Is This Nice Or Is This Nice?

"TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut" (twincharged)
08/13/2014 at 23:57 • Filed to: BMW E90

Just the most subtle of modifications make this non M3 E90 look so very tasty...

Well apart from that M badge.

DISCUSSION (40)

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
08/14/2014 at 00:03

Nice indeed. maybe the owner put that badge because of M-Sport suspension?

You're giving me ideas of what to do with my dad's 330xi once I inherit it.

michael bleggi > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
08/14/2014 at 00:04

at the dealership i work at we have an e90 335i 6spd which really makes me wonder why you'd want an m3.. it's the twin turbo inline six which is notorious for an easy ~80hp gain from a simple reflash, paired with an exhaust, would be perfect.. looks absolutely gorgeous with the stock wheels and everything as well. (i'm in love)

AM3R > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
08/14/2014 at 00:06

Mtech rear bumper, black window trim, mtech suspension, and 18's. Nice! How I plan on maybe modding my E90 although I want plain silver wheels.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > michael bleggi
08/14/2014 at 00:22

Wouldn't the 335i have more torque too? 'Cause turbo.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > AM3R
08/14/2014 at 00:23

And Mtech front bumper too. //hnnnnrghhhhhh

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
08/14/2014 at 00:24

Probably. It just sits so much nicer than a stock 3 Series.

AM3R > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
08/14/2014 at 00:29

I'm in love with the whole mtech kit. Even the wheels.

michael bleggi > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
08/14/2014 at 00:31

from the factory, 335i and m3 both had 295 ftlbs. 335i was massively detuned, too

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > michael bleggi
08/14/2014 at 00:56

More of a feel thing, probably. I'd take an E90 330i with an exhaust and tune over a 335i just because it's so rewarding to drive a naturally-aspirated BMW.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
08/14/2014 at 01:03

Suspension, non-run flats, and a BMW performance exhaust are good things to do. The ESS supercharger will be good for 100 HP on low boost on stock N52s. I'd love to see what insanity will be possible with a little more boost (with supporting mods), exhaust, headers, and an intake. The power delivery, sound, and smoothness of an NA BMW I6 with the power of a modified turbocharged one. If NA is the chosen route, the right tune along with intake, exhaust, and headers can translate to 300 HP. Of course, this stuff costs more than my car is worth...

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/14/2014 at 01:11

That is pretty much my list. non-runflats are already in progress, as my dad has gotten annoyed by the harshness of the ride. His winter rims have regular tires, the next set of summer tires will be regular as well once the current runflat low resistance tires wear out. I'm thinking he should try one of those Yokohama orange oil tires as well.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/14/2014 at 01:47

E90 335i is not the most reliable car in the world either...

Manuél Ferrari > michael bleggi
08/14/2014 at 01:49

Seriously? Have you driven them both back to back?

Comparing stock to stock it's not even close. The M3 drives better, sounds better, looks better, is more reliable, doesn't overheat when tracked, and is just overall better.

Sure you can tune the 335i to be faster than stock but that will just increase your chances of having issues. You can hoon the crap out of an E9X M3 and it will thank you and ask for more.

BKRM3 > michael bleggi
08/14/2014 at 07:05

I owned an E92 335i, Cobb tuned, 6MT, BMW performance exhaust. I now own an E90 M3, which is in fact slower. There were several reasons for switching: 1) the M is nicer (better leather, tech, steering, suspension, etc), 2) the M is vastly more reliable - my 335 was a nightmare and I'd be poor now if it didn't have CPO warranty while I owned it and 3) the 335 does not have the cooling it needs for serious track use and it doesn't have a LSD. There are other factors too, like the 335 depreciates like crazy and the M, especially the E90 because of how few there are, really doesn't. Oh and have you HEARD an S65 at 8,400rpm? That's why I ended up with an M3, anyway.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > michael bleggi
08/14/2014 at 08:48

The E9x M3 is 80% unique to the normal 3-series. It's the whole package.

