My brave pill: E92 BMW 335i with the infamous N54 engine
Discussion
Having loved my little 130i for the last 11 months, I was starting to find it a tad small and now that the world is starting to return to normal I’m travelling more with work etc. Whilst it was not a bad car for commuting in and covering distances the chassis was always quite busy and the engine loved to be revved. It was a million miles better than my old four Fiesta diesel that I did 83k in but having had cars better at the boring stuff, I started to have thoughts about something a bit bigger. My original plan was to buy an E92 M3, something that I’ve lusted after for a long time and it feels like the opportunities to own a car with such an engine are disappearing. There was a snag though; the thirst and range; when I sat down and really thought about it the fuel bills would kill me. I average 350-400 miles a week commuting, driving to Cannock for rides etc on top of that my current project with work is in Holyhead.
Whilst the 130 is more than capable of slogging along the motorway etc, I think because I had the idea of change in my head this year anyway I decided to look at other options. A diesel would have been an obvious choice but I just didn’t want one so a decent sized petrol engine is what I was aiming for so once again, I ended up back in my comfort zone; six cylinder petrol BMW’s. I looked again at E63’s because they’d be a lovely place for longer journeys but they’re not massive inside despite the vast external proportions, so I reverted back to an E9x 3 series. Having had an E90 330i, they’re a bit of a goldilocks sized car for me; big enough for the three of us and our dog yet small enough to be fun on a good road.
Time to hit Autotrader etc…the depressing thing was that in my budget (searching between £6 and £12k) there were 60 something petrol six cylinders but nearly 130 diesels. An E91 was the obvious choice but there were 9 cars and one not listed (a PHer mentioned he might be selling his 335i). There was a lovely 330i from Bespoke which my other half liked but that was snapped up. I started looking at coupes…after all if an M3 coupe was going to be OK, surely a 335i coupe would be OK? And at least the seats fold unlike most of the saloons. There were some absolute dogs but one car stood out, a 2008 335i that was just down the road. I ended up with a shortlist of a lovely Le Mans Blue 335i touring (bit of a unicorn) and a Sparkling Graphite 335i coupe. After boring my other half to tears talking about the cars, looking at pictures etc I settled on the coupe. I know it’s not as practical but its bigger and more refined than my 130i and I just couldn’t get it out of my head for some reason.
So enter my very own brave pill; a 2008 E92 335i M Sport with BMW’s infamous N54 engine. What could go wrong?
Here are a few pictures of the car from the advert.
The good bits and reasons that really sold it to me;
It was to be supplied with a third party warranty but after my experience with them on my 130i I negotiated to buy the car at a slightly lower cost without the warranty with the understanding that I would buy a BMW warranty (which I have done). The warranty covers the key areas of concern; HPFP, turbos and injectors which seem to be the three biggies.
First impressions are good from a test drive on local roads I know well. It’s a noticeably better cruiser than my 130i but you can still enjoy a good B-road. The hydraulic steering felt really good after years of electric systems (some better than others). The ZF6 works better with this engine than my 330i and the N52. The extra power and torque goes a long way to disguise the age of the gearbox. The ride is firm (19’s and RFT’s) but it settles nicely. When pushing on, I don’t think the suspension is as good as the Birds B1 on the 130i.
As always, I have some plans for the car because I’m unable to leave my cars alone and I enjoy messing around with them. In no particular order:
Whilst the 130 is more than capable of slogging along the motorway etc, I think because I had the idea of change in my head this year anyway I decided to look at other options. A diesel would have been an obvious choice but I just didn’t want one so a decent sized petrol engine is what I was aiming for so once again, I ended up back in my comfort zone; six cylinder petrol BMW’s. I looked again at E63’s because they’d be a lovely place for longer journeys but they’re not massive inside despite the vast external proportions, so I reverted back to an E9x 3 series. Having had an E90 330i, they’re a bit of a goldilocks sized car for me; big enough for the three of us and our dog yet small enough to be fun on a good road.
Time to hit Autotrader etc…the depressing thing was that in my budget (searching between £6 and £12k) there were 60 something petrol six cylinders but nearly 130 diesels. An E91 was the obvious choice but there were 9 cars and one not listed (a PHer mentioned he might be selling his 335i). There was a lovely 330i from Bespoke which my other half liked but that was snapped up. I started looking at coupes…after all if an M3 coupe was going to be OK, surely a 335i coupe would be OK? And at least the seats fold unlike most of the saloons. There were some absolute dogs but one car stood out, a 2008 335i that was just down the road. I ended up with a shortlist of a lovely Le Mans Blue 335i touring (bit of a unicorn) and a Sparkling Graphite 335i coupe. After boring my other half to tears talking about the cars, looking at pictures etc I settled on the coupe. I know it’s not as practical but its bigger and more refined than my 130i and I just couldn’t get it out of my head for some reason.
