[Ram R.]

Originally Posted by ashwin_seattle

Allright...I am back! Sorry just got busy with work.

OK...now for the Game Changer:

Here are some teaser pics...a detailed test drive write-up coming tomorrow.

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Attachment 850324


Details coming tomorrow.....!!

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It's curves are like that on a Camaro. I think it's a Chevy!

[ashwin_seattle]

Originally Posted by anekho

That's no M3. Doesn't have dual-tip exhausts and I can't really see the 'power hump' on the hood.

E90 335i, Le Mans Blue. Am I right?

That’s pretty close Anekho and Tiptron!!

It’s indeed a BMW 335i – but NOT Le Mans Blue , it is Montego Blue. Le Mans is a little darker shade. The BMW 335 is really the next best thing to the M3, as it pumps up 300BHP at astounding torque figures of 300 lb/ft. The power flow is very very smooth and the engine is always raring to go.

This is a 335i E90 albeit with a twist. It’s a 2008 model sedan, auto with paddle shifts, loaded to the T with navigation, sports package, premium package and to top it all an upgraded MagnaFlow exhaust system that has a very nice boom sound.
What makes this car killer is – a tuner that enhances the BHP output by 80 BHP and pumps in additional lbs of torque. The tuner is a JB+ and is a plug in tuner that attaches to the ECU, and is configurable.

Allright. As promised, here’s the test drive and car spotting detail:

Scene 1: 335 E90 Spotted, Acura Sold
While I was taking test drives of all possible german and jap luxury cars, I came across this superb BMW Certified 335i, with all bells and whistles and an upgraded magnaflow exhaust system. The car comes with a BMW CPO Warranty. There was this ad for the car on the dealer website – I read the ad maybe seconds later than it got posted and inquired about the vehicle. The dealer quotes pretty high - still I say Ok let me talk to my bank and I’ll get back. This gets embedded in my brain's SD memory.
At that time, I was trying to sell my Acura TSX that I now had put on sale. As per my plan, I wanted to sell first and then buy another car. We already have a Lexus RX SUV so being without a car for sometime was not a problem. So I went all ballistic to sell the car.

It all happened that I posted the Acura ad on Friday, and got a call from this lady inquiring about the car and asking to test drive. I said Ok and fixed up a time after work. I took the car for a wash, and brought the shining red beauty to the meeting place. I could see the sparkle in the ladies’ eyes as soon as she saw the car. I knew at that very moment that she likes the car.
She take s the car for a test drive and is amazed by the touchscreen nav and the host of things that the Acura has. (Acura’s touchscreen nav is the best nav that I have come across till today)

She likes the car, offers me a price and I refuse and counter the offer. She tells me that she will call me up if she changes her mind.

As soon as I reach home, I get a call from this lady again. She says she is ready to pay the amount and tells me that she cant get over the red beauty. I finalize the deal and next morning, go to the bank with her, do the formalities and have a cheque in my hand in 30 minutes. Of course, I have let go my red beauty.

That's the best thing about owning good jap cars. They sell in minutes and at great prices!


Scene 2: Beefed up 335 E90 – Test Drive – ON A RACE TRACK!!!

To start off, let me tell you that my test drive on this car was on a race track that was near the dealership and the salesman gave me a helmet and wore one himself as well . Exciting...isnt it?

To Be Continued…….in a couple of hours..

Till then , please enjoy some pics:

[lsp]

Love the color. I am in Seattle (well Renton actually) these days for a short visit. Lemme see if I can spot you. Just kidding.

Do you mind sharing the $$ numbers? For the Acura as well please.

[ashwin_seattle]

Originally Posted by lsp

Love the color. I am in Seattle (well Renton actually) these days for a short visit. Lemme see if I can spot you. Just kidding.

Do you mind sharing the $$ numbers? For the Acura as well please.

i will PM you the numbers.

lets see if we can meet here....

