No 128i Love :(

[JimD]

The headers look interesting but has anybody looked at putting the exhaust manifolds of a wrecked X5 n52 on? It is rated much higher hp and the sketches on realOEM look different - and have different part numbers. Another thing I noticed in a long ago realOEM comparison (I think there is a thread here) is the injectors are also different for the higher output n52s - something worth a check. I think the complete list of things to look at are the intake, exhaust, injectors and tune.

Jim

[andrey_gta]

I thought that I needed a msport/bmp/135i rear until I got Blacklines. I don't need a spoiler now, they are that good with a bigger exhaust tip.

[NYC6]

Quite a few comments about 135's breaking down. You guys whine about 135 owners making fun of 128's all the time yet do the same exact thing. Thats OK though. We understand your motivation.

BMW is a smart company and covers all the niches in the car buying world. There is a big market for young guys with not alot of money who fantasize about being helmeted racers, those who dont care for high performance cars, dads buying their daughters their graduation cars, those who buy commuter cars, the older who still want somethin a little 'sporty' and BMW themselves for their own loaner fleet. The car serves this purpose just fine.

By the way, there arent alot of performance parts available for the 128 because......its really not a performance car! BMW themselves designed it as such by simply using a soft magnesium/aluminum block.

The 135 has beefed up, forged internals to handle much more power than stock. BMW designed it that way. With nothing more than an inexpensive 20 min flash you can turn up the wick on the turbo cars over 100hp.
128 drivers work like hell to squeeze 10hp into their engines. Love the way they also add up the total hp gains by using manufacturers 'claims'. Rarely see a before/ after dyno to show actual gains.

The 135 might have an additional item or two that the 128 doesnt have but that goes with the territory. You pay to play. Yes, I would rather have a 12 cyl Ferrari as opposed to an 8 cyl one even though there are more parts that might possibly fail. To use this excuse to try a belittle a car is flat out reaching for straws.
There are many 135's making well over 400rwhp 450 ft lbs! Many of these cars do it relativley trouble free. Its rare to even find a dyno of a 128. Wonder why?
The 128 is a nice car but its just not a barn burner and cant be turned into one.

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by HavidDasselhoff

Hi there. Off topic but, seeing as this thread is alive, where'd you get your 330i intake? How is it as a direct bolt on? I've been considering that with an AA tune..

Interested in updates on this evolve tune as well.

As mentioned above, I picked it up at a local BMW indy shop that. It's a direct bolt on because it is the same engine, we just have a detuned version. 325i to 330i conversion:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=372973

Originally Posted by JimD

The headers look interesting but has anybody looked at putting the exhaust manifolds of a wrecked X5 n52 on? It is rated much higher hp and the sketches on realOEM look different - and have different part numbers. Another thing I noticed in a long ago realOEM comparison (I think there is a thread here) is the injectors are also different for the higher output n52s - something worth a check. I think the complete list of things to look at are the intake, exhaust, injectors and tune.

Jim

I think your biggest issue there would be fitment and clearance. And the advantage to upgraded headers is two fold; a more efficient design and the removal of the cats. X5 headers would only potentially address they one, if they fit, which I really doubt they would.

Injectors are an interesting point...

*Edit* Just checked RealOem and the injectors are the same part number?

E90 330i
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...29&hg=13&fg=15

E82 128i
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...29&hg=13&fg=15

[andrey_gta]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

Injectors are an interesting point...

*Edit* Just checked RealOem and the injectors are the same part number?

E90 330i
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...29&hg=13&fg=15

E82 128i
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...29&hg=13&fg=15

I think throttle body is different !! Perhaps because of n52 iteration, but still look:


330i , e85 z4 , 130i Pre LCI part# 13547516946 13547516946
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=13&fg=15&hl=1
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=13&fg=15&hl=1
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...30&hg=13&fg=15

128i, e89 z4, 130i 2007+ LCI part# 13547556118
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=13&fg=15&hl=2
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=13&fg=15&hl=1
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...30&hg=13&fg=15

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by NYC6

Quite a few comments about 135's breaking down. You guys whine about 135 owners making fun of 128's all the time yet do the same exact thing. Thats OK though. We understand your motivation.

BMW is a smart company and covers all the niches in the car buying world. There is a big market for young guys with not alot of money who fantasize about being helmeted racers, those who dont care for high performance cars, dads buying their daughters their graduation cars, those who buy commuter cars, the older who still want somethin a little 'sporty' and BMW themselves for their own loaner fleet. The car serves this purpose just fine.

