Did I make my car too fast for the street ?

[edisapimp]

Originally Posted by N54Yankee

A 458 is as easily driven in traffic as a 135 and everyone hates rush hour traffic and has a tough time of it. I always look like I’m having a tough go at it because it sucks. I live in NY so it sucks that much more.

Saying you can’t access the power on a regular basis is a bit of a head scratcher, unless one spends the majority of his time on a race track. Most of us can’t get that thrill whenever we want. It’s those choice times when we can get to the track often or carefully choose our moments where and when we can stretch out it’s legs make it worth it. I can’t think of a person alive when given the choice of a Ferrari 458 or a 128 for the day of driving some nice winding roads at normal speeds that anyone would take the 128. I wouldn’t believe for a second.

My 135 makes about 380 and my Corvette over 600. Me, I prefer to drive fast cars faster. Some classic cars that aren’t tarmac burners can be nice to tool around in but I’ll always return to more power as do most, at least people I know. To each his own.

This.

I'm also in New York (Long Island), and typically (Pandemic excluded) my commute on the Long Island Expressway is a traffic-filled nightmare, except for one section of an exit ramp getting off the LIE, onto Rt. 135 (it was meant to be) where I can really muscle the car through a right-hander, hit an apex and basically go flat out with two very wide lanes on fresh tarmac with a lot of grip. It's as close as I'll probably ever get to driving my 1er on a track. If the weather is warmer than 60 and the top is down, for those 10-15 seconds, I never ever regret taking the 1er out of the garage versus any of my other cars.

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by N54Yankee

A 458 is as easily driven in traffic as a 135 and everyone hates rush hour traffic and has a tough time of it. I always look like I’m having a tough go at it because it sucks. I live in NY so it sucks that much more.

Saying you can’t access the power on a regular basis is a bit of a head scratcher, unless one spends the majority of his time on a race track. Most of us can’t get that thrill whenever we want. It’s those choice times when we can get to the track often or carefully choose our moments where and when we can stretch out it’s legs make it worth it. I can’t think of a person alive when given the choice of a Ferrari 458 or a 128 for the day of driving some nice winding roads at normal speeds that anyone would take the 128. I wouldn’t believe for a second.

My 135 makes about 380 and my Corvette over 600. Me, I prefer to drive fast cars faster. Some classic cars that aren’t tarmac burners can be nice to tool around in but I’ll always return to more power as do most, at least people I know. To each his own.

I wouldn't expect a guy with a 600 HP Corvette and a gun as his profile pic to understand, but I literally have zero interest in any of the super cars or exotics that you mentioned. Just not my cup of tea.

[N54Yankee]

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

I wouldn't expect a guy with a 600 HP Corvette and a gun as his profile pic to understand, but I literally have zero interest in any of the super cars or exotics that you mentioned. Just not my cup of tea.

I do expect a guy with a kid show puppet frog as his profile pic would say, its not your cup of tea. To each his, hers own.

[mfindigital]

There is definitely a point of diminishing returns when it comes to power. I just went pure stage 2, I didn't really do it for the power, I just did it so I wasn't losing power above 5k rpm (my dyno indicated a 50-60whp drop off from 5100rpm - 7000rpm fbo on stock turbo). I hate the feeling of low end power, suffocating up top, and I'm really glad I made the decision. Totally changed the dynamics of the car.

That being said, I'm not exactly rushing out to get a custom e85 tune. Since we have such terrible gas in California, it's reasonable to expect that I'd pick up 70ish whp from an e85 tune only, but that puts me past the point of real horsepower usability.

It only takes 4-6 minutes to flash between owned maps in MHD, you could always just tune stage 1 for most days.

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by N54Yankee

I do expect a guy with a kid show puppet frog as his profile pic would say, its not your cup of tea. To each his, hers own.

It's actually a frame grab from a European 1-Series commercial. Guess I don't feel the need to project what a bad-ass I am.

[fast1eddy]

Originally Posted by edisapimp

This.

I'm also in New York (Long Island), and typically (Pandemic excluded) my commute on the Long Island Expressway is a traffic-filled nightmare, except for one section of an exit ramp getting off the LIE, onto Rt. 135 (it was meant to be) where I can really muscle the car through a right-hander, hit an apex and basically go flat out with two very wide lanes on fresh tarmac with a lot of grip. It's as close as I'll probably ever get to driving my 1er on a track. If the weather is warmer than 60 and the top is down, for those 10-15 seconds, I never ever regret taking the 1er out of the garage versus any of my other cars.