You can be faster, in a straight line, with a tuned 335i, but the M3 is the one you want on the track or in the twisty bits.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
08/14/2014 at 08:49

Kinja'd!!!

This pinstripe needs to go...

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/14/2014 at 09:35

Yeah, they can be real money pits (some from day 1). The 330i is rare and pretty much the last of its kind, won't get heatsoak, and is just more involving. The E90 M3 wasn't really about power, and it was a great one because of that. It's still a fast car.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
08/14/2014 at 10:56

Oh that's not a pinstripe, that's a crease in the bodywork.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
08/14/2014 at 11:07

I guess you're right. My car is silver, so the reflection doesn't stand out as much as on dark paint.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/14/2014 at 13:06

The 330i was the last of the mohicans. You should buy one!

Or just get a 328i. From what I've read it's only barely detuned versus the 330i

The E90 M3 almost has too much power IMO, at least for the stock suspension. It's a total beast. With suspension mods though the car can keep up with the 400+ HP better :)

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/14/2014 at 16:20

The real reason my mother drives an SDrive30i Z4 M Sport 6MT is, well... my advisement. It has the same tune/intake as a 530i/330i/130i, so it's pretty peppy! I did find one E90 328i in white with a red interior, 2011 special order lease, no sunroof, 6MT (only 11k miles and $26,000 at a dealership). That was the smoothest car I have ever been in and had a super nice price.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/14/2014 at 16:25

Good work!!! Is she happy with the car?

I read there is one mod you can do to the 328i that makes up some of the power the engine lost by being detuned a bit vs the 330i

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/14/2014 at 16:37

She is, and hopefully it will be holding together pretty well until she's done with it! I can't say the same for her 2001 Beetle turbo, but the Z4 is CPO and has wheel/tire (unfortunately runflats) warranty and free maintenance (not sure if they actually make you follow the 1 year/10k mile oil changes). The differences between -28i and -30i cars are pretty much only software and intake, same goes for -25i and -23i cars. It is such a balanced engine with such a flat powerband that they should not have such a huge disadvantage on the track. It's kind of a detached drive in her car because of the drive-by-wire and electric steering, but it makes up for that with defeatable traction control and the lightest curb weight of any BMW. I've thought about what cars will have depreciated once I'm done with the C4 (which will go up in value with any luck), but I don't see myself letting go of it. If I do, it'll probably be replaced by a drastically different car like a 330i or something of the like, but I still enjoy the rawness and simplicity of a classic car more than the comfort and technology of a modern one. It's kind of funny to think that in under 10 years, BMW's US lineup has gone from fully NA to almost fully turbocharged!

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/14/2014 at 16:52

Haha I'm pretty sure the 2001 Beetle Turbo is set to self destruct once it hits 75K miles.

Runflats are OK for our Moms. We don't want them stuck on the side of the road! We can deal with cars that have no runflats and no spare safer than they can.

Oh dat electric steering is a bummer. I forgot about that. I try to not think about it.... Can't believe the new Lambo has it too! The world has gone insane.

It is crazy how BMW fast tracked an all turbo charged engine. It makes me sad. In 10 years the only company that will have a N/A car or two will be GM :(

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/14/2014 at 21:49

Yeah, any 1.8T car wouldn't be on my "recommend to a friend" list. I don't have any friends to recommend them to, but I make up fake people to consult on automotive decisions so it's still pretty important for me. Run flats are probably a good move for most moms anyways, and the replacement of messed up wheels is a real perk. I actually never recommended a Z4 because 2 seats and electric steering (the only advantage of which being that the car is a breeze to park but isn't too assisted in sport mode) but it's somehow the car she ended up with. Electric steering is really taking over, so it's refreshing to drive a car with nothing but power steering and power brakes most of the time. BMW's always meant two things to me, really: NA engines and RWD. Now we have the 2 series active touring to crush that. BMW is finally appealing to their buyers' needs more, and the electric steering in their sports car is proof of that.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/15/2014 at 00:57

