135I vs. e90 M3

[v_bimmer]

Originally Posted by 328IScreamer

Definitely not the same price. Just surprised at how large the price gap is, is all i'm getting at.

Its two totally different animals.

Better leather, superior suspension, EDC, LSD and one of the best NA engines BMW ever made.

If you cant see where the extra money go for owning a true M car. Then you should stick to 135i. Yeah you can chip it, yeah you can mod it, but it will still be just a 135i. M3 will always be an M3.

[dbworld4k]

Originally Posted by Mystikal

Ironically you're focused on features and numbers, which isn't where M cars shine. Your priorities actually lead me to believe the 135i is ideal for you.

It's the same deal with the 335 vs M3 debate. If you're willing to claim your car is faster than an M3 with mods, then you're missing the point of the M3. The tactile feel through the controls, the 8400rpm V8, the exclusivity of the whole package...that's what makes it an M car. If you're going by features, potential power, and brake caliper piston count the M car will always lose. But that was never their purpose, either.

THIS right here sums it up. For those keeping track of numbers, the M is not your car.

I used to think that slapping on aftermarket stuff to make a non-M faster (by whatever measure you chose to compare) on paper made the M cars "overrated," and I couldn't have been further from the truth. After plenty of seat time in the M3, MZ3, etc, there's not a shred of doubt in my mind that M cars are worth the price of admission by leaps and bounds. But, this is for *me.* I love when a car is so driver focused, so tuned in with my right foot and hands on the steering wheel that the whole experience becomes more than just a numbers game. It's something you have to experience for yourself at least once, no amount of talk can convey this.

Conversely, there are people who just want a nice BMW with good handling and power; people who desire to tune these cars a bit and, they like that - on paper - they have a better car than the more expensive M counterpart. And there's nothing wrong with that. For some, this is a better bang for their buck. This is what they look for in a car. That's why these non-M products/cars exist and thrive in the market.

Yet for that minority who truly want some of the best driving experience technology has to offer, there is the M. It's the intangibles: the things you can''t necessary touch but FEEL, that makes M cars truly special. There's a reason they are so highly regarded by automotive enthusiasts, and it's not the 0-60 or lap times alone.

[EMPOWERD]

Two words do it for me: THROTTLE RESPONSE

IMO, just as important as BMW's legendary steering & brake pedal feel. I cringe to see what the new M4's throttle will feel like (drove a 1M, not impressed).

[dbworld4k]

TWO WORDS: Sprint booster.

Lmao, I kid, I kid...

[328IScreamer]

I wouldn't say I am focused on feters and numbers, I was just trying to prove a point that the 1 series isn't necessarily an entry level BMW.

I owned an M3 before the 1 series so I am definitely aware of the feel and "unquantifiable" features that M cars bring to the table. That is why I was considering a newer M3 in the first place, I miss the feel and response.

[Dinanstu]

This comparo is starting to sound like magazine racing to me....

[v_bimmer]

Originally Posted by 328IScreamer

I wouldn't say I am focused on feters and numbers, I was just trying to prove a point that the 1 series isn't necessarily an entry level BMW.

I owned an M3 before the 1 series so I am definitely aware of the feel and "unquantifiable" features that M cars bring to the table. That is why I was considering a newer M3 in the first place, I miss the feel and response.

About entry-level BMW you can read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_1_Series.

This is not so say that 135i is entry-lever.

1-series was first introduced in 2004, with very tiny petrol and diesel engines in Europe. This is where the entry-level BMW is coming from.

These were the cheapest of the series BMW made.

[SiR]

we dont really get bmw's entry level trims though.