BMW 1 Series Coupe Forum / 1 Series Convertible Forum (1M / tii / 135i / 128i / Coupe / Cabrio / Hatchback) (BMW E82 E88 128i 130i 135i)
 





 

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      01-19-2018, 12:47 AM   #1
zestyfesty
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Happy Newby E82.II 125i owner

Hello All!

Finally into a little Bavarian!

A handful of pivotal experiences with BMWs as a boy and young man has meant a lifelong soft spot for BMW NA inline 6s.

We've just purchased a 2012 125i coupé with Msport dress up kit, in alpine white and with 6sp manual gearbox, 50,000km FSH 2 previous owners. Having driven it back from Sydney including some quiet winding back roads these are my first impressions. I must say my expectations were pretty high, which may be a little unfair.

Pos
-The whole car oozes substance and heft (not 'heavy' I think there's a difference?! and feels generally hewn from granite, which reminds me of Mum's E28 520i, which I admired as a lad.
-It feels properly compact and small.
-The engine is so refined, smooth, has good mid range and willing top end, feels understressed too, if not particularly powerful in this guise.
-The gearbox is a thing of joy to use, lovely spring load to the throw and the gate feels tight and the throw accurate, really pleased with this.
-Brakes lovely; not grabby and overly sensitive like so much auto flotsam out there
-Clutch - nice mid point bite on release.
-Floor hinged accelerator

Criticisms
-I'm a steering guy and I was hoping for more here. I believe it's an electrically assisted rack? On dead-centre the front end feels quite remote, and the steering is lighter than I'd like. Interestingly as speed rises, it appears to load up with more weight and better feedback. Frankly, our WS Fiesta Zetec has superior steering and that's also electric rack. I recall the E28 having delicious, moderately weighted steering dripping with feedback, but maybe that's just the passage of time and me over-romanticising the old girl E28

Anyhow, we're very pleased and it's a peach.

Last edited by zestyfesty; 01-19-2018 at 12:56 AM..
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      01-19-2018, 04:18 AM   #2
Digitalism
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Throw some pics up..
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      01-19-2018, 05:05 PM   #3
zestyfesty
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Voilà!

(I don't know German equivalent)
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      01-19-2018, 06:11 PM   #4
arthurtwp
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looks great. tinted tail lights too!
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      01-21-2018, 07:24 AM   #5
OzJustin
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Garage List
2008 BMW 135i  [8.66]
Looks like a really nice example Zesty. Enjoy.
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      01-21-2018, 03:40 PM   #6
walkie86
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Welcome and great choice!

Do the camber pin mod and throw some M3 LCAs on there for extra camber if you like corners
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      01-21-2018, 07:53 PM   #7
And11
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Looks nice and clean congrats! Agree with you on the steering feel, I remember driving older BMWs and the steering was always a highlight. Not so with most newer BMWs... things went downhill after run-flats.
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      01-23-2018, 12:17 AM   #8
zestyfesty
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Thanks for the tip Walkie86, duly noted, but I think I'll leave her alone. Just after an elegant little transporter. I have a pretty rabid Mitsubishi Evo VI which fills the cornering brief reasonably effectively


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Originally Posted by walkie86 View Post
Welcome and great choice!

Do the camber pin mod and throw some M3 LCAs on there for extra camber if you like corners
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      01-23-2018, 03:07 AM   #9
arthurtwp
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jus read the original post again...

forgot to add the bmwp performance wheels amongst the pros! haha.
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      02-12-2018, 08:05 PM   #10
125I E87 COUPE
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Nice Looking,
I Love Mine
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      02-16-2018, 05:20 AM   #11
zestyfesty
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Custom plates and good bye trusty old girl

So the plates have arrived. Real car nerd test these ones. Well not so much for members of this forum but for even the keen piston head it's a challenge!

Mechanic -'what did you like about the Fiesta?'
'Minuscule running costs, total reliability'
Pause...'Well you better find something else to like with your new car!'

The Fiesta is imbued with lightness, which gives it agility, which makes it feel playful. It has the most feelsome EPS system I have yet used. It's just a ripper little steer frankly. Slow, but so earnest and keen. I think I will miss it. Will the BMW float our boat...early signs rather good
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      02-16-2018, 08:07 PM   #12
arthurtwp
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Looking very good! Was sourcing for a 125i for ages, could not find one then settled with a 130i hatch. Are you gonna do the Evolve tune?
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      02-17-2018, 11:57 PM   #13
zestyfesty
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arthurtwp View Post
Looking very good! Was sourcing for a 125i for ages, could not find one then settled with a 130i hatch. Are you gonna do the Evolve tune?
What does the Evolve tune comprise?
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      02-19-2018, 06:19 PM   #14
at21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arthurtwp View Post
Looking very good! Was sourcing for a 125i for ages, could not find one then settled with a 130i hatch. Are you gonna do the Evolve tune?
im looking for a evolve tune but havent found dealers or people who can do it
do you know anyone who does the evolve tune?
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      02-19-2018, 06:44 PM   #15
zurnaik
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Great find! Yes you are correct with it having electric steering, the 125i changed to electric for LCI update. I notice you are in Melbourne, are you a BMWCCV member yet?
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      04-02-2018, 02:10 PM   #16
zestyfesty
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No not yet.
A bit anxious about the Takata airbag inflator recall atm...
I’m torn
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      07-26-2018, 06:16 AM   #17
zestyfesty
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So the cars on the initiation recall list which is a relief..hopefully we get booked in soon.