By the way, there arent alot of performance parts available for the 128 because......its really not a performance car! BMW themselves designed it as such by simply using a soft magnesium/aluminum block.

The 135 has beefed up, forged internals to handle much more power than stock. BMW designed it that way. With nothing more than an inexpensive 20 min flash you can turn up the wick on the turbo cars over 100hp.
128 drivers work like hell to squeeze 10hp into their engines. Love the way they also add up the total hp gains by using manufacturers 'claims'. Rarely see a before/ after dyno to show actual gains.

The 135 might have an additional item or two that the 128 doesnt have but that goes with the territory. You pay to play. Yes, I would rather have a 12 cyl Ferrari as opposed to an 8 cyl one even though there are more parts that might possibly fail. To use this excuse to try a belittle a car is flat out reaching for straws.
There are many 135's making well over 400rwhp 450 ft lbs! Many of these cars do it relativley trouble free. Its rare to even find a dyno of a 128. Wonder why?
The 128 is a nice car but its just not a barn burner and cant be turned into one.

First, lets start here. A timely thread in which 135i owners discuss how they often like the stock tune more:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=717865

You're familiar with it, you posted in it not understanding one bit. After, HP=Performance right? Mashing your foot to the floor is the most important metric of driver skill.

Please. A high performance vehicle is the sum of all parts. Transplant a Viper engine into a Kia and guess what, you still have a hunk of crap. I dropped 170hp when I bought my 128i, and guess what, I don't miss it one bit.

Or we could just put it another way, you don't have a M car. Nothing about your car is special or high performance. You have an engine that is found on many of the cheap spec BMW models. Color me impressed. Where you see a soft block, we see the lightest I6 ever made. Hell your engine alone is 75lbs heavier, not counting the rest of your turbo parts/cooling/sunroof.

I get it, you don't understand driver's cars(likely because your skill doesn't extend much beyond your right foot). You don't understand that the majority of driver's cars strike a balance. In todays world(see E36 M3, E46 M3, Cayman, Boxster, etc) they are around 3000lbs and have somewhere between 200-300hp. They are naturally aspirated by in large. It's a harmony, not 450 wft/lbs of meth induced unreliable torque.

No one in this thread is adding up manufacturer numbers. I was the one discussing power mods for us, and never once did I mention a power figure. Another member made a relatively accurate guess, which I agreed with based on the aforementioned 325i to 330i conversion.


Also, 128i chat thread. Last I checked, you didn't really meet the requirements.

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

I think throttle body is different !! Perhaps because of n52 iteration, but still look:


330i , e85 z4 , 130i Pre LCI part# 13547516946 13547516946
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=13&fg=15&hl=1
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=13&fg=15&hl=1
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...30&hg=13&fg=15

128i, e89 z4, 130i 2007+ LCI part# 13547556118
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=13&fg=15&hl=2
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...=13&fg=15&hl=1
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...30&hg=13&fg=15

Hmm. I'm not too worried as the 130i also shares our throttle body, but it's definitely something to keep in mind. Older style might not be compatible however as I believe there was an ECU change pre and post LCI.

[i128]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

First, lets start here. A timely thread in which 135i owners discuss how they often like the stock tune more:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=717865

You're familiar with it, you posted in it not understanding one bit. After, HP=Performance right? Mashing your foot to the floor is the most important metric of driver skill.

Please. A high performance vehicle is the sum of all parts. Transplant a Viper engine into a Kia and guess what, you still have a hunk of crap. I dropped 170hp when I bought my 128i, and guess what, I don't miss it one bit.

Or we could just put it another way, you don't have a M car. Nothing about your car is special or high performance. You have an engine that is found on many of the cheap spec BMW models. Color me impressed. Where you see a soft block, we see the lightest I6 ever made. Hell your engine alone is 75lbs heavier, not counting the rest of your turbo parts/cooling/sunroof.

I get it, you don't understand driver's cars(likely because your skill doesn't extend much beyond your right foot). You don't understand that the majority of driver's cars strike a balance. In todays world(see E36 M3, E46 M3, Cayman, Boxster, etc) they are around 3000lbs and have somewhere between 200-300hp. They are naturally aspirated by in large. It's a harmony, not 450 wft/lbs of meth induced unreliable torque.

