Pistonheads reviews the silver 135i.

[BForbes]

Another part i LOVED was when they mentioned something like this getting board approval is very rare. Sooo true. Who else is brave enough to shoe-horn a 330hp motor into a car shorter than a Honda Civic????

[grant]

Originally Posted by Fission

At a whisker short of 30 grand the 135i is quite expensive, and the car we drove retailed at around 36 grand with a list of options that could hardly be described as decadent.

My fav part, good review!

You do realize that they're talking about British Pounds, right? That would make it about $60k to $72k in US Dollars, if it was a strict matter of currency conversion. Fortunately, we get a much better deal on this side of the pond...

[Fission]

lol oh yeah :redface::redface::redface::redface: :redface::redface: sorry bout that.

[aesthetect]

Originally Posted by onehots2k

Btw, that HAS to be my favorite article on this car. Thanks Advevo.

i agree.. seems honest and technical, telling the enthusiasts what they want to hear about the car. and i would say knowledgeable but suggesting that the n54 is sequential TT is kinda...

the one thing that disappoints me consistently is that everyone suggests the n54 seems TOO smooth. accelerating effortlessly, which i feel odd complaining about. i need a bit more raw. at least rare anyway. this bitch is gonna taste medium at best. leaves me hoping/wondering if chipping the engine is going to help that or just add more power and turbo lag

[kamakazitp]

Originally Posted by aesthetect

leaves me hoping/wondering if chipping the engine is going to help that or just add more power and turbo lag

if you've seen any of the dynos from chipped n54s, it shows where the extra torque/hp comes in on the powerband. check out the 400hp thread in the engine forum. it doesnt look like turbo lag will change much, unless you plan on changing out the turbos for larger ones.

[aesthetect]

dynos arent going to show throttle response or lag-under-load really, although i do doubt a chip would cause any more lag. but i just mean i guess nothing is going to make that engine have the raw feeling/quick response of NA that is what i would like to see in a return-to-roots, small bmw

[eMINI]

It's several hundred pounds heavier than it should be. Lose that weight and the acceleration will be as startling as we had all hoped. Guaranteed.:wink:

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by aesthetect

the one thing that disappoints me consistently is that everyone suggests the n54 seems TOO smooth. accelerating effortlessly, which i feel odd complaining about. i need a bit more raw. at least rare anyway. this bitch is gonna taste medium at best. leaves me hoping/wondering if chipping the engine is going to help that or just add more power and turbo lag

If you're curious go test drive a 335, I have and the torque curve is so flat and lag free that it doesn't feel as quick as it is. Chipping isn't going to change that, just make the difference between on and off boost more dramatic.