335xd

[335d]

julian64 said:

Confused about the engine upgrade. The BMW Chap said there was a BMW perfomance upgrade for the engine. He said it was approx 3K, and involved a change in the intake and BMW remap that released a further 90bhp.

I'm due to take the car back this thursday so I might ask for more details

I have asked about an official BMW Performance Power Kit for the 335d and been told that it doesn't exist, so I would be very interested to see what you are told. I can't imagine they could add 90bhp - firstly it would threaten the M3 and probably screw the gearbox.

Osinjak said:

335d said:

In the 335d (unlike the 535d) it also turns up the sound symposer!

The what?

Most 3 series now have a box which attaches to the amplifier and pipes a synthetic engine noise through the speakers. The increased use of turbos has dulled the natural engine sound so this seems to be way it is going. The M5 has done this for years, and it is spreading to others. The worst examples are the M3/M4 which sould like a ridiculous playstation game - just dreadful to my ears.

Interestingly the 335d and M135i seem to have an extremely similar noise under hard acceleration. The Active Sound Design unit can be unplugged if you remove the panel on the floor of the LHS of the boot.

[335d]

There is a post here with videos of an M135i with the symposer unplugged and of it working as usual:

http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78...

[Osinjak]

I knew that some BMWs had artificially created noise through the speaker system I just never knew it was called a 'symposer', Im assuming that's a made up name! Anyway, I thought the new 335ds didn't have this?

[335d]

Osinjak said:

I knew that some BMWs had artificially created noise through the speaker system I just never knew it was called a 'symposer', Im assuming that's a made up name! Anyway, I thought the new 335ds didn't have this?

The official name is Active Sound Design (ASD) and the 335d along with many BMWs have this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6cWmqWlDfk#t=108

[cerb4.5lee]

335d said:

There is a post here with videos of an M135i with the symposer unplugged and of it working as usual:

http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78...

Pretty big difference in tone for sure with it on.

[cerb4.5lee]

335d said:

Osinjak said:

I knew that some BMWs had artificially created noise through the speaker system I just never knew it was called a 'symposer', Im assuming that's a made up name! Anyway, I thought the new 335ds didn't have this?

The official name is Active Sound Design (ASD) and the 335d along with many BMWs have this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6cWmqWlDfk#t=108

With it on it does hide the diesel clatter a little better for sure.

[Osinjak]

How interesting! I didn't even know you could switch it on and off.

[moffat]

I'm in a similar boat (excuse the pun).

I've just come out of a 2013 C63 Coupe after a 2 year lease into a new 640d Coupe.

The 640 is amazing inside and the torque is good, but I know I am going to get bored, the engine is just too dull. However it is making me smile when I look down at the fuel gauge and see that I've still got nearly 150 miles left with 1/4 tank hahah In my C63 panic would set in worrying where I could get some super unleaded!

But I will be patient, there was nothing else out there for me and I always loved the 6 series and I just couldn't stretch to the M6 and even though I got a good deal on an M5 I decided with my head this time (heart with C63).

I'm going to wait 2 years and then change into the new C63S in Estate form.

In the meantime I'm off to Superchips to get a little extra power.

[BMRuss]

I got myself an Alpine white 335d xdrive in November, very much enjoying it, also changed the springs to ACS ones and it's a huge improvement, turn in is sharper and feels more planted.

I would also like to add more power, but what with the warranty...

[335d]

BMRuss said:

I got myself an Alpine white 335d xdrive in November, very much enjoying it, also changed the springs to ACS ones and it's a huge improvement, turn in is sharper and feels more planted.

I would also like to add more power, but what with the warranty...

Glad you like the ACS springs too. They are such an improvement over the standard ones, without compromising the ride. Makes you wonder what BMW were thinking when they chose the springs...

You could go for the fairly expensive ACS power kit as they provide a warranty which dovetails with the existing BMW warranty. In other words, either BMW or ACS will cover any fault. I haven't done this upgrade, but one person on the F30Post forum has and seems very impressed.

[julian64]

Hmmm ACS springs lower the car by 25mm, adaptive in sport+ is meant to lower the car by 10mm, and I have the aero package with a dirty great front splitter, and rear diffuser which seems a reasonable degree lower than standard bodywork.

Given that, I suspect my advantage of xWD in snow is about to be severely limited by other problems.

[Welshbeef]

How much is the DMS upgrade to 370bhp and what impact does it have on insurance?

Also how much does it decrease the 0-62mph and 0-100mph by?
Not sure for a road car any more than 370bhp is needed.

[335d]

Welshbeef said:

How much is the DMS upgrade to 370bhp and what impact does it have on insurance?

Also how much does it decrease the 0-62mph and 0-100mph by?
Not sure for a road car any more than 370bhp is needed.

£950 I believe, and the insurance impact varies from zero to quite a bit. They are all completely inconsistent. It can even depend who you speak to at the insurance company.

I would expect it to knock about 0.4 secs off the 0-62 time for the 335d, but probably takes less from the 535d figure as the limits of traction are lower. The key Impact would be at higher speeds.

[apotts]

julian64 said:

adaptive in sport+ is meant to lower the car by 10mm,

Eh? Adaptive suspension in BMWs just means variable dampers - which cannot change the ride height.

[JNW1]

apotts said:

Eh? Adaptive suspension in BMWs just means variable dampers - which cannot change the ride height.

That's also my understanding - not aware that the different modes with adaptive alter the ride height.

[JNW1]

335d said:

£950 I believe, and the insurance impact varies from zero to quite a bit. They are all completely inconsistent. It can even depend who you speak to at the insurance company.

I would expect it to knock about 0.4 secs off the 0-62 time for the 335d, but probably takes less from the 535d figure as the limits of traction are lower. The key Impact would be at higher speeds.

Is this a remap or a plug-in module? Wasn't aware anyone had managed to do a remap for the latest 335d but £950 sounds steep for a plug-in box; Evolve only charge £550 albeit their claimed power increase is more modest at 50bhp.

[335d]

JNW1 said:

Is this a remap or a plug-in module? Wasn't aware anyone had managed to do a remap for the latest 335d but £950 sounds steep for a plug-in box; Evolve only charge £550 albeit their claimed power increase is more modest at 50bhp.

DMS remap the car for £950. The ACS power kit which is a plug-in module is £2700, although it does include a warranty which dovetails with the BMW one. There are quite a few cheaper options available, but I have no idea if they are any good or safe for the engine.

JNW1 said:

apotts said:

Eh? Adaptive suspension in BMWs just means variable dampers - which cannot change the ride height.

That's also my understanding - not aware that the different modes with adaptive alter the ride height.

They don't change the ride height. BMW also use the term 'adaptive' in an inconsistent way. In the F30 it is just variable dampers, which is also called Variable Damper Control or Electronic Damper Control in other models. Adaptive Drive in the F10 is more sophisticated, but still doesn't change the ride height.

[chillax]

I just found this thread amazing the similarities between owners. I went from an E39 M5 to a mini clubman JCW (chipped to 280BHP) and from that to the F31 335XD (Touring).

I am only a few hundred miles in so still getting acquainted, I have adaptive dampers and MSport+ pack, as others have said the actual performance is comparable, in fact probably ahead of the E39 but nothing like the driving experience (obviously!).

Of the 3 cars the JCW was the most fun road car, the E39 the most epic and capable but could put you in prison if you used all the performance and handling available. I find myself driving the F31 in Eco Pro in traffic but love the fact you can select Sport or Sport+ and have some fun when the opportunity arises.

On handling it is good to have a bit of ground clearance but I can't work out if any of the previous posters have AC Schnitzer Springs with adapative dampers, as first impression is that the ride is a bit vague although well damped and the steering is nowhere near the JCW or the M5.

It takes a few thousand miles to really gel with a car in my experience so looking forward to the learning curve :-)

[335d]

chillax said:

On handling it is good to have a bit of ground clearance but I can't work out if any of the previous posters have AC Schnitzer Springs with adapative dampers, as first impression is that the ride is a bit vague although well damped and the steering is nowhere near the JCW or the M5.

It takes a few thousand miles to really gel with a car in my experience so looking forward to the learning curve :-)

My 335d has adaptive dampers and ACS springs. Of the 20 or so people on the UK part of F30Post who have fitted these springs, I think the majority also have adaptive. The combination works extremely well. With the suspension in Comfort mode, the car is much more composed and the steering is a lot more precise. I would even suggest taking it easy for the first 100 miles after fitment as on a left hand bend in the road you could end up much closer to the apex than you intended. Turn in is a lot sharper.

With the dampers in Sport, previously you could feel the dampers doing most of the work in the corner to keep it flat. It was a slightly odd feeling. Now it feels much more natural, and it is much more composed. It can still get slightly upset by bumps when cornering sharply, but that probably has more to do with the run flat tyres. I may well switch to Michelin PSS non run flats (as fitted to the new M3, and Alpina D3 I believe) when my original set wear out. This makes a significant difference apparently.

For me this is a logical step for an E39 M5 owner - interesting to see a few of us have owned both. The fact that it is a slightly larger, slightly faster car with double the fuel economy at about half the (inflation adjusted) price shows how much progress has been made. Hopefully in 15 years we can all buy a fast one series which will be faster, bigger and cheaper than this!

[Shapes]

I've had my 335xd touring about 8 months now and love it.

As others have said the power delivery is rather unique. The no fuss and lack of much noise makes the car deceptively fast...I guess most people on here will want an exhaust note to match the power of the car. Quite the opposite to my S2000 which now feels surprisingly slow.

For me, this is one of the best all round cars, what with having the different driving modes (and for me the boot size) means it can cope with all possible requirements of life and not break the bank with running it.