No one in this thread is adding up manufacturer numbers. I was the one discussing power mods for us, and never once did I mention a power figure. Another member made a relatively accurate guess, which I agreed with based on the aforementioned 325i to 330i conversion.


Also, 128i chat thread. Last I checked, you didn't really meet the requirements.

[andrey_gta]

Beyond reliability we didnt say anything negative for 135i, why the need to troll? And, I doubt any of us are trying to build an NA monster 128i to eat 135i.

I had a turbo car before, and I wanted to avoid the future headache and the 128i was a ideal since it had no turbo. Also I never thought about adding more power until I got the secondhand custom exhaust, I liked the new low end torque. Now im searching for my next performance item that I can feel every day such as Swaybar, SSK, etc not really power.

Lets leave 135i vs the world for another time.
I would actually love to see a 135i vs VW/ADUI 1.8T "Neva lose" discussion.

[NYC6]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

First, lets start here. A timely thread in which 135i owners discuss how they often like the stock tune more:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=717865

You're familiar with it, you posted in it not understanding one bit. After, HP=Performance right? Mashing your foot to the floor is the most important metric of driver skill.

Please. A high performance vehicle is the sum of all parts. Transplant a Viper engine into a Kia and guess what, you still have a hunk of crap. I dropped 170hp when I bought my 128i, and guess what, I don't miss it one bit.

Or we could just put it another way, you don't have a M car. Nothing about your car is special or high performance. You have an engine that is found on many of the cheap spec BMW models. Color me impressed. Where you see a soft block, we see the lightest I6 ever made. Hell your engine alone is 75lbs heavier, not counting the rest of your turbo parts/cooling/sunroof.

I get it, you don't understand driver's cars(likely because your skill doesn't extend much beyond your right foot). You don't understand that the majority of driver's cars strike a balance. In todays world(see E36 M3, E46 M3, Cayman, Boxster, etc) they are around 3000lbs and have somewhere between 200-300hp. They are naturally aspirated by in large. It's a harmony, not 450 wft/lbs of meth induced unreliable torque.

No one in this thread is adding up manufacturer numbers. I was the one discussing power mods for us, and never once did I mention a power figure. Another member made a relatively accurate guess, which I agreed with based on the aforementioned 325i to 330i conversion.


Also, 128i chat thread. Last I checked, you didn't really meet the requirements.

As usual you post up irrelevant threads that do nothing to prove your case, in fact they usually make you look worse. This is no exception.
The thread you posted is in regard to the 135 not the 128.. A car which has ample power with its 'troublesome' turbo(s). Obviously, a lot more than the 128. Its an easy car to enjoy the power within its stock parameters.

No the 135 isnt an M car. Funny that you bring that up. You try to compare the 128 to the E36, 46 M3 yet the 128 doesnt come close to the performance of the cars you list. In power or handling. You got youself fooled, thats about it. Take your dark visored helmet off. Its cooking your brain!

The 135 on the other hand, is a worthy competitor to the cars you mention. The 135's balance of power/handling is plain to see in head to head comparissons. It can run with them in a straight line and in turns, even with the portly engine engine and all, imagine that!


135 easily shows its balance of power/ handling, what you call harmony.
Perhaps you'd share with us a video of a 128 running with one of the cars you mentioned?
The 128 does nothing better than the 135. Straight line, turns, braking, nothing. Your holy grail mantra of weight savings gets you nothing! Yet you continue to belch it out.

The current M3 has a V8, the upcoming model will have a multi turbo plant. The 1M has a N54TT. Its the wave of the future, you can't escape it. So grasp onto your NA I6. Its nowhere near what the M3 I6 was. The N52 is a nice enough engine but seriously now, its not a competitor in todays performance engines or yesteryears.

I'll choose to post in any thread I care to. Whether you like it or not.

[NYC6]

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

Beyond reliability we didnt say anything negative for 135i, why the need to troll? And, I doubt any of us are trying to build an NA monster 128i to eat 135i.

I had a turbo car before, and I wanted to avoid the future headache and the 128i was a ideal since it had no turbo. Also I never thought about adding more power until I got the secondhand custom exhaust, I liked the new low end torque. Now im searching for my next performance item that I can feel every day such as Swaybar, SSK, etc not really power.

Lets leave 135i vs the world for another time.
I would actually love to see a 135i vs VW/ADUI 1.8T "Neva lose" discussion.

