Demo 135i

[Project 393]

My salesman was kind enough to call and invite me try a demo 135i while we await our order. It was Sphre/blk, red interior, sport, premium, cold, 6A with paddles.

Fortunetely he did not accompany me and my 17 year old son...First of all in terms of interior space it is comparable to my X3 up front and acceptable in back considering how short the car is. The engine was somewhat noisy on cold start up and you can hear the tttttttt of the direct injectors (outside the car). The steering (non active) was not to heavy, and the ride was firm, relaxed and quiet. The paddle shifters were better than I thought; essentially I pulled with my left finger tips to upshift, and used my left thumb to downshift - very nice as you keep your hands on the wheel.

Once at operating temperatures, I did a 65 to 120 burst on the highway - very smooth and showed its pedigree by not slowing appreciably at triple digits. With the short gearing changing ratios rather frequently at lower speeds, the flat torque curve is there to pull a taller gear longer for a nice push in the backside at higher speeds.

Took a couple of corners at 7/10s where I braked and downshifted (trans blips the throttle) to second and then WOT up to fourth. The TT motor really impresses with its imediate response in harmony with the trans. and the rearend was very controlled. This car will flatter an enthusiastic driver with its control!

Overall, I am very happy with our decision to order and look forward to our 135!

[spudw]

Great post! Dumb question: is the 135i to replace the X3 or add to it? My father has the X3is and just loves it. Drove it the other day and I forgot it was a crossover.

Congrats on ordering the 135i.