So enter my very own brave pill; a 2008 E92 335i M Sport with BMW’s infamous N54 engine. What could go wrong?
Here are a few pictures of the car from the advert.
The good bits and reasons that really sold it to me;
- 77,500 miles
- Two owners from new; an accountant and then one of his clients who owned the car for 11 years.
- Full BMW service history at one of two dealers – Sytner Sutton Coldfield (now Tamworth) or Rybrook Warwick
- Has been kept under BMW warranty for its entire life and I received confirmation that during its life the HPFP was replaced in March 2020, turbo replaced in 2018 @ 66,500 miles, battery terminal recall and it was recalled for the injectors in 2011 although due to the time elapsed the records do not indicate if any work was actually done.
- The condition of the car really stood out; no gravel rash on the side skirts or on the rear bumper (my M140i was really bad after 23k), front bumper has a handful of marks and the interior is immaculate. It looks like a car that has been really well treated. It still has the original BMW torch in the glovebox.
- Off side rear style 225 wheel has been replaced due to crack (common fault).
- The dealer has been open and honest about the prep work; all for wheels refurbed, two front Bridgestone Potenza tyres, new front pads, service at Sytner Tamworth, drivers seat bolster refinished and a few other odds and sods.
It was to be supplied with a third party warranty but after my experience with them on my 130i I negotiated to buy the car at a slightly lower cost without the warranty with the understanding that I would buy a BMW warranty (which I have done). The warranty covers the key areas of concern; HPFP, turbos and injectors which seem to be the three biggies.
First impressions are good from a test drive on local roads I know well. It’s a noticeably better cruiser than my 130i but you can still enjoy a good B-road. The hydraulic steering felt really good after years of electric systems (some better than others). The ZF6 works better with this engine than my 330i and the N52. The extra power and torque goes a long way to disguise the age of the gearbox. The ride is firm (19’s and RFT’s) but it settles nicely. When pushing on, I don’t think the suspension is as good as the Birds B1 on the 130i.
As always, I have some plans for the car because I’m unable to leave my cars alone and I enjoy messing around with them. In no particular order:
- Fit genuine BMW Performance gear selector and gaiter, pedals and steering wheel trim (bought on eBay with a 15% discount code) before I had decided in which car I was going to buy!
- Small M3 style rear boot lip spoiler
- Fit Apple CarPlay
- Replace the wooden trim with brushed aluminium (arrived this morning from Quarry Motors)
- Paint the rear diffuser black so that it contrasts better with the grey paint
- Give it a detail; one stage polish, glaze and ceramic wax
- Slight drop on some Eibach springs (I might fit new dampers just because)
- M3 arms (LCA’s, thrust arms and two at the rear….aside from the LCA’s I’d bought the rest to fit to my 130i before I sold it so these are in the garage ready to go)
- New paddle shifters (ordered from the states)
- Rewire the paddle shifters so they work like modern ones (ie pull left to shift down, pull down right to shift up) rather than both paddles doing the same (push to shift down, pull to shift up)
- Enjoy it!
Watchthis said:
That's a lovely car, and probably worth a decent amount due to it being a standard example. Personally I'd keep it standard and enjoy it for what it is
Thanks.That’s quite possibly what will happen other than switching trim etc.
I’m having an operation on my wrist in early May which will stop my jumping into too much.
Many congrats on the new purchase 
There's plenty of rough dogs out there and it looks very much like you've bagged a proper one.
I'm sure you'll be sad to see the 130i go, but playing and fettling with this will keep you out of mischief, no doubt.
Buying new/upgrade parts for a car not yet owned is a trait I'm familiar with
Have fun with it - watching with interest.
There's plenty of rough dogs out there and it looks very much like you've bagged a proper one.
I'm sure you'll be sad to see the 130i go, but playing and fettling with this will keep you out of mischief, no doubt.
Buying new/upgrade parts for a car not yet owned is a trait I'm familiar with
Have fun with it - watching with interest.
J4CKO said:
You have a knack of finding nice examples, if not keeping them long 
Most of these are looking a bit doggy now, but that looks factory fresh, makes me feel old though, remember a chap at work getting one new and its like 15 years ago.