Im sorry but speed racer wanna be is always quick to jump on the 135's mechanical issues and its 'portly' weight compared to the 128. I get tired of hearing his drivel day after day. He started it in this thread(as usual) and others chime in with thumbs up and whatnot and I commented on it. I've said many times before I like the 128. Just gets old hearing his and other babble about pumps, turbos, weight......blah, blah all the time. I dont start trouble I respond to it.

[andrey_gta]

Fair enough 135i was made with more performance in mind & short term lease owners. 128i is the more sensible and tame with out exotic/premium turbo technology for perhaps a longer term owner, thus less premium high wear parts.
Case closed.

At least suspension and brakes are interchangeable**

Back on topic:

Stoptech makes slotted Front & Rear rotors for Stock 128i non BMP/135i brakes
http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/part...9197//BMW/128i

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/part...9200//BMW/128i

http://www.**********s.com/StopTech-...rs-BMW-E82.htm


Has anyone used them?? Researched them?

[NYC6]

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

Fair enough 135i was made with more performance in mind & short term lease owners. 128i is the more sensible and tame with out exotic/premium turbo technology for perhaps a longer term owner, thus less premium high wear parts.
Case closed.

At least suspension and brakes are interchangeable**

Fair enough. I wonder about the lease comment though, dont know if thats the case or not. Myself, I bought my 135 outright 2 years ago and plan on keeping it for some years. I cant speak for others though. Seems there are alot of owners here.

[texasmojo]

I love my 128I. Great reliable car. I've owned many brands and models but this one in specific has given me zero problems. Couldn't be happier.
Oh yeah nyc6 we beat you in gas mileage....jk.

[andrey_gta]

Originally Posted by texasmojo

Oh yeah nyc6 we beat you in gas mileage....jk.

Not really, mine gets spirited quite often, not winning any efficiency matches

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by NYC6

As usual you post up irrelevant threads that do nothing to prove your case, in fact they usually make you look worse. This is no exception.
The thread you posted is in regard to the 135 not the 128.. A car which has ample power with its 'troublesome' turbo(s). Obviously, a lot more than the 128. Its an easy car to enjoy the power within its stock parameters.

As usual your reading comprehension is a bit lacking. I'm aware that thread is about the 135i and not the 128i. Notice how I said "A timely thread in which 135i owners discuss how they often like the stock tune more". How thick can you be?

Originally Posted by NYC6

No the 135 isnt an M car. Funny that you bring that up. You try to compare the 128 to the E36, 46 M3 yet the 128 doesnt come close to the performance of the cars you list. In power or handling. You got youself fooled, thats about it. Take your dark visored helmet off. Its cooking your brain!

Lets compare specs:

E36 M3 vs E82 128i
3219lbs vs 3197lbs
240hp vs 230hp
6800rpm vs 7000rpm
5MT vs 6MT

Yup, we still come to the same conclusion. You have no clue what you are talking about. 128i is almost exactly a modern production E36 M3.

Originally Posted by NYC6

The current M3 has a V8, the upcoming model will have a multi turbo plant. The 1M has a N54TT. Its the wave of the future, you can't escape it. So grasp onto your NA I6. Its nowhere near what the M3 I6 was. The N52 is a nice enough engine but seriously now, its not a competitor in todays performance engines or yesteryears.

Like hell I can't. You, nor any car manufacturer will force me into a car with electric steering, turbos, or any variety of automatic. I'll "suffer" through with the 997 GT3, Cayman S/R, E46 M3, and others.

Originally Posted by NYC6

I'll choose to post in any thread I care to. Whether you like it or not.

Whatever makes you feel better. It's pretty clear you measure your worth as a car enthusiast by your horsepower figure, and feel threatened when someone doesn't care. If one silly side comment managed to work you up this much, lookout for the crazy.

[Greenkirby21]

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

Fair enough 135i was made with more performance in mind & short term lease owners. 128i is the more sensible and tame with out exotic/premium turbo technology for perhaps a longer term owner, thus less premium high wear parts.
Case closed.

At least suspension and brakes are interchangeable**

Back on topic:

Stoptech makes slotted Front & Rear rotors for Stock 128i non BMP/135i brakes
http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/part...9197//BMW/128i

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/part...9200//BMW/128i

http://www.**********s.com/StopTech-...rs-BMW-E82.htm


Has anyone used them?? Researched them?