I get that the reality of driving is not what most of us dream about or buy our cars hoping for. I know I can drive the car as quickly or slowly as I want or the conditions allow. Maybe it's the way turbo power comes on not quite as progressively as na that I'm not quite liking. I'll play around some after I change my coils. Now I've got a misfire in cylinder 3. The fun never ends.

[N54Yankee]

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

It's actually a frame grab from a European 1-Series commercial. Guess I don't feel the need to project what a bad-ass I am.

Only you think “bad ass”, the thought never crossed my mind. I like fast cars and just happened to buy a new pistol when I joined the forum and just threw that up on this site just because and left it up for no reason what so ever.
At least I didn’t choose a kiddie show puppet to represent regardless if it was a company commercial or not.
I responded to a post and offered my thoughts without being snarky and you jumped in with your dissection of my car and profile picture with an underhanded insult.

[Lucky1]

Trade it in for something that delivers power differently. E46 M3 or E90 M3 and those delicious individual throttle bodies It won't be about going faster but feeling the thrill of that engine revving up to the heavens. More seat of your pants enjoyment up to the moment and beyond before you break the speed limit

[chris_flies]

There's something to be said for the much lower maintenance cost, less weight (much lighter engine, lighter trans, lighter driveshaft, lighter diff, lighter axles, lighter hubs, etc.), and very approachable performance of the 128i. Put 3.73's from an auto 128i in your 6-speed and you can get through fourth before being anti-social with your speed. The N51/N52 LOVES to rev out.

Seriously, this engine feels like it's yearning to spin really fast. It feels just as smooth at 7,000 as it does at 2,000. Torque comes on early, peaking at 2,800rpm, and it holds that torque figure almost all the way to redline, while power climbs in a wonderfully linear fashion. It has none of the problems of the M50 series motors (VANOS and oil pump issues, specifically), it's insanely reliable by BMW standards.

Some people like driving fast cars fast, but, put a fast driver of a slow car in a fast car, and they'll be orders of magnitude faster than the fast driver of the fast car. There's a reason literally ALL professional racers have started off in go-karts or some small, pure, low-power vehicle.

But, it's your street car, and you're not competing against another driver or the clock (well, you shouldn't be, but we all do ) Pick what makes you happiest, that's the beauty of the free market!

N54Yankee I can think of a lot of drivers and friends who would rather drive a well set-up, if much much slower, 128i in anger over a nanny-riddled modern Ferrari. Some of the best and most intelligent drivers I've known have sold much faster cars for simple ones like Miatas, E36's, or a Civic.

Ferrari wins all the street cred, obviously, but is it really all that cool if NPC's would choose it?

Honestly, I'd want to take one for a drive on a great road. But, given the choice between a 458 and my clapped 200k-mile 128i, I'd be an idiot and choose my car because it's what would make me happier.

[E91WAG3N]

Both have their merits. I went from N55 to N52 and don't regret it, ever. I ordered an E92 335i new and moved on to an E82 128i and then an E91 328i. All 3 cars have been 6MT. I spent 8 years in an E36 M3. As others have touched on, a 128i feels pretty damn close to an E36. Low end torque is missing and the suspension needs help but otherwise it's as close as you're going to get a decade removed.

I've driven tons of quick cars in my life but in all honestly I'd rather drive a slow car fast. In my eyes, it's simply more rewarding. I prefer driver engagement and my ideal combination consists of a third pedal, hydraulic steering, naturally aspirated, and a differential routing power to the rear wheels. Balance and setup of a car is the priority for me. Since BMW started turbo'ing cars again with the N54 generation, a new crop of enthusiasts who want raw power, low quarter mile times, and blazing acceleration have migrated to the brand. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and as enthusiasts we are lucky to have plenty of different vehicles to choose from. I still think the E36/E46 generations were the pinnacle of feel and performance. The E9X/E82 generation is newer/safer/more reliable relatively speaking, yet still gives you 90% of the feel of the prior generations. The F3X generation does nothing for me, even after significant seat time.

In the end, I ordered at $50k+ car new and traded "down" to a $20k CPO 128i and was happy with my move. I always wanted a unicorn wagon and that was the only reason I ditched the E82 since I couldn't justify having 4 cars as the time. Drive what you like, life is short!

