RPMs at 80 mph in 6th (manual) 135i. Anybody???

[JCtx]

Hi there. I'm seriously considering the 135i, but the only freaking dealer around for 300 miles DOES NOT order any manual cars... unless pre-sold. Could only drive a used 328i, and was very impressed with the shifter; better than the new M3, if that can be believed. I just want to make sure the 135i has the same one, which I believe it does.

My biggest concern is rpms at highway cruising. I want to make sure it's not more than 3K rpms at 80. Checked gear ratios on the 335i and are identical, but the 135i has slightly smaller tires (245s vs 255s), so it has to turn slightly more rpms at the same speed. My only previous BMW, a 323i convertible, had to go because never test drove it, and the damn thing was turning 3K rpms at 60 mph in 5th (no 6th back then), and just drove me nuts; don't want to go back there again.

I was going to go for the 335i, but I didn't want a dark interior or light carpet/mats, and only the 135i offers that option with the awesome looking beige/black interior.

I want the least complicated car as possible, to this time (I hope) keep it for a long time. Will order it with premium, sport, hi-fi, and am debating if comfort, heated seats and iPod for resale purposes. I also worry a bit about reliability in the long run, so would appreciate any comments gentlemen. I'd be trading a 2006 GTO with only 6K miles. Just too crude for me. And the 135i is probably quicker, with only half the engine. Thanks in advance for your help.
JC

[Lester]

[quote=elp_jc;142382My biggest concern is rpms at highway cruising. I want to make sure it's not more than 3K rpms at 80. JC[/quote]


It is right at 3,000 rpm at 80 mph.

[Heinzftw]

If your asking this for gas mileage you most likely still be getting around 28mpg. Good luck with the car I know you will be buying!

[JCtx]

Thank you for your answers. 80 @ 3K rpms is perfectly acceptable, but I wonder why 6th is not more relaxed, with all that torque.
I asked about it due to engine noise on the highway, but at current fuel prices (and premium at that), better fuel mileage doesn't hurt.

Hey, does anybody know if the shifter on these cars is directly mounted to the tranny, or does it need a remote linkage shifter, like my GTO? And what kind of tranny these cars have? Thanks.
Take care.
JC

[JTdrivin1]

where do you get that graph from? I'd like to see it for the 128i...

[Lester]

I confirmed the graph today. 71 Mph in 5th gear at 3000 rpm. 81 mph in 6th gear at 2000 rpm, 70 MPH at 2500 rpm. All measurments taken off my GPS.

[AlexM105]

197 mph? What's the top speed on these things delimited?

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by AlexM105

197 mph? What's the top speed on these things delimited?

It's just what the tranny is geared for. My GTO is geared for 252 mph, but you'd need jet engines to reach that... and a lot better chassis and suspension. Later.
JC

[AlexM105]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

It's just what the tranny is geared for.

Yeah, that's what I figured. So does anyone know what the 135i is capable of delimited?

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by AlexM105

Yeah, that's what I figured. So does anyone know what the 135i is capable of delimited?

With that short (and light) chassis, I honestly wouldn't attempt more than the 150 you get with the sport package. Even my C5 Vette felt somewhat nervous at that speed. But flat out I'd venture to guess around 165 or so. Take care.
JC

[x97Melbourne]

Thanks for that graph, that is awesome.

[imported_Katera]

Will our 135i's really do 195 mph if they were not electronically limited?

[GT3]

Originally Posted by Katera

Will our 135i's really do 197mph if they were not electronically limited?

LOFL

Sure, dropped from 30,000 feet.

[imported_Katera]

Originally Posted by GT3

LOFL

Sure, dropped from 30,000 feet.

Sorry, I missed the joke. According to the chart, red lined in 6th gear it tops around 195mph unless I am reading it wrong.

[jraymond]

The car is probably not capable of 197 even though a chart says so - laws of physics, how the car is put together and stuff.

If it were not electronically limited I would guess it could still get somewhere between 170-185 though

[GT3]

Originally Posted by Katera

Sorry, I missed the joke. According to the chart, red lined in 6th gear it tops around 195mph unless I am reading it wrong.

Just because a car is geared up to a certain speed doesn't mean it can reach that speed.

Do you have any concept of just how fast 197 mph actually is and what it takes to get there? The fastest I have ever been in a car is 198 mph and that was in a 600 hp Ruf Turbo. We were trying to break that legendary 200 mph barrier on the Autobahn but we were "stuck" at 198 mph. The car was capable of 205 mph but that was under ideal circumstances. When you are up that high a lot of things come into play just to increase speed in minimal increments - power, aerodynamics, drag, friction, wind, gradient. The car just wouldn't go over 198 mph that day.

I think a M6 might hit 190 mph if unrestricted though.

[InsaneSkippy]

The chart states what the TRANSMISSION is geared for. This does NOT mean the 135i can do 197 if it's not limited. This just shows what the revs would be if it WERE capable of going that fast.

You would have to invest a lot of money to get this car above 180, let alone close to 200.

[Citizen Z]

Its possible to get a decent estimate mathematically, I just can't find a calculator to do the crunching. Based on a 3600lb weight (driver included), 300hp, frontal drag coefficient of about .33, tire diameter of 24.5", and final drive ratio of .69, you should be able to do a decent estimate.

[imported_Katera]

Ok, I get it. It's why I asked the question, I really didn't know. /shrug No dumb questions and all that....:iono:

[me1.0]

The only dumb questions are the one's that are asked twice or are never asked at all.

[taylor82]

well my speedo has got 160mph on so that must be top speed yeah? :biggrin:

[MVF4Rrider]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Thank you for your answers. 80 @ 3K rpms is perfectly acceptable, but I wonder why 6th is not more relaxed, with all that torque.
I asked about it due to engine noise on the highway, but at current fuel prices (and premium at that), better fuel mileage doesn't hurt.

Hey, does anybody know if the shifter on these cars is directly mounted to the tranny, or does it need a remote linkage shifter, like my GTO? And what kind of tranny these cars have? Thanks.
Take care.
JC

2800 to be precise. I set the cruise at 80 today (which happened to be the speed limit of that Autobahn section--130 Km/h).