I didn't even know they existed. I did know of the BBK that cost like 4,000. Most people tend to just go with BMW performance brakes. But the first link ones are a lot cheaper, but they don't provide any calipers

[USNEM_128i]

Originally Posted by NYC6

Quite a few comments about 135's breaking down. You guys whine about 135 owners making fun of 128's all the time yet do the same exact thing. Thats OK though. We understand your motivation.

BMW is a smart company and covers all the niches in the car buying world. There is a big market for young guys with not alot of money who fantasize about being helmeted racers, those who dont care for high performance cars, dads buying their daughters their graduation cars, those who buy commuter cars, the older who still want somethin a little 'sporty' and BMW themselves for their own loaner fleet. The car serves this purpose just fine.

By the way, there arent alot of performance parts available for the 128 because......its really not a performance car! BMW themselves designed it as such by simply using a soft magnesium/aluminum block.

The 135 has beefed up, forged internals to handle much more power than stock. BMW designed it that way. With nothing more than an inexpensive 20 min flash you can turn up the wick on the turbo cars over 100hp.
128 drivers work like hell to squeeze 10hp into their engines. Love the way they also add up the total hp gains by using manufacturers 'claims'. Rarely see a before/ after dyno to show actual gains.

The 135 might have an additional item or two that the 128 doesnt have but that goes with the territory. You pay to play. Yes, I would rather have a 12 cyl Ferrari as opposed to an 8 cyl one even though there are more parts that might possibly fail. To use this excuse to try a belittle a car is flat out reaching for straws.
There are many 135's making well over 400rwhp 450 ft lbs! Many of these cars do it relativley trouble free. Its rare to even find a dyno of a 128. Wonder why?
The 128 is a nice car but its just not a barn burner and cant be turned into one.

lol! Look at the threads on the 135i 75% are issues : / That's the main reason why i got the 128i really.

[USNEM_128i]

I'm glad this thread is getting some attention

Im planning on keeping my 128i, i haven't really done anything to it. I think im going to wait till im done paying it off, another year

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by NYC6

As usual you post up irrelevant threads that do nothing to prove your case, in fact they usually make you look worse. This is no exception.
The thread you posted is in regard to the 135 not the 128.. A car which has ample power with its 'troublesome' turbo(s). Obviously, a lot more than the 128. Its an easy car to enjoy the power within its stock parameters.

No the 135 isnt an M car. Funny that you bring that up. You try to compare the 128 to the E36, 46 M3 yet the 128 doesnt come close to the performance of the cars you list. In power or handling. You got youself fooled, thats about it. Take your dark visored helmet off. Its cooking your brain!

The 135 on the other hand, is a worthy competitor to the cars you mention. The 135's balance of power/handling is plain to see in head to head comparissons. It can run with them in a straight line and in turns, even with the portly engine engine and all, imagine that!
http://www.yotube.com/watch?v=9ZGwpifULe4
http://www.yotube.com/watch?v=f3comQxPNWI
135 easily shows its balance of power/ handling, what you call harmony.
Perhaps you'd share with us a video of a 128 running with one of the cars you mentioned?
The 128 does nothing better than the 135. Straight line, turns, braking, nothing. Your holy grail mantra of weight savings gets you nothing! Yet you continue to belch it out.

The current M3 has a V8, the upcoming model will have a multi turbo plant. The 1M has a N54TT. Its the wave of the future, you can't escape it. So grasp onto your NA I6. Its nowhere near what the M3 I6 was. The N52 is a nice enough engine but seriously now, its not a competitor in todays performance engines or yesteryears.

I'll choose to post in any thread I care to. Whether you like it or not.

Given the same tires and options, the 128i will out corner and out brake the 135i every time. That's completely missing the point, though. The benefit of less weight is better handling, driving dynamics, and enjoyment-- none of which can be measured in slalom times, skidpad grip, or stopping distance. E.G. a Nissan GTR will out perform a Lotus Elise in every metric... but the handing, responsiveness, and driver involvement get totally blown out of the water by the Elise. Clearly a much larger scale, but the same idea as the 128i vs 135i.

Car and Driver did a pretty good job of laying out what actually constitutes handling:

The final ranking would be decided by how our panel of judges voted in 10 distinct handling categories. To wit:

We broke overall steering feel into three parts. STEERING RESPONSE deals with how a car reacts to wheel inputs. Is the response smooth or choppy? Does the vehicle require constant correction? Is there a big delay between input and direction change?

How well the steering communicates tire distress and road imperfections falls under STEERING FEEDBACK.

ON-CENTER FEEL is as it sounds—you want a little resistance in the steering wheel off the 12 o’clock position but not too much.