I still don't even understand why turbo is necessary. Why doesn't everybody uses cylinder deactivation? it works great in the C7. I've never seen a call with so much power get such good gas mileage. It has twice the torque of most sports cars and they can get 40 mile per gallon highway when cruising

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/15/2014 at 14:25

100% agree. There are still ways of making insane NA engines if manufacturers would only utilize new, more creative technologies that present themselves. They always choose a path and run its course, so it'll probably be a transition straight from small displacement turbo engines to hybrid/electric, which they seem to be throwing the serious R&D money at. Cylinder deactivation and 7 speed manuals are great ways to get good highway gas mileage and chevrolet knew both of these things in the 80s (8-6-4 which sucked and 4+3)

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/15/2014 at 14:35

What I don't understand is why smaller pushrod engines aren't used for non-performance cars? Could Chevy make a smaller version of the C7 engine that had 6 cylinders? Let's say it was 3L. It could run off 3 cylinders when coasting. And at full bore it would probably outperform a 2L turbo I4

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/15/2014 at 14:41

Sounds like the 4.3 V6 which was basically a 350 minus 2 cylinders. I really like the idea of cylinder deactivation on a pushrod V6! It would have great response and torque while outperforming turbocharged engines. Now add a supercharger that doesn't hurt response or efficiency and it's something different and competitive as turbocharged engines were to pushrod V8s 30 years ago.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/15/2014 at 15:48

Why isn't it happening? Why are pushrods so rare if they're amazing? Much confuse.

Cars are dying :(

Check out this thread I just found. Emissions regs made the 458 lose it's awesome sounds :(((

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/458-ital…

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/15/2014 at 16:44

We must save them! I think there were two main problems with pushrods that caused the OHC takeover: no variable valve timing and not enough smoothness. Sometimes it takes modern technology to make an old technology relevant once again. And U.S. Regulations really have put a damper on the 4C, too. It's sad that so many cars have been castrated by them. Look at the corvette from '75 to '84, it took Germans to make it a performer again!

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/15/2014 at 17:15

I see. Interesting. Because now pushrods are smooth and do have variable valve timing, right? I think I read the C7 has both variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/15/2014 at 17:52

pushrods still aren't AS smooth but they can be made to be pretty unobtrusive. As for variable valve timing in the C7, it requires a cam phaser and a somewhat advanced ECU. I'm guessing having an OHC engine helped to make that a reality.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/15/2014 at 18:18

Ah. So DOHC is still smoother.

Did you hear about the cam-less engine design that the crazy Swedes are working on?

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/15/2014 at 18:44

I remember reading about that on the FP a while back! It's pretty amazing what Cristian Koenigsegg has been able to achieve with his (comparatively) limited budget. I was reading C&D a few months ago in an issue with C7 vs F-Type (Pushrod V8 and DOHC V8, respectively) and they remarked on the contrast between typical pushrod V8 rumble that shook the Corvette and the smoothness of a refined DOHC V8. Idling in a 1st gen SBC car is kind of cool compared to the quietness and smoothness of most others, so I don't think it's a negative characteristic in a sports car. The engine "smooths out" as the revs build.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/15/2014 at 19:58

I don't think a rumble at idle is bad in a sports car either! It's cool!

We need more monies so we can have at least one of each:

Koenigsegg

Ferrari

Jaaaaaaaaag

Aston

Lambo

Ford GT

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/15/2014 at 22:29

One of each for sure. I see a mondial, x-type, and cygnet in my future!

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/16/2014 at 01:17

lol!! We can cheat and get the cheapest ones

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Manuél Ferrari
08/16/2014 at 16:04

I'd be willing to take care of the Jag, Aston, and Ferrari if need be! The other four are just so easy so I'll give them to you in the spirit of friendship.

Manuél Ferrari > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
08/16/2014 at 16:48

LOL

Can you loan me some monies to help for the down payment on a Ferrari?

I think I found the right car for me. It's unique. I got along really good with the sales guy. It should hold its value really well and maybe even go up in value one day.

It's just a little pricey...