What does the .:R36 have in common with the 135i?

[Driv3r]

They ARE competitors in the same segment...and VW Released the pricing on the 08 .:R36, $32,990. think this may be good news as BMW would not be dumb enough to make it much higher than its competitors...



http://www.automobilemag.com/new_and...n_r32_pricing/

[Robert]

Originally Posted by Driv3r

They ARE competitors in the same segment...and VW Released the pricing on the 08 .:R36, $32,990. think this may be good news as BMW would not be dumb enough to make it much higher than its competitors...



http://www.automobilemag.com/new_and...n_r32_pricing/

I looked at the R32 the other day as well because I was bored from the wait. I think the 128i will be slightly below the R32 and the 135i will be a little over. BMW may try to bank on its brand and the 40 extra hp 135i has over the R32.

[ducati]

I assume that was a wishful slip ".:R36" of course is only myth at this point... It's the same 3.2 narrow-angle VR6 as before. Nice car.

I do wish the 3.6 would be slotted in that engine bay--would make for a sweet ride!

[Driv3r]

R36 is definitely a cool neat car...but i read an article that ALL it has is understeer, understeer, understeer...thats no fun. stupid 4-motion nonsense.

[chemhalo]

Originally Posted by ducati

I do wish the 3.6 would be slotted in that engine bay--would make for a sweet ride!

The only reason it isnt is because the beefier DSG used on the 3.6 will not fit.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by Driv3r

R36 is definitely a cool neat car...but i read an article that ALL it has is understeer, understeer, understeer...thats no fun. stupid 4-motion nonsense.

Although some VAG products exhibit excessive understeer, the R32 isn't one of them. Check this vid out:

[othercaracobra]

Originally Posted by Driv3r

R36 is definitely a cool neat car...but i read an article that ALL it has is understeer, understeer, understeer...thats no fun. stupid 4-motion nonsense.

Nothing that a stiffer rear sway bar won't solve. I fitted my R32 with a H&R bar and it rotated nicely (just ask the C5 and 350Z drivers at Summit Point.)

[Robert]

Originally Posted by othercaracobra

Nothing that a stiffer rear sway bar won't solve. I fitted my R32 with a H&R bar and it rotated nicely (just ask the C5 and 350Z drivers at Summit Point.)

What's the appeal of 135i to a R32 owner?

[IvtecEM]

Plus for the money the R32 are slow I pulled on a guy on the freeway with my TL i thought I was gonna get smoke but i was wrong. And the R32 is like a low 15's hi 14's in the 1/4 mile thats a mule in my opinion for the money, the 135i will have better numbers than that with what we alreday know a 335i coupe can do.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by Driv3r

They ARE competitors in the same segment...and VW Released the pricing on the 08 .:R36, $32,990. think this may be good news as BMW would not be dumb enough to make it much higher than its competitors...



http://www.automobilemag.com/new_and...n_r32_pricing/

So you think that BMW and VW are comparable products? You been inside of a VW lately?

[BForbes]

I DO NOT believe the 135i and VW R36 are competitors.

[spudw]

They are competitors if they are similarly priced, offer comparable performance and attract a similar market. No question 135i has qualities that most all of us would see as superior to the R32, but the reality is, in the absence of the 135i, any of us may find the R32 very interesting.

Quality-wise, I'd put BMW above VAG anyday, but I've seen a bunch of reference to VAG interior being of a very high quality and they make a hell of an engine.

I'm 135i all the way, but I wouldn't look down at an R32 driver. I'd beat his ass, but I wouldn't look down on him...:headbang:

[Robert]

Originally Posted by spudwest

They are competitors if they are similarly priced, offer comparable performance and attract a similar market. No question 135i has qualities that most all of us would see as superior to the R32, but the reality is, in the absence of the 135i, any of us may find the R32 very interesting.

Quality-wise, I'd put BMW above VAG anyday, but I've seen a bunch of reference to VAG interior being of a very high quality and they make a hell of an engine.