Most of these are looking a bit doggy now, but that looks factory fresh, makes me feel old though, remember a chap at work getting one new and its like 15 years ago.
Thanks. It’s certainly by fluke more than any Mike Brewer wannabe aspirations!Depreciation is much less of an issue at this end of the market which makes it a bit easier to swap cars.
There are some absolute s
tters out there but I guess any car where extra power is so easily accessible ends ups up suffering the same fate.lemansky said:
Many congrats on the new purchase
There's plenty of rough dogs out there and it looks very much like you've bagged a proper one.
I'm sure you'll be sad to see the 130i go, but playing and fettling with this will keep you out of mischief, no doubt.
Buying new/upgrade parts for a car not yet owned is a trait I'm familiar with
Have fun with it - watching with interest.
Thanks, it does feel and see, like a really good car with a solid history. The chap selling it said the car would sell itself which I dismissed as sales patter but he was right.There's plenty of rough dogs out there and it looks very much like you've bagged a proper one.
I'm sure you'll be sad to see the 130i go, but playing and fettling with this will keep you out of mischief, no doubt.
Buying new/upgrade parts for a car not yet owned is a trait I'm familiar with
Have fun with it - watching with interest.
I think I’ve had parts lined up for my last few cars! I drive my M140i home and swapped the silver mirror caps and canards over before unlocking the front door!
Congratulations Sam! 
That looks like an absolutely cracking example that you've found. As you know I've always loved the 335i(turbos for the win!) and a 2dr Coupe is my favourite body style too.
I wish you all the best with it, and I hope that you enjoy/have lots of fun in it.
Enjoy getting it tomorrow.
That looks like an absolutely cracking example that you've found. As you know I've always loved the 335i(turbos for the win!) and a 2dr Coupe is my favourite body style too.
I wish you all the best with it, and I hope that you enjoy/have lots of fun in it.
Enjoy getting it tomorrow.
That's REALLY nice that Sam
These are superb cars and I'd love one; always liked the 2 door coupes. Unfortunately they and the size of me do not get on
The tourings are a tight enough fit for me as it is!
I really like that colour; glad the alloys are a bright silver too & not murdered-out black (cannot stand that personally)
Sounds like you've got some good plans for it; bookmarked to follow
What is it you do and in Holyhead pal? Anglesey's home from home for my, my folks had a house near to Rhoscolyn too, not far from the dreary-lights of Holyhead
These are superb cars and I'd love one; always liked the 2 door coupes. Unfortunately they and the size of me do not get on
The tourings are a tight enough fit for me as it is!I really like that colour; glad the alloys are a bright silver too & not murdered-out black (cannot stand that personally)
Sounds like you've got some good plans for it; bookmarked to follow
What is it you do and in Holyhead pal? Anglesey's home from home for my, my folks had a house near to Rhoscolyn too, not far from the dreary-lights of Holyhead
cerb4.5lee said:
Congratulations Sam!
That looks like an absolutely cracking example that you've found. As you know I've always loved the 335i(turbos for the win!) and a 2dr Coupe is my favourite body style too.
I wish you all the best with it, and I hope that you enjoy/have lots of fun in it.
Enjoy getting it tomorrow.
Cheers Lee. It’s such a nice example, I almost feel bad buying it to be used! That looks like an absolutely cracking example that you've found. As you know I've always loved the 335i(turbos for the win!) and a 2dr Coupe is my favourite body style too.
I wish you all the best with it, and I hope that you enjoy/have lots of fun in it.
Enjoy getting it tomorrow.
It’s a fair chunk more peppy than a 330i and the ZF6 works better when there is more torque (I guess that’s similar to what you thought about the 330d you had).
d_a_n1979 said:
That's REALLY nice that Sam
These are superb cars and I'd love one; always liked the 2 door coupes. Unfortunately they and the size of me do not get on The tourings are a tight enough fit for me as it is!
I really like that colour; glad the alloys are a bright silver too & not murdered-out black (cannot stand that personally)
Sounds like you've got some good plans for it; bookmarked to follow
What is it you do and in Holyhead pal? Anglesey's home from home for my, my folks had a house near to Rhoscolyn too, not far from the dreary-lights of Holyhead
Luckily the E9x size is pretty good for me. Practical enough to be a chunk bigger than the E8x but without feeling big on the road. I’m pretty rural and there are a fair few narrow lanes that I need to use regularly.These are superb cars and I'd love one; always liked the 2 door coupes. Unfortunately they and the size of me do not get on
The tourings are a tight enough fit for me as it is!I really like that colour; glad the alloys are a bright silver too & not murdered-out black (cannot stand that personally)
Sounds like you've got some good plans for it; bookmarked to follow
What is it you do and in Holyhead pal? Anglesey's home from home for my, my folks had a house near to Rhoscolyn too, not far from the dreary-lights of Holyhead
I’m a Quantity Surveyor, so working on a construction project in Holyhead…it’s a mission to get there but I’m looking forward to taking the scenic route via Betws y Coed when the weather is nice.
d_a_n1979 said:
That's REALLY nice that Sam
These are superb cars and I'd love one; always liked the 2 door coupes. Unfortunately they and the size of me do not get on The tourings are a tight enough fit for me as it is!
I really like that colour; glad the alloys are a bright silver too & not murdered-out black (cannot stand that personally)
Sounds like you've got some good plans for it; bookmarked to follow
What is it you do and in Holyhead pal? Anglesey's home from home for my, my folks had a house near to Rhoscolyn too, not far from the dreary-lights of Holyhead
Luckily the E9x size is pretty good for me. Practical enough to be a chunk bigger than the E8x but without feeling big on the road. I’m pretty rural and there are a fair few narrow lanes that I need to use regularly.These are superb cars and I'd love one; always liked the 2 door coupes. Unfortunately they and the size of me do not get on
The tourings are a tight enough fit for me as it is!I really like that colour; glad the alloys are a bright silver too & not murdered-out black (cannot stand that personally)
Sounds like you've got some good plans for it; bookmarked to follow
What is it you do and in Holyhead pal? Anglesey's home from home for my, my folks had a house near to Rhoscolyn too, not far from the dreary-lights of Holyhead
I’m a Quantity Surveyor, so working on a construction project in Holyhead…it’s a mission to get there but I’m looking forward to taking the scenic route via Betws y Coed when the weather is nice.
Court_S said:
d_a_n1979 said:
That's REALLY nice that Sam
These are superb cars and I'd love one; always liked the 2 door coupes. Unfortunately they and the size of me do not get on The tourings are a tight enough fit for me as it is!
I really like that colour; glad the alloys are a bright silver too & not murdered-out black (cannot stand that personally)
Sounds like you've got some good plans for it; bookmarked to follow
What is it you do and in Holyhead pal? Anglesey's home from home for my, my folks had a house near to Rhoscolyn too, not far from the dreary-lights of Holyhead
Luckily the E9x size is pretty good for me. Practical enough to be a chunk bigger than the E8x but without feeling big on the road. I’m pretty rural and there are a fair few narrow lanes that I need to use regularly.These are superb cars and I'd love one; always liked the 2 door coupes. Unfortunately they and the size of me do not get on
The tourings are a tight enough fit for me as it is!I really like that colour; glad the alloys are a bright silver too & not murdered-out black (cannot stand that personally)
Sounds like you've got some good plans for it; bookmarked to follow
What is it you do and in Holyhead pal? Anglesey's home from home for my, my folks had a house near to Rhoscolyn too, not far from the dreary-lights of Holyhead
I’m a Quantity Surveyor, so working on a construction project in Holyhead…it’s a mission to get there but I’m looking forward to taking the scenic route via Betws y Coed when the weather is nice.
d_a_n1979 said:
Aye not a bad drive at all; you could get lost and and the Horseshoe Pass too
Hurry up because there's average cameras going in!Lovely car and a good choice, I must admit as an owner of an E87 130i, I know exactly what you mean about it being small, revvy and a very busy ride.
Court_S said:
Cheers Lee. It’s such a nice example, I almost feel bad buying it to be used!
It’s a fair chunk more peppy than a 330i and the ZF6 works better when there is more torque (I guess that’s similar to what you thought about the 330d you had).
Yes and I did get a bit of a shock with the very first time that I floored the 330i auto(it just revved its backside off/made a bit of noise...but it didn't seem to move forward very much! It’s a fair chunk more peppy than a 330i and the ZF6 works better when there is more torque (I guess that’s similar to what you thought about the 330d you had).
) The auto in the 330d was a far better match to the engine for me for sure. You would put your foot down in the 330d and it would just get straight up and at it in comparison. Looking back the 330d really gave me a taste for torque, and that taste has really stayed with me ever since to be honest. Hence why your 335i is right up my street too.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff