z
he pull like a street lengh from me, and MotharFukar Drifted in front of me around a corner....I was like...