I'm 135i all the way, but I wouldn't look down at an R32 driver. I'd beat his ass, but I wouldn't look down on him...:headbang:

I think the R32's interior looks very upscale from the photos as well but I am intrigued why a R32 owner will want to get a 135i. I don't think the 1 is 35k dollar worth of performance increase over the R32. If I have a R32 and 35k to spend I think the 35k will go a long way for modding than buy a brand new car.

[1ster]

C'mon, people. As others have noted: there is no R36. Just an R32. The 300hp R36 is pure speculation at this point.

Why consider an R32 over a 1-Series? Interior volume (kids fit easier in the back), price, and AWD for bad weather are all good reasons.

[Maximus Decimus]

Originally Posted by Driv3r

They ARE competitors in the same segment...and VW Released the pricing on the 08 .:R36, $32,990. think this may be good news as BMW would not be dumb enough to make it much higher than its competitors...

R32 base Germany: EUR 33,675 click here
135i base Germany: EUR 38,950 click here

They are not intended to be competitors and pricing will likely reflect that.

[othercaracobra]

Originally Posted by robert

What's the appeal of 135i to a R32 owner?

A couple of things for me...

First, I no longer need an all-wheel drive car. I had to buy a 4 wheel drive truck to take over some snow plowing duties from my dad, so now I have a vehicle for commuting during bad weather.

Second, I like the utility of a hatch but a coupe has a lot more style in my opinion.

Third, I am looking to step up in performance. The TT setup on the 135i is very intriquing. With that said, the 3.2 VR6 in the R32 is a real nice motor (though it's head design does limit it's NA potential.) For the guy that said he pulled one in a TL... I don't think so... at least not my R with me driving.

My R32 is already gone, sold it a month ago with 75K miles on it. The way I had it modded it was a great track car, very easy to drive through and out of the corner which is where I KILLED a lot "sports" cars. It had more than adequate brakes as well. Really fun, solid car.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by robert

What's the appeal of 135i to a R32 owner?

RWD. I love VWs, always have, but I actually started with RWD and sure miss it. My lamentedly-sold Integra Type R was an excellent handling FWD car, and the MKV VW's are all quite entertaining, but RWD is just so much more fun to me.

[mkoesel]

The 135i and R32 are no more or less competitors than the E90/E91 335i and VW Passat 3.6 (and upcoming R36) are. There are a select group who will choose the VW, but few will bet on the VW to be the popular choice for enthusiasts.

[othercaracobra]

Originally Posted by ducati

Although some VAG products exhibit excessive understeer, the R32 isn't one of them. Check this vid out:

I agree with you duck, IF they are setup properly. The Mk4 R32's that came to the US were very much dumbed down to corner with understeer. It will be interesting to see if the Mk5's that come the the US are emasculated in the same way.

I replaced my US spec suspension with Euro spec, and installed a way stiffer rear bar. After that, the car was very fun on the track.

Also, in the video it's obvious the R had a huge advantage on the damp track with it's AWD. For us mere mortal drivers it really is much easier to drive fast with an AWD car.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by othercaracobra

I agree with you duck, IF they are setup properly. The Mk4 R32's that came to the US were very much dumbed down to corner with understeer. It will be interesting to see if the Mk5's that come the the US are emasculated in the same way.

I replaced my US spec suspension with Euro spec, and installed a way stiffer rear bar. After that, the car was very fun on the track.

Yep. Don't we all do that with our veedubs?

Re: RWD... I personally can't wait for lurid tail sliding in the rain... Man, I miss that. :thumbup:

[othercaracobra]

Originally Posted by ducati

Re: RWD... I personally can't wait for lurid tail sliding in the rain... Man, I miss that. :thumbup:

Amen to that brother, just don't let it bite you... :biggrin:

[Driv3r]

dont get me wrong, i beleive if somewone was in the market for the 135i or 128i they would also be looking out for the .:R32, they are both compact sport cars...same segment