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by E91WAG3N

an E91 328i... ...6MT.

Sweet.

[ShocknAwe]

Man. I gotta stop driving these Mexican streets then. The commute is getting absurd.

[fast1eddy]

I have a confession. The car is not too fast for the street. The car sits for 6 months of the year and at some point last year I must have mapped back to stock throttle mapping instead of linear throttle. The power delivery was so all over the place the car felt too unpredictable and therefore too fast. While I was mapping quiet start on MHD last week I also mapped linear throttle. What a night and day difference ! The car is now utterly predictable and as fast as I want it to be , when I want it to be. The power is under my control whereas before I'd get a huge surge with relatively small input changes. I also have sprint booster which was unusable with stock throttle mapping. I use the sport setting for daily driving and the car is just a blast to drive. I still can't hit redline on the street but I'm planning to take it to the track to see what the car is really capable of. I'm sure it's way faster than I'm capable of driving it.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by E91WAG3N

Both have their merits. I went from N55 to N52 and don't regret it, ever. I ordered an E92 335i new and moved on to an E82 128i and then an E91 328i. All 3 cars have been 6MT. I spent 8 years in an E36 M3. As others have touched on, a 128i feels pretty damn close to an E36. Low end torque is missing and the suspension needs help but otherwise it's as close as you're going to get a decade removed.

I've driven tons of quick cars in my life but in all honestly I'd rather drive a slow car fast. In my eyes, it's simply more rewarding. I prefer driver engagement and my ideal combination consists of a third pedal, hydraulic steering, naturally aspirated, and a differential routing power to the rear wheels. Balance and setup of a car is the priority for me. Since BMW started turbo'ing cars again with the N54 generation, a new crop of enthusiasts who want raw power, low quarter mile times, and blazing acceleration have migrated to the brand. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and as enthusiasts we are lucky to have plenty of different vehicles to choose from. I still think the E36/E46 generations were the pinnacle of feel and performance. The E9X/E82 generation is newer/safer/more reliable relatively speaking, yet still gives you 90% of the feel of the prior generations. The F3X generation does nothing for me, even after significant seat time.

In the end, I ordered at $50k+ car new and traded "down" to a $20k CPO 128i and was happy with my move. I always wanted a unicorn wagon and that was the only reason I ditched the E82 since I couldn't justify having 4 cars as the time. Drive what you like, life is short!

As a fellow 3-pedal RWD e91 owner (ordered it new, ED) who also bought a '16 M235i new, then traded that "down" to a '17 GTI Sport, and has now also bought an e88 128i, I could not possibly agree with you more.

The M235i was AWESOME in Germany and Italy on my Euro Delivery tour, but in the US, meh, you can't use it without vaporizing your license. Takes all the fun out of it. The only thing I miss about that car is the superb Full-NAV big screen iDrive setup. And I don't miss it that much. The two N5X cars and the GTI, with 220-235ish hp, are quick enough with a stick to be fun on the street, but you can actually lean on them a bit without risking going to jail. I don't get the point of the big number turbo cars and such - you can only go as fast as the dumbass in front of you most of the time anyway, even if you don't care about your license.

The BMW Performance Intake and Exhaust has added a bit of extra drama to my wagon for the past 9 years too - I will take a car that sounds faster to one that IS faster every time. I'll probably do the same to the 128i, if I can find them for non-silly money (yeah, I know).

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by fast1eddy

... at some point last year I must have mapped back to stock throttle mapping instead of linear throttle.

Nice find! I have Cobb on mine and forgot I did that as well. Yeah it's a big difference, much more like how you expect it to be. I think that BMW may have cut the down low power to make it more "driveable" or something, and it kicks on only at WOT? But yes that change (to linear) is a big difference for the better.

[JimD]

I bought a 128i instead of a 135i based upon somewhat similar logic. I do not consider a 15 second quarter mile car slow. When I got my license that was what a V8 would give you in most cars. I like the power delivery of the n52. I knew I would have to put my foot into it at least occasionally and with a 135i I would get in trouble quicker. I am entirely happy with the decision.

[Dogeeseegod]

Any day, I would happily drive my 128i through the mountains and gladly leave the Ferrari waiting to be driven by someone in leather pants or whatever. I love the conservative styling, na inline power and the driving balance of my car. That's why it's my dream car and that's why I bought it.