Perfect CHASSIS BALANCE, a 10 on our scale, would mean that the car behaves neutrally at the tires’ adhesion limit, neither pushing with its front wheels (understeer) nor swinging wide with its rears (oversteer). Excessive understeer or oversteer would lower this score.

What we call TRANSIENT BEHAVIOR refers to how a car transitions between two vectors. Think of all the things a skier has to do to change direction—are his body movements economical and crisp? That’s what we’re looking for here.

On a related note, excessive roll or pitch would bring down a BODY-CONTROL score.

BREAKAWAY BEHAVIOR deals with how a car reacts to finding and exceeding its limits. Snap or lift-throttle oversteer would shave a point or two from this score.

BRAKE FEEL AND RESPONSE are combined into one category. A brake pedal should be firm and easy to modulate without a dead spot in the first few inches of travel.

ERGONOMICS refers to the man-machine interface. In this test, we limit ergonomics to handling-related aspects. For example: The driver’s seat, pedal placement, and driving position—not the switchgear—determine a car’s score.

FUN TO DRIVE is, well, pretty much self-explanatory.

All six cars, just by virtue of  being on this list, are starting with pretty high base-level credentials. But only one will claim the title of  best-handling car for less than $40,000.

Beyond that, I find even the engine in the 128i to be a more involving experience than the 135i. All of the great drivers cars share a similar theme with their engines-- not much low end torque, high revving, no lag. Examples: GT3, S2000, M3s, lotuses, ferraris. Pretty much if you can name a car that's known to be a good "driver's car", it will have a high revving engine with not much low end torque. Why? Because having to work over the engine to get the most out of it is a huge part of what makes a car engaging to drive. Low end torque and lag don't create the same experience.


To your "point" on the M cars:
The 128i stats are damn near spot on an e36 M3. The 128 is slightly lighter (30 lbs), revs slightly higher (200 rpm), and has 1 extra gear while the M3 has slightly more horsepower (10). In a drag race, they're identical for all intents and purposes. The e36 M3, btw, was rated as the best handling car at any price in 1997 by car and driver, btw-- better than ferraris, NSXs, etc.


No carbon buildup, HPFP failure, turbo failure, etc is just the icing on the cake.

The 135i is better than the 128i in one category: horsepower. In weight, cornering, braking, fuel economy, handling, driver involvement, and reliability, the 128i is the better car (all else equal, aka same options and mods on both cars). If that's the one that's important to you, Kudos, you got the correct car.

[USNEM_128i]

Originally Posted by Obioban

Given the same tires and options, the 128i will out corner and out brake the 135i every time. That's completely missing the point, though. The benefit of less weight is better handling, driving dynamics, and enjoyment-- none of which can be measured in slalom times, skidpad grip, or stopping distance. E.G. a Nissan GTR will out perform a Lotus Elise in every metric... but the handing, responsiveness, and driver involvement get totally blown out of the water by the Elise. Clearly a much larger scale, but the same idea as the 128i vs 135i.

Car and Driver did a pretty good job of laying out what actually constitutes handling:




Beyond that, I find even the engine in the 128i to be a more involving experience than the 135i. All of the great drivers cars share a similar theme with their engines-- not much low end torque, high revving, no lag. Examples: GT3, S2000, M3s, lotuses, ferraris. Pretty much if you can name a car that's known to be a good "driver's car", it will have a high revving engine with not much low end torque. Why? Because having to work over the engine to get the most out of it is a huge part of what makes a car engaging to drive. Low end torque and lag don't create the same experience.


To your "point" on the M cars:
The 128i stats are damn near spot on an e36 M3. The 128 is slightly lighter (30 lbs), revs slightly higher (200 rpm), and has 1 extra gear while the M3 has slightly more horsepower (10). In a drag race, they're identical for all intents and purposes. The e36 M3, btw, was rated as the best handling car at any price in 1997 by car and driver, btw-- better than ferraris, NSXs, etc.


No carbon buildup, HPFP failure, turbo failure, etc is just the icing on the cake.

Well said!

[andrey_gta]

Originally Posted by Greenkirby21

I didn't even know they existed. I did know of the BBK that cost like 4,000. Most people tend to just go with BMW performance brakes. But the first link ones are a lot cheaper, but they don't provide any calipers

No need for Calipers, they work for our stock calipers. Just add brake pads like Cool Carbons or w.e the popular choice is.