Quote:
Originally Posted by Gangplank
135i as a driver's sport coupe is underrated. With just moderate suspension upgrades and PPK, Dinan or MHD tune we have a really great car.
That said there is always something more special about the M version.
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I know what you mean but I don't think the 135i is really underrated. I and most people have a high opinion of the 135i. One advantage the 135i has over the 1M is that you got an N55 version with slightly less lag. I wanted a 135i when it came out and there is still a writeup I made on here back in 2008 or so where I was frothing at the mouth to drive one and trade in my E46 for it but BMW USA gooned it. They only offered vinyl and leather options in the USA which from a driving dynamics perspective are the same thing...slippery and hot. The rack was slow and didn't have as much feedback as the E46 I had at the time. Also at the time I drove it had the N54 motor which everyone had said no lag at all and BMW had said the 135i was going to be a club racer type. The combination of these expectations left me dissapointed when it did in fact have lag, the feedback was more muted than E46 and no cloth option...so much for club racer. And finally no LSD option. So at the time I left dissapointed with 135i based on expectations. However, I still think it is a great car and everyone I know does too. I think the 128i is underrated. Lighter, no lag, great sound and if ordered with manual seats, MT, sunroof delete and M-Sport a brilliant car.
135i is awesome when configured correctly. I see the 135i to 1M as I see the E46 ZHP to E46 M3. Not full blown M car but an amazing machine....and I still own and daily drive my ZHP.
The only issue I have with 135i v 1M is the disinformation put out there by a few 135i owners that minimize the differences between the two versions. Yes, you can make a 135i as fast with a tune and engine mods and brake mods and diff mods ,etc But as I said many here just say the 1M is a 135i with a tune and wholly discount very significant differences betwen the two.
The rack is different and faster, the suspension is all aluminum even the shocks and struts. The flywheel is lighter it has an extra radiator a full lock diff, wider body and track. Bigger brakes and wheels, yet weighs less than 135i with the bigger components.
As far as Randy Pobst hating it, yes he did and that is really a handful of guys that hated it vs the vast majority of people that loved it. Even Chris Harris bought one and paid "silly money" for one. Randy hated it as a track car. And it is not the best track car. What makes the 1M special is that it's naughty and a little scary around town and back roads. It makes the drives memorable. So judged as a pure track car, it is not the best in stock trim. My guess is that Randy wouldn't like the 135i in stock trim either as it is heavier and the brakes tended to have issues on the track.
So really the 135i is considered by many to be an amazing car and part of the last of BMWs small, powerful cars along with the 128i but I don't know of anyone that underestimates or underrates a 135i.