RE: BMW M135i vs. Mercedes-AMG A35

[Shiv_P]

cerb4.5lee said:

I think you can have a LSD as a factory option on the M240i if I remember correctly.

I believe it is a dealer fit option only and thus very expensive comparatively

[cerb4.5lee]

Shiv_P said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I think you can have a LSD as a factory option on the M240i if I remember correctly.

I believe it is a dealer fit option only and thus very expensive comparatively

Thanks. I bet hardly anyone went for one then.

[anonymous-user]

moffat said:

I do wonder how many would have been sold without BMW's crazy discounting? I bought a 440i with MPPSK and a stack of extras with over 22% off list 2 years ago. M4's are selling with similar or higher levels of discount now and have been for the last 18 months. Is this sustainable?

I got a fully loaded new 340i with 12 miles on the clock for 36% off list.

There are pre reg 440i's with no miles for £30K

Its a sales tactic and its working.List them high, register them and shove them out.

Edited by doog442 on Tuesday 8th October 20:42

[Jag_NE]

Dombilano said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

that is awful, they have just stuck as many hard lines as they can at random all over the back, at a glance it looks like its been backed into a wall

And your degree in Graphic Design is from where? Mine's from Newcastle Uni.

They offer graphic design at Newcastle?

[1974foggy]

ghost83 said:

Wouldn’t have either I’m afraid

Both ugly as sin imo

Same.

Also, I've had a laugh at the graphic designers comments, jees that guy is such an arrogant cliche !
I'm embarrassed to be in the same profession, although i'm not sure what graphics has do do with car design.
However i did start off as a car designer - ended up working mainly on construction vehicles and trains when in the real world- and for what its worth i'm not keen on the styling of either car.

But they do know their markets/customers and what they want, which i think says more about them and the countries who's markets are rapidly expanding (which explains the tasteless Merc interior, the BMWs silly big grille, etc.)

Edited by 1974foggy on Wednesday 9th October 12:04

[HM-2]

Shiv_P said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I think you can have a LSD as a factory option on the M240i if I remember correctly.

I believe it is a dealer fit option only and thus very expensive comparatively

Circa £2.5k fitted, so pretty costly. Don't think too many ended up with them, but they're fantastic frankly.

[cerb4.5lee]

Just seen my first new M135i in the metal this afternoon. I wasn't that keen on the front end and the grill, but I did quite like it from the rear though.

The brakes looked nice and beefy which is good to see, and I still have flash backs of when BMW didn't used to bother fitting good brakes from when I had my Z4M/E92 M3!

[Sten.]

cerb4.5lee said:

I wasn't that keen on the front end and the grill, but I did quite like it from the rear though.

I'm of the same opinion. I reckon the mid-life facelift will have a sharper and better looking front end, as per the previous model. I think it somehow looks dated already!

[Court_S]

cerb4.5lee said:

Just seen my first new M135i in the metal this afternoon. I wasn't that keen on the front end and the grill, but I did quite like it from the rear though.

The brakes looked nice and beefy which is good to see, and I still have flash backs of when BMW didn't used to bother fitting good brakes from when I had my Z4M/E92 M3!

Modern BMW brakes seem a shed load better than those of year gone by. The ones on my M140 seem pretty effective without the over-servo’d fave through the windscreen you often get in VAG cars. I remember my R53 Cooper S having the same brakes as a Cooper, which could get interesting at times.

[J4CKO]

Court_S said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Just seen my first new M135i in the metal this afternoon. I wasn't that keen on the front end and the grill, but I did quite like it from the rear though.

The brakes looked nice and beefy which is good to see, and I still have flash backs of when BMW didn't used to bother fitting good brakes from when I had my Z4M/E92 M3!

Modern BMW brakes seem a shed load better than those of year gone by. The ones on my M140 seem pretty effective without the over-servo’d fave through the windscreen you often get in VAG cars. I remember my R53 Cooper S having the same brakes as a Cooper, which could get interesting at times.

Are they M4 brakes with different pads ?

[cerb4.5lee]

Court_S said:

I remember my R53 Cooper S having the same brakes as a Cooper, which could get interesting at times.

Yes and I can relate to that. The brakes on my F56 Cooper S are fine if you are just driving normally, but as soon as you up the pace they completely fall apart and you lose all confidence in them. I wish it had the JCW front brakes on it.

[JD]

cerb4.5lee said:

Court_S said:

I remember my R53 Cooper S having the same brakes as a Cooper, which could get interesting at times.

Yes and I can relate to that. The brakes on my F56 Cooper S are fine if you are just driving normally, but as soon as you up the pace they completely fall apart and you lose all confidence in them. I wish it had the JCW front brakes on it.

Never have a driven a car on the road that could so easily overheat its brakes, I tried all new pads and discs and different fluid but it still didn't work.

BMW fitted the same to the Cooper S as they did the base spec One!

[Deep Thought]

JD said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Court_S said:

I remember my R53 Cooper S having the same brakes as a Cooper, which could get interesting at times.

