E82 125i 2x birds, 1x stone

[garyth]

Ok so after years of wanting a second car I've gone and done it.

Criteria
4 seats minimum for family (occasional)
Fun
More than 4cylinders (before Greenpeace have their way.)
Newer than 2006 (personalised number plate)
Manual
Oh yeah and to go occasional track👍

Picked this little gem up with 55k and I've got so say its soo nice to drive!!! I've got some plans but subtle is key. I want to release some more noise. Get it on the dyno and see if its had the 130i remap. First up I think wheels to be refurbished, the mrs definitely cant drive it then!! Thought I'd start a thread on what happens.

Any recommendations on these.

Thanks in advance.

[croissant]

Lovely! I like these... how does it drive?

If you don't mind me asking, how much was it?

[garyth]

Drives beautifully. I have a 2018 c class aswell and this is at least as good! It's my first bmw and I'm really happy with it so far. Playing with the DTC button is my new hobby. 😁
I paid 7k, it was over my budget but I think it was worth the extra.

[garyth]

Cleans up nice!

[JamesRF]

Great choice, you can't beat the sound of the straight 6 once it's warmed up.

I've had mine 5 years and put 100k on it, also remapped to 260bhp

[garyth]

Ah yeah that would be the fun on the track and Ferry the kids around to kid clubs when car 1 is busy 😭 logistic father headaches!!

[garyth]

JamesRF said:

Great choice, you can't beat the sound of the straight 6 once it's warmed up.

I've had mine 5 years and put 100k on it, also remapped to 260bhp

No temperature gauge doesn't help knowing when to pin it! Why didn't BMW just put one in!!

[ajguk]

Nice! N52 I think, same as what I've got in my E89 Z4.

You might liberate a bit more noise with the golf tee mod on the exhaust, I'm looking at doing this as soon as the weather clears up.

Something I have noticed with mine is if you rev it when stationary, it's a hell of a lot louder when the electronic handbrake is off - hopefully some knowledgeable PH'er can tell me why!

Other than all that - a new cat back exhaust? To be fair though that engine is pretty sweet and sounds fantastic as is. Go find some tunnels and enjoy!

[ajguk]

JamesRF said:

Great choice, you can't beat the sound of the straight 6 once it's warmed up.

I've had mine 5 years and put 100k on it, also remapped to 260bhp

Out of interest did you have the waterpump done on yours? Mine's around 80k now and this is the point where they like to go so I'm told.

[JamesRF]

ajguk said:

Out of interest did you have the waterpump done on yours? Mine's around 80k now and this is the point where they like to go so I'm told.

Mines still on the original at 116k.

It's a frequent topic over on babybmw, some have needed replacing at 60k while others have gone beyond 150k.

[garyth]

So mine has already had the golf tee, sounds great in the low rev range but just a bit disappointing when you climb high.

I've heard the water pump is a weak point, is it an expensive job?

[Matt Cup]

Is it literally just a remap on these to get them to 260bhp or are there other things you need to do to them too?

[lewisf182]

I had the n52 in a 130i and had the exhaust swapped for a 135i exhaust and the resonator removed, sounded SO much better yet still looked and felt completely OEM as in like it should have come that way from new really. Highly recommend that mod.

[garyth]

lewisf182 said:

I had the n52 in a 130i and had the exhaust swapped for a 135i exhaust and the resonator removed, sounded SO much better yet still looked and felt completely OEM as in like it should have come that way from new really. Highly recommend that mod.

By any chance do you have a video of the sound, I like the idea of feeling oem👍

[JamesRF]

garyth said:

I've heard the water pump is a weak point, is it an expensive job?

Around £500 I think.

Matt Cup said:

Is it literally just a remap on these to get them to 260bhp or are there other things you need to do to them too?

Yes, think of it as more of a derestriction. Doing this and ditching the run flats are probably the best things you can do to the 125i. Makes a big difference!

[helix402]

I know of an N52 on 200k with the original water pump. Lots of oil leaks though.

[Court_S]

Looks cracking OP; these have aged really well to my eyes and are much less fussy / better proportioned than the 2 series that replaced it.

The N52 is a cracking engine that makes a lovely noise. If you can find one for sensible money, the BMW Performance exhaust and carbon air intake add a bit to the sound without making it OTT. Had the air intake on my 330 ad it added a lovely rasp near the red line. There was a BMW Performance exhaust for these for sale on BabyBMW recently.

A friend has one if these with 160k on the clock and it’s a cracking little thing. The interior certainly doesn’t look like it’s done high mileage.

[garyth]

So got the car back from having the wheels refurbished yesterday. Went for anthracite in the end, really pleased with the results best news is that there are no cracks or buckles on the wheels. Happy days.

[Court_S]

garyth said:

So got the car back from having the wheels refurbished yesterday. Went for anthracite in the end, really pleased with the results best news is that there are no cracks or buckles on the wheels. Happy days.

Looks good; the slightly darker wheels work well with the Le Mans blue paint; did similar with my old E90.

[garyth]

Came out to this bd. Time to enter the bodyshop. Maybe try and add a rear spoiler body coloured..