Staying on top of the newest in performance vehicles comes the all new BMW 335I. This twin turbo car replaces the E46 M3 with the new E92 chassis. Stepping up before BMW releases the new V8 M3, this car will give some of its Japanese competitors a run for their money. Watch STI's and EVO's as the modability is strong. Look out for Vivid Racing to be releasing some hot performance parts and do a FULL over the top build on this BMW 335I.
Here is some info on the vehicle from Car and Driver's website-
The turbocharged 2007 BMW 3-series coupe has 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque in U.S. spec. Also sold here will be 230-hp 328i and all-wheel-drive 328xi coupes.
BY MIKE DUSHANE, April 2006
The BMW 335i coupe that goes on sale in September 2006 may look like nothing more than the latest chapter in the 3-series coupe book, but there are some radical changes under the skin. The 335i (the C goes away on this coupe as it did on the 650i for the 2006 model year) will have a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six with piezoelectric direct injection. It’s the first gasoline turbocharged BMW in decades. BMW claims the 335i coupe will accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds — scarcely more than the outgoing E46 M3. Our acceleration times in BMWs typically are even faster than the company’s claimed times, so an instrumented test time of five seconds flat isn’t out of the question. The 335i will be limited to 150 mph when equipped with an optional sport package.
Models and Pricing
The 335i is expected to carry a base price of at least $42,000. For about $5000 less, a naturally aspirated, 230-hp, 200 pound-feet, 3.0-liter inline-six also will be available in the 328i coupe. The 328i’s engine is a detuned version of the 255-hp inline-six found in the 330i sedan, but thankfully, it isn’t as dumbed down as the 3.0-liter in the 325i sedan that makes only 215 horsepower. The 328i coupe probably will do the 0 to 60 sprint in just under six seconds, a breath quicker than the outgoing E46 330Ci coupe. An all-wheel-drive 328xi coupe also will be available, but don’t look for the turbo engine with all-wheel drive anytime soon. All the coupes will be available with six-speed manual and six-speed manumatic transmissions. BMW’s SMG sequential-manual transmission isn’t offered in any of the new coupes, but the company claims the manumatic’s shifts are significantly faster than those of the previous model’s. Since the previous manumatic already was among the best on the market, we’re looking forward to experiencing the new one. If 300 horsepower isn’t enough for you, wait for the 2008 M3 coupe, which is expected to have a 400-hp naturally aspirated V-8 and cost $55,000.
Exterior Styling
Although there’s a strong family resemblance between the current E90 sedan and this new coupe, no sheetmetal is shared. BMW is jealous of the price premium commanded by Mercedes-Benz for its CLK-class coupe compared with the mechanically similar C-class sedan. So BMW took pains to make this 3-series coupe look and feel more upscale. Its taillights look like they were stolen from a top-of-the-line 7-series sedan, and standard xenon lights with BMW’s so-called angel eyes — they’re basically a pair of lit-up circles in each headlight housing — try to link the car visually with more expensive BMW models. Sporty rounded mirrors resemble those on the outgoing E46 M3.
Interior
The new coupe’s four-passenger cabin is similar to the sedan’s, but more abundant silver plastic and horizontal trim lines of accent lighting allegedly create a more upscale feel. There’s even a seatbelt handoff device that extends automatically from the B-pillar for the feeble of reach. Tech junkies will be happy to know that a mini-plug audio input is standard, and an optional second-generation iPod interface lets you browse your songs and playlists with steering-wheel touch controls. Bluetooth phone connectivity is available, and BMW’s system is especially easy to use and clear-sounding. As in the 3-series sedan, BMW’s infuriating iDrive spinning-joystick controller is absent unless you order the satellite navigation system. Technology aside, the interior looks luxurious and stylish, but we’d like to see fewer abutting pieces of hard plastic on the dash and console.
3.0-liter Twin-Turbo Inline-Six
The 335i’s symmetrical turbos are relatively small, and each feeds three cylinders. Power output from this 3.0-liter is up only 45 horsepower over the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter found in the 330i sedan, but BMW claims that turbo lag is all but avoided and — more important — peak torque increases 36 percent to 300 pound-feet and is available from 1400 to 5000 rpm. The 335i’s twin turbochargers apparently preclude the need for the Valvetronic stepless-variable-lift valve technology that’s found in the naturally aspirated sixes in other 3-series models. Also absent is the weight-saving magnesium engine cradle that was so revolutionary just a year ago when it debuted in the 2006 330i sedan.
Why a Turbo?
Why, you ask, would BMW go to all the trouble of making this complex turbo engine when a V-8 would be a simpler and purer means to the same end? As worldwide petroleum reserves decline and prices go up, efficiency becomes paramount, even for performance and luxury vehicles. High-performance diesels — recently thought to be the next big thing — are becoming less feasible as emissions standards across the world get stricter. BMW estimates the 335i coupe’s twin-turbo setup delivers the power and torque characteristics of a 4.0-liter V-8 with 10 percent less fuel consumption and 150 fewer pounds. Mercedes-Benz also recently announced a piezoelectric direct-injection gasoline six that is naturally aspirated — for now. Thomas Weber, Mercedes-Benz’s top engineering and development officer, confirms that turbocharged smaller-displacement engines are in Mercedes-Benz’s near-term future as well. Volkswagen and Audi already offer a direct-injection turbo four in the U.S. GM soon will offer one as well in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line. Direct-injection turbos are here to stay.
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