DCAWD.com

how does the beamers awd system compare to say an sti or a spec b ? My buddy is possibly gonna get one just curious how there system stacks up and if anyone has taken one for a spin

No limited slip diffs front or rear.
Center diff is smart. Car is mostly RWD, and the front helps out as the rear slips.
Quaife sells LSDs for the 135 and 335, for about $1'500 each.

Brakes are electronically controlled to engage and limit how much any wheel can spin out of control, but everyone says that installing LSDs is way better for handling than using the BMW traction control.

If you read BMW forums, people generally like to call the car "1WD".

Basically it's not the best system around, but you can upgrade it, or if you don't care you just live with it.

-scheherazade

Actually I just had a huge discussion on this tonight with someone. One of the most brilliant car guys I have ever met. He pretty soundly convinced me that, for performance purposes at least, BMW's AWD is not very good. I was half drunk at the time so I can't quite remember all his details. I'll have to ask him again or have him post em up on here.

BMW's AWD system isn't a performance enhancement system, it's a safety enhancement system. we're talking about BMW here, not Audi.

On a related note : I saw the new TL with the 3.7L and SH-AWD has all 3 electronically controlled diffs.

-scheherazade

thanks for the info i will pass it on to my buddy I keep telling uim just to get a rwd 335i maybe he will listen now

boomee wrote:thanks for the info i will pass it on to my buddy I keep telling uim just to get a rwd 335i maybe he will listen now

I have the AWD on order .

http://www.rixeffects.com/store/node/12
Not much work for over 400hp at the wheels.

AWD helps put it down, instead of spinning wheels or watching the traction control light blink.

edit :
Watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuXNddx_ ... re=related
The AWD version takes the launch easy.
Both cars' should be roughly on par power wise, with the RWD having a little more.
JB2H ~= Procede v2 (Procede v2 is a little bit more powerful)
Downpipes are usually better from what I've read on e90post, but air filter + bov might be as good, I don't know.

edit :
Here's a link to dyno results that you would have with just a piggyback ecu, no other mods.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78916

-scheherazade

scheherazade wrote:
I have the AWD on order .
-scheherazade

Manual or auto? I hear the automatic is no slouch.

Edmunds

legasleeper wrote:
Manual or auto? I hear the automatic is no slouch.

Edmunds

Manual, actually.
I test drove the automatic ~3 times. Each time it felt 'squishy'. You hit the throttle, and the only way I can describe it is a 'saggy feeling'.
They finally had a manual one day and I drove that, and it was a totally different throttle response feeling. I liked it a lot more.

Maybe the automatic is still fast, but it smooths things out way too much. More 'luxurious', maybe...

-scheherazade

scheherazade wrote:

legasleeper wrote:
Manual or auto? I hear the automatic is no slouch.

Edmunds

Manual, actually.
I test drove the automatic ~3 times. Each time it felt 'squishy'. You hit the throttle, and the only way I can describe it is a 'saggy feeling'.
They finally had a manual one day and I drove that, and it was a totally different throttle response feeling. I liked it a lot more.

Maybe the automatic is still fast, but it smooths things out way too much. More 'luxurious', maybe...

-scheherazade

Test driving is definitely the way to make a decision. When do you expect delivery?

legasleeper wrote:Test driving is definitely the way to make a decision. When do you expect delivery?

6-8 weeks.
I signed the papers last week, and they are just grumbling about needing these papers or those papers to confirm crap before they place the order with BMW mfg. Yesterday they said they have everything they need... but I'm gonna confirm Monday that they don't need any more stuff.

The delays are ok, just gives me more time to sell the evo and have a big down payment ready.

-scheherazade

scheherazade wrote:

legasleeper wrote:Test driving is definitely the way to make a decision. When do you expect delivery?

6-8 weeks.
I signed the papers last week, and they are just grumbling about needing these papers or those papers to confirm crap before they place the order with BMW mfg. Yesterday they said they have everything they need... but I'm gonna confirm Monday that they don't need any more stuff.

The delays are ok, just gives me more time to sell the evo and have a big down payment ready.

-scheherazade

Good luck with the whole deal.

I'm a bit disappointed hearing your review of the auto. Mostly because the 335d will come with automatic only, and I'll be curious how that car feels when it gets here. Thanks for sharing your analyses.

legasleeper wrote:I'm a bit disappointed hearing your review of the auto.

Eh', it's just my personal feeling. I wouldn't put too much weight on it. Some people really like the automatic.
Although, there are rumors that the 335 coupe will get the M3's 7 speed dual clutch soon. Then you get the best of both worlds. And I hear that the dual clutch actually cuts off a few tenths to 60 (in 'drive' mode too ).

-scheherazade

since i will be in the market to buy another car soon ( and gave up onbuying my uncles 07 z06)is there anything close to the bmw335xi ....in manual trans????

boomee wrote:since i will be in the market to buy another car soon ( and gave up onbuying my uncles 07 z06)is there anything close to the bmw335xi ....in manual trans????

Define what you mean by close?
You can get the 135 with RWD

-scheherazade

I was excited about the 135i until I read the reviews. it's only 200lbs lighter, is uglier, and the back seat is much more difficult to use than the 335i.

close in terms of performance/ and lunxury and not breaking the bank and keeping it luxury (new or used for that matter)

Just get a SpecB 6spd legacy. You can get a brand new 2008 for ~30k now...maybe less.

sirwilliam wrote:Just get a SpecB 6spd legacy. You can get a brand new 2008 for ~30k now...maybe less.

sirwilliam wrote:Just get a SpecB 6spd legacy. You can get a brand new 2008 for ~30k now...maybe less.

The 3 series is still fairly cheapy-plasticy inside, not any better than the legacy.
Power is similar.
335 costs more...

(That said, I just "like" the 335.)

Or try out the new kid on the block : http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sed ... index.html

-scheherazade

legasleeper wrote:

sirwilliam wrote:Just get a SpecB 6spd legacy. You can get a brand new 2008 for ~30k now...maybe less.

Yeah, I know...I ALMOST thought about trading in my forester...but I have too much time and money invested in it and I need the room for my son and all the crap that I haul.

There is a vendor over on another forum I frequent but he had this up over on the legacy forum:

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthre ... son+subaru

2008 Legacy GT Spec B, quartz silver $29990

yeah spec b is on my list so is an sti limited or i may just by another fxt i love them so much(04-08) only other cars i have considered are a s2000( i love a good high reving engine lol) or an audi s4

boomee wrote:yeah spec b is on my list so is an sti limited or i may just by another fxt i love them so much(04-08) only other cars i have considered are a s2000( i love a good hireving engine lol) or an audi s4

Just depends on what you want to do w/ it and how much room you need? My FSXT fits all the bills...just wish it was an FSTi so it would already have everything I need on there instead of me swapping it on...wish I had the 6spd...one day

ahh the elusive fsti that would be everything i need lol

sirwilliam wrote:wish I had the 6spd...one day

I don't really feel like I've lost anything per se without having the 6 speed. More so after actually owning an STi beforehand.

I'll keep the weight savings, the 4.44 final drive and the beautiful torque multiplication.