[ashwin_seattle]

TEST DRIVE on a Race Track:

Nice summer month of May 2011 in Seattle, beautiful weather and I get a call from the salesperson from the dealership for a test drive. we fix up a time towards the evening, and I am all excited and all that. Cant wait to wrap up my day's work and lay my hands on the blue beauty.
Reach the dealership and park my suv in the lot, while my eyes are searching for the blue machine. Look around everywhere but cant seem to find the car. A very young burly man approaches me (his name is James) and greets me and all that. He is the guy i have been talking to all this while. He calls up a workman inside and in the next 2 minutes, i hear a boom boom sound and in front of me is the shiny blue monster.
Oh God!! can't explain the feeling.
The car is mostly stock on the first look - a stock 335i with nice wide tires. On a closer look - i find black grills instead of the regular chrome, an upgraded exhaust system and a tuner in place within the engine unit.
The salesman tells me that the car comes with a BMW CPO Warranty which covers everything except maintenance like oil change etc. and is valid till 2013. I luv BMWs with factory warranties as thats the only way to keep the pockets under control.
The salesman hands over the keys to me and takes the passenger side seat.
I fire the engines and booooom the engine fires up. Love the exhaust note. The guy tells me it took the previous owner 1 month to setup the right tone for the exhaust. And the hard work shows man!!
Allright, I slot the auto in drive mode and as soon as I step on the gas, the car just takes off. It sure is not the 335i that I have tested before. lot more power and grunt.

The salesperson guides me to the race track and its just 1 mile from the dealership. Reach there and he asks me if I would want to see the real thing on this BMW. I say yes. Next he hands over a helmet to me, and puts on a helmet himself, puts the car in the track - its a straight track - around a mile long. He puts the car in sport mode, uses the paddle shifters on the steering and vroom.....the car just flies. I am pushed back in my seat just like you are when a plane takes off...and I am not kidding u guys!
The twin turbo spins its magic right from the word go, there's no turbo lag, and the tuner enhances the power output manifold.
Cross 2000 rpm, and the tuner power comes into play. From there, its unbelievable. 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds (i.e. 0-100 kmph in 4.5 seconds). Stock 335i does the 0-60 sprint in 4.8 seconds while the 2008 M3 does the 0-60 in 4.0 seconds.
This car is quick and that's an understatement. This particular 335i is quicker than the 2009 Audi S4 if that's an indication.

Allright, after dropping my jaw on the straight run, James takes me towards the single lane road that winds on the southern seattle hills. This car handles like sheer magic and you feel super confident even at very high speeds.
The braking is FANTASTIC, very very confidence inspiring - in fact the bimmer's brakes are the best of the lot - just bang on.
Steering feel - i dont have words to describe. the sports package means a brilliant buffy leather wrapped sporty steering with paddle shifters. It also gives the car sporty leather seats.
The car has a premium package and a navigation package as well, and comes with iDrive and a 8" screen for navigation. The navigation is amongst the worst intuitive of the luxury car lot that I have seen so far. There is no touchscreen and entering address through the iDrive dial is a pain.
Comes with premium 7-logic music system which is OK and not great. I firmly believe that BMW engineers are more focused on the dynamics of the car and the engine and less towards the wordly pleasures, and rightly so. This car is pure music to the hands and legs and the body. The dynamics are absolutely spot on.

Try as I might, I cant find a single fault with the BMW 335i. Fuel efficiency is average and not bad as people might think. 3 series are the most fuel efficient cars by the way, from the BMW factory.

After I am done with my test drive, there is no question about not getting the car. In typical fashion, the salesperson starts weaving his magic on the numbers game and the price negotiations start. In the US, the negotiation process is really different from back in India. The salesperson quotes a figure on a piece of paper and shows it to you. If you dont agree, you write down your number. he goes to his office inside, discusses with his manager and comes back with an updates figure on the paper.

So after exactly 3 cycles of back and forth, he bows down to my quote and we shake hands and proceed to the financing part.
Takes 10 minutes, and in the next 10 minutes, I have a bunch of stuff to sign on.
I am called to the dealership manager office, and she asks me to sign on the papers, and tries to sell me a warranty at a great deal. I refuse and stick with the BMW warranty (and later found out that it was an excellent decision - the BMW CPO warranty is GREAT)

So exactly at 6:30 in the evening, I have the car in my hands.

I take it down on the highway and drive sedately towards my home(20 miles away). I go on speed spurts in between keeping sanity in place, and other vehicle owners on the road are taken by surprise when i fire up, and i can see teh envy in their eyes.

I park my car in front of my home, and show it off to my wife. She likes the car and the color, and thereafter we go for a spin around the town. I fire up and drive the car with all my skills and spurts
My wife swears that she is not going to sit in the car if I drive like that again. An di promise her - yes never again.
Ohh yes ...the promise....it breaks next morning....when I take the car to show it off to my friends!!

Coming next:
Interior pics, pics of the tuner and a 0-60 video!!

Therafter:
Ownership review after 30k miles.

[Vik0728]

ashwin_seattle I am "Taken" by this thread and the reports

I can only imagine how excited you were as your post quite literally translates your feelings.