F12 M6 & M135i Drive

pioneer2000 · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:12

Oh lord - this is the problem with relatively affordable, "fast" cars, we get all and sundry thinking their car is the nuts because it can keep up with a proper sports car.

Please don't drive like a dangerous moron when you do get one.

Slightly off topic but I just came across a 535i on the way home, driven by someone with a death wish, going 100+ on some backroads, on the wrong side of the road for the corners I saw him take. Seems to be a general thing with BMW owners!

scott212, you concern me somewhat - best of luck with your purchase (as I do appreciate it's a quality bit of car for the money), but you seem rather focused on "the speed it can do" / "what it's faster than". Hope you're not going to be one of those idiots that thinks he needs to race everyone because your hatchback has a V6!

PMKeates · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:12

scott212 said:
People on the various BMW forums who have gone from the 335i to the M135i have said time and time again that it is noticeably faster.

'Noticeably' faster is very different from 'different league' - it's easy when you are considering very very similar things to see them as vastly different. The reality is that when there are cars ranging from 50 HP to 600 HP rolling off the production lines, the difference between 320 HP and 306 HP is really not going to generate a new league of performance!

PMKeates · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:15

miniyazz said:
Now let's try that with correct figures.

Boxster - 1350kg, 310bhp = 230bhp/ton
M135i - 1425kg, 315bhp = 221bhp/ton

Anyway the 1 series has a stupidly small tank, 52L - so you'll spend most of your time filling it up anyway.
The Boxster's is 64L.

Just so we are clear:

1. Your Boxster weight is wrong and presumes it's driven by a ghost
2. Your M135i is for the manual and presumes it's driven by a ghost
3. Your Boxster power figure is wrong - the engine produces 232 kW, this is 315 HP in metric. If you want that in imperial, it's 311 HP.
4. Your M135i power figure is imperial, and pretty much the entire industry uses metric

Barks · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:17

Except as I mentioned above they are pushing out closer to 340bhp stock.

This might just explain how, for example, it beat the RS3 in a drag race which is 4WD and quite a bit up on power and has launch control. It might also explain why so many motoring journalists have been astonished at how quickly it covers ground.

pioneer2000 said:
Oh lord - this is the problem with relatively affordable, "fast" cars, we get all and sundry thinking their car is the nuts because it can keep up with a proper sports car.

Please don't drive like a dangerous moron when you do get one.

Slightly off topic but I just came across a 535i on the way home, driven by someone with a death wish, going 100+ on some backroads, on the wrong side of the road for the corners I saw him take. Seems to be a general thing with BMW owners!

scott212, you concern me somewhat - best of luck with your purchase (as I do appreciate it's a quality bit of car for the money), but you seem rather focused on "the speed it can do" / "what it's faster than". Hope you're not going to be one of those idiots that thinks he needs to race everyone because your hatchback has a V6!

I was going to quote you before you edited and quoted me at the end!

I know it's a fast car but I also know it isn't a proper sports car. It's a family hatchback that happens to get from A to B quickly. I don't see the harm in comparing it to a Boxster which is similar on performance but I'm not going to try and drag race 911 Turbos on the motorway and come on here claiming I'm just as quick. I'll just accept that I have a pretty fast car and if I want to I can go quite a bit faster than your average ubiquitous 4 pot hot hatch because we can compare the M135i to something like a Boxster but what is irrefutable is that it will absolutely annihilate something like a Golf GTI in a straight line.

wingman · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:18

pioneer2000 said:
Hope you're not going to be one of those idiots that thinks he needs to race everyone because your hatchback has a V6!

Thought they came with a straight 6 engine?

PMKeates · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:19

scott212 said:
Except as I mentioned above they are pushing out closer to 340bhp stock.

This might just explain how, for example, it beat the RS3 in a drag race which is 4WD and quite a bit up on power. It might also explain why so many motoring journalists have been astonished at how quickly it covers ground.

How much real and genuine evidence have you seen that the engines are producing 340 HP? By 'genuine evidence' I exclude a few dudes taking the car to a wheel dyno.

I have personally equalled an RS3 in a not-off-the-line 'comparison of acceleration' and I would expect the M135i to be faster than my car. The AWD is only a hindrance above about 20 MPH. The RS3 also weighs 1650 Kg - 135 Kg more than the M135i 3dr Auto. The weight advantage probably had more to do with it - the RS3 only has 206 HP/ton.

pioneer2000 · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:20

Can we just drop the comparisons to a Porsche. It isn't one and never will be.

