money not being an issue, what would make you pick a 135i over an m3? (or...)

[s3touring]

as i mentioned, i did post my prev ? on an m3 forum. while i did get a few level headed answers, i also got my share of 'duh - you (fill in the blank) - like i needed any justification. here are some of the responses as to why m3 over 135i:

1. it seemed an insult to even compare the 135i to the m3. it might be apples to oranges, but i dont think it's a crime to do so.

2. it blows the 135i away. (this from someone who owns neither.)

3. in terms of trying to 'make' the 135i into an ///m3, a good comment was at best i'd be putting pieces together vs an already tuned and perfectly put together piece of machinery out of the box. "Where it falls short of the M3 is in the total package. The M3's strength is in its balance -- the engine works in perfect harmony with the suspension." that was a good point.

4. "The 135 was running out of breath when the M3 is just hitting its stride." well, if i read my forum notes correctly, that is actually true. correct me, but i believe in the triple digits the m3 would pull away. but in real life day to day, would i be right in saying 300 ft lbs of torque, not to mention what the dinan s2 would do, would make the 135 much more of a hoot?

5. "Neither of these will cure the biggest problem with the 135, the lack of a LSD." ah - that is another good point. laying down all that hp ... in fact, my indy dinan guy gave that answer - that it had to be detuned a bit to 384 hp, since it had no lsd. oh well..

6. "The current M3 is the best car BMW has EVER made...You want to compare it to a modded out version of the cheapest car they make... a marketing gimmick to lure entry level sales...Are you kidding???" i dont have any doubt the m3 is a spectacular drive. hmm - but i'd say if the 135i is the cheapest car they make it sure is a lot of car for the buck!

7. "If you want to get close to the performance of the M3 with the 135, Dinan won't get you there..." eh - i guess i'll have to disagree. maybe not as fast, but definitely not far behind.

8. "The 1 series is a great car, and looks like tons of fun. but anyone that I've talked to calls it "cute". Not to mention 100 percent of drivers I've seen driving it have been females." hey, i actually even considered a smart car, because it was cute. even the mini, because it was cute. i'm secure enough to drive a cute car. a dinan s2 135i is cute, like the cute little blue ringed octopus is lovable. until you touch it unknowingly, and one is dead in minutes. bwahahahaha. man - i must be messed up thinking like that...(then again, my taste is a little on the unconventional side, as evidenced by my daily driver that God willing i will keep for a LOOOOOOOOONG time. love my wagon!) or - who knows - one of these days when i go back up to dinan hq, i could talk steve into shoving the v10 into the 1er! wahoo! (hartge and those german nuts do it!)


so - back to my orig question on this post - or phrased another way - aside from power, is there anything the m3 has that you wished your 135i had?

thanks again.

jack

[lambammm]

typical m owner responses. no one wants to hear the car they spent $$$$$ on can't pull away from a $$$ car. LSD is the big one, however the balance on the 1 is phenomenal so don't believe their condescending uninformed comments. and in reference to #8 all of the 135i owners i have seen on the road have been male, so i have a sneaking suspicion that person is full of doodoo, though not to say there are no female owners. still money not being an issue, i would go with the m3, there really is no reason not to. the 1 is a bang for your buck, if your not worried about the buck, why not just get the bang? (m3) :iono:

[akak1997]

I love my 135, but I don't think there's anything BMW can do to the I6 to give the same sound the V8 in the M3, and just that is worth the money IMO.

[135i_TT]

Dinan wont get you near the performance of a new M3 but thats why Riss Racing and JB3 are there. And correct me if im wrong but I know theres a few women here but the majority of 1 owners are male here, I have yet to see a 135i owner being female in person... and I think you talked to to many females asking them what they would say about he 135i bc yea typical female would say its a cute car, thats what my female friends say but the males say the 135i is a beast! =)

But either way, the M3 is an amazing car!

[s3touring]

i have been staring at the 2 cars for a good part today. in the last half an hour i found some awesome hi-res shots of both in alpine white. the m3 looks phenomenal, and performance will not disappoint. the m3 inspires awe, looks mean, drops jaws, perhaps. i dont know- i'm 44. i'm blessed, but it also means i've been through a lot. this year has been a difficult year in many ways. thankfully, i can say i have not become jaded or cynical.

i think i got it - there is something fresh, innocent and cheerful about the 1er. the little thing puts a smile on my face. talk about cars being such a subjective issue, and i'm a financial advisor!!! hahaha.

[Darth One]

it's funny how some people can't do a comparo of their car vs. others, or talk about the virtues of their car, without putting down other cars or their owners/acting superior. i guess these are the same people who think their penis size is somehow tied to the cars they drive.

anyway, i wouldn't say cost was no object, but i could have bought either car. bottom line was i was willing to take 80-90% of the M3 for 60% of the money.

but if you are saying cost is no object, i think i would have gone with the M3. it's bigger, looks meaner, and is a better performer. but looks-wise i do prefer the 135i.

[lambammm]

Originally Posted by s3touring

i have been staring at the 2 cars for a good part today. in the last half an hour i found some awesome hi-res shots of both in alpine white. the m3 looks phenomenal, and performance will not disappoint. the m3 inspires awe, looks mean, drops jaws, perhaps. i dont know- i'm 44. i'm blessed, but it also means i've been through a lot. this year has been a difficult year in many ways. thankfully, i can say i have not become jaded or cynical.

i think i got it - there is something fresh, innocent and cheerful about the 1er. the little thing puts a smile on my face. talk about cars being such a subjective issue, and i'm a financial advisor!!! hahaha.

fine choice, you won't get bored of it. please let us know how the tune feels. whenever it happens. lol

[s3touring]

"I love my 135, but I don't think there's anything BMW can do to the I6 to give the same sound the V8 in the M3, and just that is worth the money IMO."

well, i guess i dont need the 135i to roar. however it sounds will be fine.