So 6 months into ownership and it's all positive. Just did a 7000km engine oil change, had the rear brakes done a couple of months back, no drama.

I really enjoy watching my wife drive off in it, it's a striking car on the move, just love that rear end! She's stoked with her first premium car. The simplicity of the interior, the restraint and minimalism in the design is lovely. The engine is so sweet, from idle to the redline, a smooth, creamy unit with good snarl from the exhaust above 4k.

I think the gearing could perhaps be shorter, particularly as we are 100km/h limited.

It's a pleasure to mooch around the 'burbs in, or hustle on a winding back road.

It's only dynamic criticism I can identify is around body control when pushing on a road with lots of crests and compressions. The suspension drops its bundle when faced with rapid inputs, it doesn't recover its composure before the next compression is thrown at it.

I like how the rear can get a little ragged, it has excellent balance and oversteer is predictable and not spikey
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      07-26-2018, 06:54 AM   #18
JBT2
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Very nice car zestyfesty. Get onto your dealer and see if you can move up the line for the airbag replacement. You get new horn button and roundel too.

Agree about the suspension. It's like BMW ran out of interest once they got below the car sills and said "that'll do". Fine for autobahns but, Australian roads....

There are alternatives to sort the suspension issues. I'm very happy with the performance of the MCA Street Essentials recently fitted on our 135i. Going for a more extended drive this weekend and will have a very good opportunity to compare with my not so fond memories of the OE arrangement.

There are issues with front coilovers on the E8x and probably the E9x too in that there is very little clearance between the wheel/tyre and the front strut.

Wheels and tyres wider than OE can be a big problem, so make sure you understand the limitations. In particular, look at how BMW arranged the strut spring perch so that it's above the tyres and know that you need to have any aftermarket spring perch as high as possible to avoid interference. The OE spring perch is 200mm above the point where the strut sits in the hub carrier. Beware that most coilovers will be lower than that.

This thread is very technical and helpful: https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=956039

Pic of OE (dead) strut with dimensions + or - a couple of mm.
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Last edited by JBT2; 07-26-2018 at 03:59 PM..
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      07-26-2018, 10:37 AM   #19
arthurtwp
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Quote:
Originally Posted by at21 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by arthurtwp View Post
Looking very good! Was sourcing for a 125i for ages, could not find one then settled with a 130i hatch. Are you gonna do the Evolve tune?
im looking for a evolve tune but havent found dealers or people who can do it
do you know anyone who does the evolve tune?
have a look at this.

http://www.bmraw.com/125i-e82-e88-n52-ecu-tune/

should bring it up to 130i factory levels. both cars shared the same internals. the 125i was defined i guess to create a margin for the 135i.

there are alternatives around. have a read around!

glad you are liking the car!
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      08-29-2018, 06:34 AM   #20
zestyfesty
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Thanks for the detail JBT2. IF I go there, I'll duly note your comments. That bump stop looks like a chocolate brownie!

I have MCA Reds on another car and they are deeply impressive things when the going gets fast and ugly. However the 1 is a daily 99% of its life, my wife is splendidly happy with it as is, so I'll work hard to leave it untouched....


Quote:
Originally Posted by JBT2 View Post
Very nice car zestyfesty. Get onto your dealer and see if you can move up the line for the airbag replacement. You get new horn button and roundel too.

Agree about the suspension. It's like BMW ran out of interest once they got below the car sills and said "that'll do". Fine for autobahns but, Australian roads....

There are alternatives to sort the suspension issues. I'm very happy with the performance of the MCA Street Essentials recently fitted on our 135i. Going for a more extended drive this weekend and will have a very good opportunity to compare with my not so fond memories of the OE arrangement.

There are issues with front coilovers on the E8x and probably the E9x too in that there is very little clearance between the wheel/tyre and the front strut.

Wheels and tyres wider than OE can be a big problem, so make sure you understand the limitations. In particular, look at how BMW arranged the strut spring perch so that it's above the tyres and know that you need to have any aftermarket spring perch as high as possible to avoid interference. The OE spring perch is 200mm above the point where the strut sits in the hub carrier. Beware that most coilovers will be lower than that.

This thread is very technical and helpful: https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=956039

Pic of OE (dead) strut with dimensions + or - a couple of mm.
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      08-30-2018, 01:49 AM   #21
JBT2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zestyfesty View Post
That bump stop looks like a chocolate brownie!
...and about as useful
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