As you all seem obsessed with straight line speed for some reason...

Using the official manufacturer figures:

The Boxster S does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds.

The M135 does it in 4.9.

Therefore strictly looking at legal road usage, the Boxster is the quicker car. Done.

melchy · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:21

The same was said of the 335i, that it was putting out well over its 306BHP. Again I'm not sure of how much truth there is in that.

pioneer2000 · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:21

wingman said:
Thought they came with a straight 6 engine?

Yes indeed - it was the "6" that was the important bit however

PMKeates · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:22

pioneer2000 said:
Can we just drop the comparisons to a Porsche. It isn't one and never will be.

As you all seem obsessed with straight line speed for some reason...

Using the official manufacturer figures:

The Boxster S does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds.

The M135 does it in 4.9.

Therefore strictly looking at legal road usage, the Boxster is the quicker car. Done.

Where do those figures come from?

[TW]Fox · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:22

scott212 said:
Except as I mentioned above they are pushing out closer to 340bhp stock.

Exactly the same story did the rounds with the 335i and 135i, too. It's not appreciably more powerful than either the 135i or the 335i and it's not considerably lighter, either.

A Ferrari F430 is in another league to a 135i. An M135i is not.

pioneer2000 · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:22

PMKeates said:
Where do those figures come from?

From BMW and Porsche alike.

PMKeates · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:24

pioneer2000 said:
From BMW and Porsche alike.

You've found a 0-60 figure published by BMW and Porsche? Where?

I think you might be looking at 0-62, and the comparison was against the old gen not the current one.

pioneer2000 · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:26

PMKeates said:
You've found a 0-60 figure published by BMW and Porsche? Where?

I think you might be looking at 0-62, and the comparison was against the old gen not the current one.

Oh for god sake, how pedantic of you! Put that handbag away!

The comparison was originally about the 981 as well (Or at least that's the impression that was given).

PMKeates · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:30

pioneer2000 said:
Oh for god sake, how pedantic of you! Put that handbag away!

I demand that we only discuss correct car specs!

AndrewNR · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:33

I can't wait to see my first Starship Enterprise M135i come storming past me. So quick.

Housey · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:34

Takes me back to the "my M3 did a real 180mph" discussions in the olden days

wingman · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:38

scott212 said:
I'll just accept that I have a pretty fast car and if I want to I can go quite a bit faster than your average ubiquitous 4 pot hot hatch because we can compare the M135i to something like a Boxster but what is irrefutable is that it will absolutely annihilate something like a Golf GTI in a straight line.

Then just accept it and stop comparing it!!! Your knickers seem to be in a twist over comparing it - it's a fantastic car, one of my favorite drives I've ever had. There are indeed faster cars, but for the money, it's a quality, fast item.

pioneer2000 said:
Yes indeed - it was the "6" that was the important bit however

The important bit was your blatant mistake

pioneer2000 · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:43

wingman said:
The important bit was your blatant mistake

Pah, fiddlesticks to you.

miniyazz · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:45

PMKeates said:
Let's do some stats:

987 Boxster S PDK - 1455 Kg, 305 HP = 210 HP/ton
BMW M135i 3dr Auto - 1515 Kg, 320 HP = 211 HP/ton

The M has the advantage of an extra gear and punchier torque for the brief period it's useful, but there's no 'eating dust'.

PMKeates said:
Just so we are clear:

1. Your Boxster weight is wrong and presumes it's driven by a ghost
2. Your M135i is for the manual and presumes it's driven by a ghost
3. Your Boxster power figure is wrong - the engine produces 232 kW, this is 315 HP in metric. If you want that in imperial, it's 311 HP.
4. Your M135i power figure is imperial, and pretty much the entire industry uses metric

OK then, all data from manufacturer websites:
Standard weights for the cars including 90% fuel, 68kg driver and 7kg cargo - BMW Auto 1515kg, Porsche 1425kg (where did you get 1455kg from?)
Power figures - BMW 320hp, Porsche 315hp (why did you use 305hp when you later say it has 315hp?)
BMW - 211hp/ton
Porsche - 221hp/ton

So now we have the right figures, we can all go home happy