New Project 135I Gets Moving with JIC Cross

When I started the Project A3, I said this car is one I will keep for a long time once it was in completed status. Apparently the bug I have will not let me do that! So when the chance to sell it came up, the new cars on the horizon were the Hyundai Genesis, BMW 135I, or maybe some so cheap I could crash it into walls and not care. The 135I touched my sweet spot and I had to have it. Having done a 335I when they first came out, we were aware of the motor and what the car drove like. However at that time, there was NOTHING for the car. Now, the 135I is the new tuner car for those wanting the BMW brand in their garage.

So we picked up our 135I from a used car dealer in California. The car is the steptronic edition with the coral red interior and the black saphire paint. Driving the car about 600 miles in 2 days back to Phoenix gave me alot of time to feel the car out. It feels quick, very quick. I can imagine with a turboback exhaust, flash, and intake that this car will be running in the 11’s. The suspension reminded me of a stock STI. Stiff yet comfortable. The steering wheel was small but sporty and the responsiveness of the stock steering was quick. Inside the seats were comfortable and had enough bolster to them. Way better then the stock seats I had in my 996TT. The stereo sucks and takes me back to the E36 days and not much has changed.

So with having the car 1 day back in AZ, it was time to mod it up. Like all our project cars, we hooked up with JIC Cross for the suspension. JIC got us their new 1 series Cross coilovers which feature front camber plates, 16 way adjustable dampening, and monotube dampers. We run these coilovers on our current Project 997TT and have on many others. In addition, we also added the JIC beefy front strut bar which works in conjunction with the stock tie bars. The install was pretty basic and direct as you can see by the pictures. The install took 3 hours and then 1 hour for the alignment. We lowered the car about 1.5 inches front and rear to have a nice aggressive look for our future 19 inch wheels from HRE.

Surprising the JIC coilovers are very smooth. I say that each time as from the days of the EVO and WRX, JIC Magic coilovers were pretty stiff. Much like the Audi A3 we built, the coilovers ride smooth and stiffen up the chassis at the same time. There is no bounce or hopping at all. You can feel the strut brace in hard turns. The car could benefit from some H&R front and rear sway bars. Though that could be overkill for a street car.

So what is on deck for this project??? Many cool things that will make this BMW out flash our Porsche! We are hooking up with HRE Wheels and putting some 19 inch C90 Competition Series wheels on it. The mesh wheels feature a step lip, titanium hardware, and special honed center forgings that make this the lightest 3piece wheel on the market. They will weigh in at around 18lbs each for the staggard setup. Next up, we are going to be working with the guys at RISS Racing to install their cold air intake kit and plenum. We will be doing some before and after dynos to showcase the performance of these products. After that, look for us to install the Agency Power Downpipes and we will be doing a prototype catback with titanium tips. Beyond these immediate mods, look for improvements in braking, cooling, and definitely aerodynamic styling. Stay tuned to our BMW 135I Project Car Section at www.vividracing.com/forums/project-135i for all the latest pictures.

View our complete 135I Modification Gallery here at https://www.vividracing.com/forums/gallery/browseimages.php?c=403