"and I think you talked to to many females asking them what they would say about he 135i bc yea typical female would say its a cute car, thats what my female friends say but the males say the 135i is a beast! =)"

ha - that's funny. the only female i've spoken to is my wife. she already said 'is it going to dinan for something like the wagon?" after the fortune i forked out to s3 my wagon, the 2k for this is almost an afterthought, relatively speaking! i do think it's beast. it's as cute as a baby hippo, until it opens its mouth and gives someone a deadly bite!

"m3 is an amazing car" i dont doubt that.

"bottom line was i was willing to take 80-90% of the M3 for 60% of the money." that's a pretty good summary.

"fine choice, you won't get bored of it. please let us know how the tune feels. whenever it happens. lol" at this point, i am tending towards the 1er. s2 will be done as soon as possible.

thanks! jack

[ssabripo]

[atr_hugo]

3, 4, & 5 are valid. Also the two cars have different roles to play. The 135i is a small GT car, the suspension isn't at M car levels of feel, feedback, and ferociousness.

That V8 in the M3 is about as close to an F1 engine you're going to be able to buy at less than Ferrari prices.

Money wasn't the prime consideration when I bought the one - I wanted a comfortable, yet capable GT and the 135i filled the bill. The M3 is a whole different ballgame and a much more focused car, a really good enthusiasts vehicle.

I'll point you back to my review of the 135i: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...ghlight=review

[kcobra]

I don't think you're offending 135 owners by comparing the two.

If I had a choice, I would go with the M3 for sure. It's much more hardcore than the 135. Better looks, more sporty, more beefy. I think you know what I'm talking about!

I'm planning to get an M3 myself in a couple of years when my lease on the 135 runs out.

[ADA///M]

well firstly....the new M3 is FAR from the best BMW ever made...its not even the best M3 ever made!

My brother just picked up an 08 M3(sedan) for only 50 bucks more a month than I'm getting my 09 135 for. I could have the same M3 for the same price, but I prefer the 1. Yes, the 1 will never be on the M3's level. Its not supposed to be. They are different cars.

[Yearofthe1]

For a little better than 12 large worth of mods, didn't one of the racing team's 135i here spank the BMW factory M3 in the One Lap of America tour? I unfortunately don't have time to : since I have to get ready for work. I know the moderator larryn will know who I'm talking about.

[esscolab]

And the best consideration everyone has overlooked is..

V8's pollute more! If we all drove around in V8's then world would incinerate itself.

[MrHick]

SIZE :roundel:

[AchtungF80]

The M3 suspension bushings are the only thing I want from the M3...otherwise nothing.

Its a damned fine car, but too big for me.

[Bizall]

I wanted something with the ease of modability. The 1er being turbocharged made it an easy choice. I can't imagine how much money you would need to spend on a M3 to gain 50rwhp compared to the 1er. Boosted cars FTW.

[MastaMind]

Personally, I would've been interested in an M variant of the 135. The E9X series is larger than I wanted, but the new M3 is a more focused vehicle than the 135.

FWIW, my daughter fits just fine in the back of the 135, and she loves the new Dinan flash.

[IS+1]

Objectively it is hard (ok I admit, damn near impossible) to dispute the fact that the M3 is the superior vehicle, however cost aside, these are the reasons I would choose the 135i, all of which are completely subjective:

-M3 is too big and heavy, 135i is the perfect size
-the 135i has that refreshing, spunky look that to me is very unique
-the interior of the 135i fits like a glove, the interior of the M3 (and other 3 series for that matter) has an uninviting feel to it, due in large part to the strange curvature of the dash
-when I cast my eyes on the M3, I feel an obligatory respect; when I cast my eyes on the 135i, I feel like a kid again.

[adrean8j]

Ehhh...I would probably choose the M3 if money were no object and I could get the kit that Studie Japan has on their SGM M3 w/Hamann wheels

....still a little big for my tastes. The main the things the M3 has that I would like? The CF weave interior and the room in the wheel wells to add more rubber.....

[CoolToolGuy]

With money no object, the M3 would be a fine choice - it is widely considered the best sports sedan on the planet. But for me [shields up] if money were no object I would probably be considering a 911 Turbo, an Aston Martin, or a Bentley [shields down]

I like, and I chose, the 135 because it is smaller (I have an X3 and a minivan in the fleet when I need room), lighter (you get more out of each HP), and less recognizable (a hoot when you see the astonished face of the other driver trying to catch up in your mirror.)

Dinan, for me, helps solve the HP difference, there are plenty of improved suspension choices, and there is a Quaife LSD available for the 1 Series. Look around, and there is more you can do if you want the Boy Racer image along with your performance.

Even with the mods I plan to do my 135i will probably not beat the current gen M3, but it will likely be enough to keep the smile on my face. The stealth issue is important to me, like I had with my last (Old) Beetle - suspension mods, a Gene Berg engine, and a lot of surprised faces when I passed them.

Have Fun,
Rick

[My135]

If money was not an issue, I would pick M3 over my 135; else I would pick my 135 for several reasons: saving $$$, better gas milage, easier and less $$$ to tune, less $$$ to maintain, more relaible due to less moving parts ... etc.