Is this the right place to chat about a M135i?
Discussion
andrewfield23 said:
Is there really much of a performance difference/gap between a m135i / m235i and say an e92 m3 or a 'true' m product??
It depends what you mean when you say "performance".My last M car was a Z4MR, however it seems a bit unfair to compare that to the M135i, so with my older E46 M3 in mind... In a straight line, I'd say the M135i is as quick as the E46 M3 or at least very, very similar. The braking of the M135i feels rather better. On the whole though, I'd consider the M135i to be pretty bloody fast for an everyday car that can ferry you comfortably to work.
In terms of flicking through a chicane, the M3 is way, way more competent than the M135i. The M3 rolls far less and feels so much sweeter at the point that the rear breaks loose. The M135i feels a bit wallowy and unpredictable by comparison.
In terms of feedback, noise, throttle response, fun and driftability, the M3 blows the M135i into the weeds.
Yes it seems like the new m sport cars (m135 / m235 etc) are creep up to similar performance as the genuine m products but for significantly less money....
Is the extra money worth it? What elements do they include in the M135 to constitute the M badge ?? Also do you think that new M products are becoming a little mainstream now?... Less differentiation between top spec non M cars in the same class?
Is the extra money worth it? What elements do they include in the M135 to constitute the M badge ?? Also do you think that new M products are becoming a little mainstream now?... Less differentiation between top spec non M cars in the same class?
andrewfield23 said:
Is there really much of a performance difference/gap between a m135i / m235i and say an e92 m3 or a 'true' m product??
Depends what you call performance: straight line very little difference. The M135i has better brakes which will take a few laps in their stride unlike the M3.On the road, the limiting factor is always traffic, line of sight and licence preservation.
On the track the M3 will shine because of its suspension kinematics and LSD.
But there, drivers skill can make the most difference. I am not a great track peddler but stayed with a M4 auto at Spa, both under 3:00. Spoke the the guy afterwards, he was a little mift.
I just fitted M4 control arms to my M135i (and therefore front camber) and added to a LSD, it would get very close for little over half the money.
andrewfield23 said:
Yes it seems like the new m sport cars (m135 / m235 etc) are creep up to similar performance as the genuine m products but for significantly less money....
Is the extra money worth it? What elements do they include in the M135 to constitute the M badge ?? Also do you think that new M products are becoming a little mainstream now?... Less differentiation between top spec non M cars in the same class?
I think it depends what you want from it and how you drive it. Ignoring the fact that the M135i can have an LSD fitted for a couple of £k, the LSD makes a massive difference if you're a hooligan as do the thicker ARBs, extra camber and firmer springs.Is the extra money worth it? What elements do they include in the M135 to constitute the M badge ?? Also do you think that new M products are becoming a little mainstream now?... Less differentiation between top spec non M cars in the same class?
I do think the M135i has closed the gap from M-Sport BMWs to the proper M cars, but that's exactly where BMW positioned it to be. It's a bit better than the M-Sports, but it's not as good as a full-fat M car.
Is it worth the extra money? I'd say yes...unless you're willing to spend loads on an M135i to get it to full M level and even then you'd still not have MDM or a way to switch the DSC off in an instant.
My buying decision was influenced by real world driving. I wanted something that I could live with on a daily basis, I test drove new (F80) M3 and found it a bit tiring! Yes, I'm sure it would have been a better car when trying to find the extra tenth or two, but really given our roads and licence preservation, other than on a track the difference is immeasurable. Its good to hear the points though but imo there appears to be a great deal of badge snobbery associated with proper M cars, which takes me back to my original post! I resisted putting in the speech marks.
Standing by for the abuse!
Standing by for the abuse!
I asked the question on the difference because I'd never driven an M sport / m135i type car before ... And was keen to understand the difference between them and the m products as there's a lot of ££ difference and yet on paper not an awful lot performance wise.
I can understand why people get passionate about the M products (snobbery etc) but I just don't see as much differentiation these days between the m products and other fast/series topping bmw ....
oh, before I get abuse
my first M car was a csl, followed by a z4m coupe, then an e92 m3... My previous car was an m4 and I currently have an f80 m3.... My first two m cars felt very special and different to any other BMW cars... But more recently the m4 / f80 m3 feel less special and no different to let's say an m235i or a 50d....
I can understand why people get passionate about the M products (snobbery etc) but I just don't see as much differentiation these days between the m products and other fast/series topping bmw ....
oh, before I get abuse
my first M car was a csl, followed by a z4m coupe, then an e92 m3... My previous car was an m4 and I currently have an f80 m3.... My first two m cars felt very special and different to any other BMW cars... But more recently the m4 / f80 m3 feel less special and no different to let's say an m235i or a 50d.... Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff