My brave pill: E92 BMW 335i with the infamous N54 engine

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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;

• 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!

It lands tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll get to work changing a few bits over and taking my one pictures.

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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.

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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.

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 stters out there but I guess any car where extra power is so easily accessible ends ups up suffering the same fate.

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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.

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!

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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!

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).

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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msportpanda said:

Congrats! The bravery is somewhat equalised by buying such a lovely example! I'm also joining the E92 335i club tomorrow

Good stuff, is yours an N54 or the later N55?

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Krikkit said:

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.

Sounds like I’ll need to check that out before it goes the way of the Evo triangle

That 130i was fun though and it’s a car that I’ll definitely look back on with a lot of fondness.

Armchair_Expert said:

Feel like the car really suits you, and I know you will end up replacing and improving loads of bits on it with OEM upgrades, so long term you shoudn't lose out.

I was very tempted by a red one of these with ivory leather when I was searching, looks a cracker.

That would have been a lovely colour combo. There are already a few bits waiting to go on when it arrives! :smile:

MDMA . said:

That looks really nice. I saw it for sale on C&C the other day (I’m looking for an E91 B3/D3 Biturbo). Seemed like a reasonable price too, considering the low mileage. Enjoy.

Thanks. The seller knows the previous owner really well having been friends with him since primary school so it’s a car he knows.

OM98 said:

This looks nice, I can definitely see the appeal. Was it possible to spec these with a manual gearbox? Imagine they must be extremely uncommon, but quite intriguing!

They do exist but are very very rare.

roadie said:

Nice one. Sad to lose your ongoing 130i posts and updates, but there is a lot of carryover between the E9x and E8x! Look forward to seeing how this car develops.

Thanks, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of posts about this in due course snd I’ll still be mucking about with the 125i.

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CB 987 said:

Looks like a great example, looking forward to some further updates. The BMW warranty is a nice fallback to have, hopefully it’ll be trouble free.

I am hoping my E91 finds a decent home.

Thanks.

Your touring is lovely too and I’m sure it’ll be snapped up quickly enough. Hopefully I don’t regret turning it down for the coupe!

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Mr Tidy said:

That looks great (even if it isn't an M)!

At a guess I'd say it's Sparkling Graphite - I had an E91 325i that colour the same as my current E90 330 (with the split/fold rear seats)!

It is indeed that colour. Not my first choice but I soon realised that they were all pretty dull colours. It’s nice in the sun with a purple hue (although some hate that).

Wills2 said:

ZF6 is a great gearbox I run one against a gen2 ZF8 and it stands up to comparison especially in sport mode very quick and snappy.

It’s a while since I’ve driven a ZF6 but it worked well enough, better than it did with my 330.

The paddles are a bit weird it’s both doing the same (push for a downshift and pull for an upshift). Looks like you can fiddle with the wires to get them working in a more modern way of pull left for a downshift and pull right for an upshift.

freenote said:

Great buy. Had one a while back and now running a 135i coupe. Both N54.
Engines aren’t an issue - forged internals etc. Just regular oil changes.
Ancillaries are a different matter.
Make sure you have oem coil packs and ideally index 12 injectors.
I changed out the cabin filters for BMS ones as the oem ones have such weak fittings that they break all the time. Plus you get to hear more turbo sounds.
I enjoy it as much as my M4 comp. I justify it as my small sports car and the M as my big sports car…works in my head!

Coils will almost definitely be OEM given it’s service history. The injectors are my only real concern; the car was recalled in 2011 for them to be inspected but BMW can’t confirm if they were replaced because the records are not detailed enough. They’re definitely not index 12, hence the BMW warranty.

RelentlessForwardProgress said:

Interested to see how we both get on with our N54s, with us both having N52 experience (engine of the year for good reason!).
I’ve got an improved ARM fmic to go on along with uprated pipework- fits the standard space with no hacking around and came home from a work trip to the US in a bag with no problems!
So far, I’ve had massively more mpg than our N52, with a good few pulls to the redline included.

Is yours mapped or standard?

The day to day running costs look pretty comparable; VED is marginally more, insurance is identical on the two cars an fuel economy looks to be the same or slightly better. I found my N52 in the 330 I had more economical than the one in my 130.

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helix402 said:

Steering wheel paddles are off from the factory. I rewired my 335d ones to work as later models. Much more logical, takes minutes to do.

Did you leave one wire unplugged? I’ve seen that some cut wires and start splicing them together whereas others move one and leave another unplugged.

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helix402 said:

Here you go (no cutting/soldering):

That’s exactly the one that I’d found to follow.

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e28525e said:

Lovely car! However, having had a 130i and an E92 as a daily - I would have chosen the M3 over the 335i. Mine averaged 27mpg on my commute, only 2mpg less than my 130i.

That’s pretty good and better than most were a lot worse than that. Both of the ones I looked at were averaging 17mpg….

I’d love an M3 but at the moment I really can’t cope with the thirst.

JakeT said:

Nice car, Sam. I think you’ve gone right. I also think the ZF6 and N54 combo is a lovely one. For me they’re ‘right’. Not too few, and not too many gears. Shame the 130 is gone, but I have a real soft spot for them.

How does a more standard one compare to your Birds kit on the 130? In the last 5 years the only E90 based car I’ve driven has had Birds bits on it, so I’ve forgotten what standard ones are like.

The Birds set up was better controlled but still busy but I think that is more the nature of the E8x cars being relative small.

I need to check the tyre pressures because it’s had new fronts fitted and the tyre guys always seem to add a million PSI.

It’s a while since I’ve driven a stock E9x car too. Pretty sure I’ll be fitting B4’s with Eibach’s and M3 arms soon enough. The B4 / Eibach combo on the 125i has impressed me so far. Not as good as the Birds but a fraction of the cost.

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So the car arrived today bang in 3pm as promised. It’s pretty grubby already because minutes after it arrived it bloody rained and I had to pop out to run a few errands so there aren’t really any pics yet. Filling it up certainly stung her if been used to cars with diddy tanks for so long.

It went down well with my seven year old who proclaimed that the the car ‘was sick’.



He loves sitting in the back with the rear arm rest down.

After I’d finished the boring stuff, I got home and started fiddling straight away, I wasn’t sure in the wood trim, especially with black leather so I tracked down some brushed aluminium stuff on eBay which has a few marks (mainly around the seatbelt buckle area) but it was cheap enough. I popped that in which has broken up tey unrelenting sea of black / dark interiors that German cars love.

From this…



To this



I’ve also fitted the BMW performance gear selector and gaiter (rude not to with an eBay 15% discount code).



I also bought the BMW stainless pedals too. The nuts for the brake pedal are horrible to fit but they look nice.



Tomorrow I’ll fit the alcantara steering wheel trim and muck about with the paddle wiring at the same time.

I’ve already ordered a CarPlay solution from Andream and an M3 style lip spoiler which I’ll fit once we’re back from Christmas.


Having used the car today I’m pleased with it; the old girl has got a turn of pace. It’s not got the shove of my old M140i but it has a lot more punch than the 130i. The heavy hydraulic steering made me look like a Doris in a car park today though. Whilst still be relatively impractical (being a coupe) there is lots more room in the back for my little boy. He looks tiny in the back of this compared to a 1 series.

I’ve noticed that the drivers side seat bent extender is hit and miss so that’ll need replacing at some point. There’s a slight rattle I need to track down at some point too. It’s coming from the rear near side (I previously ignored it because the seller had s leather satchel with massive clips and I assumed it was them….it’s not).

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Tom4398cc said:

Looks great Sam. Fully respecting “each to their own”, to my eyes the aluminium interior trim makes that car look 10 years younger.

That was what I was aiming for! I might be approaching 40 but I don’t feel quite ready for wooden trim in my cars yet. I think wood with a lighter leather works well though.

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cerb4.5lee said:

Blimey Sam...you definitely don't mess about when it comes to making a car your own so quickly for sure!

I personally much prefer the aluminium trim to the wood trim. Nice work and keep enjoying the car.

It appears I don’t! I’d bought the BMW Performance parts before if even decided which 335i I was buying. Although that was pretty much down to the 15% eBay discount code.

I prefer it too, especially against the black leather.

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roadie said:

I'd love to understand what MPG people are achieving or of their 335i, whether manual or the later SMG on the N55 engine. I am averaging just under 32MPG on my 130i whose main use is commuting down A roads and Motorways at GPS 70MPH into and out of Southampton. I wonder if a 335i could top that if driven in the same manner?

Really looks like this is going to be a project to watch!

First impressions are that it’s going to be a bit more economical than my 130i. The average consumption of that car was circa 28mpg (60 mile commute twice a week, heading to Cannock for bike rides and general pottering about). The 335i is showing 32mpg right now albeit without the short school run which kills the economy. My 130i never saw more than 33 on a really really long run.

So far it’s good, it’s much more relaxed than the 130i and us quite happy slushing along. It’s not as much fun, but it’s bigger and heavier and doesn’t have the Birds suspension. Early signs are good. It reminds me of my 330 (which I really really loved) but turned up a bit.

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b14 said:

Great choice.

I had a 2006 E92 335i with the manual box. Sold back in 2014, cosmetically wasn't great as I parked it on the street in London but mechanically it was A1. I bought it with 42k on for £16k and sold it 2 years later with 80k on it for £8.5k... terrible deal, wish I'd kept it.

I loved the car. The only thing that went wrong with mine was a low pressure fuel sensor, and the water pump expired at pretty much bang on 60k miles. It did occasionally go into limp mode for no reason too. But the manual was a joy and it was really quick. Got a 340i now with full Birds B3-40i treatment but I still miss the manual in my old 335i.

I may buy another one if a manual E92 comes up. Where are you YH56 TXT?!

Sounds like yours was a good car. Manual is a rare beast.

MikeM6 said:

I've had 43mpg on a run, but mid 30s is more likely.

I drove mine to Lake Garda via Belgium, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland with a mix of motorway, city driving and mountain passes (or should that paßes?) and the average was something like 32mpg over the 3000 miles or so.

That’s pretty good going. It’ll be interesting to see what it does tomorrow when I’m in the office on my 60 mile round trip.

f1nn said:

Congratulations on the new car.

I have fond memories of my time with mine, I created a thread which you may found interesting.

The warranty was always an odd one for me, the N54 is begging for more power which negates the requirement for a warranty as I very much doubt BMW would honour a claim if the car was obviously modified, and if you are not going to tune it, I can’t help but think the more reliable N55 engine in the later cars, especially as they have the DCT box, is the way to go.

Got a link to your thread?

I’ve not ruled out a map in the future, depending on how it goes over the next year. My car crossed over with later cars, but this was so nice it was hard to turn down.

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helix402 said:

Have you got a link to the gear lever? Re B4s. I’d recommend the B8s as the fronts have internal bump stops for better ride quality.

Here you go…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Performance-Genuine...

And the gaiter just in case…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Genuine-Sport-Gears...