Yes and I can relate to that. The brakes on my F56 Cooper S are fine if you are just driving normally, but as soon as you up the pace they completely fall apart and you lose all confidence in them. I wish it had the JCW front brakes on it.

Never have a driven a car on the road that could so easily overheat its brakes, I tried all new pads and discs and different fluid but it still didn't work.

BMW fitted the same to the Cooper S as they did the base spec One!

+1

I'd my Cooper S modded to around 250BHP. Getting it stopped was a cheek clenching experience.

[Caddyshack]

We all know that fast BMWs do not have properly working brakes or indicators..lol

I have owned many.

[RushDom]

I thought the new 1 Series was just atrocious when I saw the first photos - but having seen one on the road at the weekend I can safely say it looked miles better in the metal. Looked very sharp in bright blue paint and M Sport trim being driven by an old woman at 2mph!

[HM-2]

J4CKO said:

Court_S said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Just seen my first new M135i in the metal this afternoon. I wasn't that keen on the front end and the grill, but I did quite like it from the rear though.

The brakes looked nice and beefy which is good to see, and I still have flash backs of when BMW didn't used to bother fitting good brakes from when I had my Z4M/E92 M3!

Modern BMW brakes seem a shed load better than those of year gone by. The ones on my M140 seem pretty effective without the over-servo’d fave through the windscreen you often get in VAG cars. I remember my R53 Cooper S having the same brakes as a Cooper, which could get interesting at times.

Are they M4 brakes with different pads ?

IIRC the calipers are the same, the pads and discs are different.
M3/4 uses 380mm front versus 370mm for the M*40i, but the M3/M4 pads are a straight swap.

[J4CKO]

HM-2 said:

J4CKO said:

Court_S said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Just seen my first new M135i in the metal this afternoon. I wasn't that keen on the front end and the grill, but I did quite like it from the rear though.

The brakes looked nice and beefy which is good to see, and I still have flash backs of when BMW didn't used to bother fitting good brakes from when I had my Z4M/E92 M3!

Modern BMW brakes seem a shed load better than those of year gone by. The ones on my M140 seem pretty effective without the over-servo’d fave through the windscreen you often get in VAG cars. I remember my R53 Cooper S having the same brakes as a Cooper, which could get interesting at times.

Are they M4 brakes with different pads ?

IIRC the calipers are the same, the pads and discs are different.
M3/4 uses 380mm front versus 370mm for the M*40i, but the M3/M4 pads are a straight swap.

Cheers, they are up to fairly hard road use, my usual night time blast home along a local bypass, braking hard for the roundabouts from speed in quick succession and they cope well, where other cars I have had could struggle, suppose its fairly small/light for the brakes it has, not light per se but its not underbraked for the road, Xjay, how do you get on with yours on track ?

[Deep Thought]

J4CKO said:

HM-2 said:

J4CKO said:

Court_S said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Just seen my first new M135i in the metal this afternoon. I wasn't that keen on the front end and the grill, but I did quite like it from the rear though.

The brakes looked nice and beefy which is good to see, and I still have flash backs of when BMW didn't used to bother fitting good brakes from when I had my Z4M/E92 M3!

Modern BMW brakes seem a shed load better than those of year gone by. The ones on my M140 seem pretty effective without the over-servo’d fave through the windscreen you often get in VAG cars. I remember my R53 Cooper S having the same brakes as a Cooper, which could get interesting at times.

Are they M4 brakes with different pads ?

IIRC the calipers are the same, the pads and discs are different.
M3/4 uses 380mm front versus 370mm for the M*40i, but the M3/M4 pads are a straight swap.

Cheers, they are up to fairly hard road use, my usual night time blast home along a local bypass, braking hard for the roundabouts from speed in quick succession and they cope well, where other cars I have had could struggle, suppose its fairly small/light for the brakes it has, not light per se but its not underbraked for the road, Xjay, how do you get on with yours on track ?

Indeed. I think some people adapt M4 brake pads to fit?

The biggest constraint i've found with the M140i relative to making very rapid progress is the handling. If i was making any upgrades it would be in that area first. I'm fitting the rear lower anti roll bar from the early M135is next month which apparently help noticably, but i dont forsee us doing anything else until its outside of warranty.

[Limpet]

I find the M140i brakes to be pretty good. As someone mentioned earlier, they don't have that over-servoed initial bite of a VAG product, but they inspire plenty of confidence.

I've had them get a bit whiffy on the road just once, but even then the pedal still felt good. This was after being a bit silly around Milton Keynes one evening where there are a lot of short sections of dual carriageway punctuated by roundabouts. Lots of hard acceleration, then hard braking in quick succession. Otherwise, in 37,000 miles they've never given me any cause for concern. They are progressive and confidence inspiring, IMO.

I haven't taken the car on track (primarily due to warranty concerns), so I don't know how well they stand up on a track day. For road use though, unless driving like an absolute tit for sustained periods, they are well up to the job.

[anonymous-user]

The m140 brakes seemed fine on the road for me. The standard F80 brakes equally fine on road, though with standard everything not very good on track. Maybe a couple of hot laps at Croft before having to give them an easier time.