Show Us Your Motors!

[scratch]

Cleaned the car today with the idea of going out and getting some decent shots in the New Forest now the wheels have been refurbed. Unfortunately work called and by the time I'd sorted that the sun started going down, so that thwarted that plan.

Just took a few on the parent's driveway with my phone in the end:

 

[Voxination]

I like

How you getting on with the LEDs buddy?

 

[scratch]

I like

How you getting on with the LEDs buddy?

Cheers

Absolutely loving the LEDs matey It's so nice to have a decent amount of bright light in the cabin..it makes it feel so much more modern as well

 

[GSDog]

Cheers

Absolutely loving the LEDs matey It's so nice to have a decent amount of bright light in the cabin..it makes it feel so much more modern as well

What LEDs are they and where did you get them from?

 

[Belloni]

Scratch, bit off topic but I've been looking to get one of those cars. Would you recommend it, I looked it's shape so much!

 

[scratch]

What LEDs are they and where did you get them from?

Bought them on eBay here: http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=321036057177

They're a full set of 18 LEDs for the E92. They take about 30 minutes to fit and seem like good quality to me.

 

[ShiWarrior]

I didn't know you changed cars again Nath
im loving the car, needs a racier colour though and the wheels look a bit small for it, but the design suits it, what size are they? thy look like 15's to me

 

[scratch]

Scratch, bit off topic but I've been looking to get one of those cars. Would you recommend it, I looked it's shape so much!

What model are you looking at..the 335i?

I absolutely love mine, it's effortlessly quick..sometimes too quick as it's far too easy to hit license-losing speeds without even realising it. Often you don't even feel the car accelerating at the rate it is..you really have to keep one eye on the speedo. BMW have done a great job of turbocharging the straight six though, the power delivery is so linear that it feels like a normally aspirated car.

Steering is precise and nicely weighted and the brakes stop you flat and very quickly. I have the auto, which I'm having a bit of trouble with at the moment, but I think it just needs the adaptations reset so it's going into BMW next week to get that sorted. Generally the auto is really smooth though and you shouldn't be able to feel the gear changes unless you're pushing it hard.

It's certainly a very different beast from the 330ci it replaced though, and in a way I preferred the 330 as it had more character. The 335i can feel a bit clinical sometimes as it's well sound-proofed. In fact I tend to drive around with the window down all the time so I can hear the noise of the engine.

The main downside of the E92 at the moment is the price; residuals are really good at the moment. I paid £15k for mine which is a well-specced 08 plate with 45k miles on the clock. That's a lot of money for a car that's coming on for 6 years old, but I don't regret it one bit. If I'd bought an example with fewer options then I'd probably have felt a bit robbed.

 

[Voxination]

LEDs look awesome, much better than the ones I have lol.

How is the paddle shift on the 335i? Quite slushy like the E46 shifting or actually decent?

 

[[TW]Fox]

How is the paddle shift on the 335i? Quite slushy like the E46 shifting or actually decent?

It's the 6HP whereas the E46 had the 5HP. They are very similar really IMHO, both wafting rather than inherently sporting.

It was the 8HP which really moved the game on. Sadly not offered with the E92.

 

[Voxination]

It's the 6HP whereas the E46 had the 5HP. They are very similar really IMHO, both wafting rather than inherently sporting.

It was the 8HP which really moved the game on. Sadly not offered with the E92.

That's quite disappointing tbh, hoped it would have been a big improvement over the slushbox

 

[scratch]

That's quite disappointing tbh, hoped it would have been a big improvement over the slushbox

I don't think I'd ever have called the box in my 330 a slushbox; I thought it was pretty good considering its age and generally responded quickly and knew what gear I wanted it to be in.

The paddle shift on the 335 is not something I've really gotten into the habit of using, so couldn't really tell you what it's like to use day to day. From what little use I've had of it though, it seems ever so slightly more responsive than the steptronic mode on the 330, but not much! The most annoying thing is that both paddles can be used to upshift and downshift..push to downshift and pull to upshift. There's a mod that can be done to make it work like other paddles (one side for up the other for down), but until I start using them more I'm leaving mine as they are.

 

[Jez]

That's quite disappointing tbh, hoped it would have been a big improvement over the slushbox

IME the 6HP is noticeably better than the 5HP, its shifts are significantly more urgent. Its a much better box all round. You'd definitely notice the significant improvement between the two if you changed to one with lots of 5HP driving experience.

 

[Voxination]

I don't think I'd ever have called the box in my 330 a slushbox; I thought it was pretty good considering its age and generally responded quickly and knew what gear I wanted it to be in.

In auto it's pretty good, it's just in manual you tell it to change, wait a few seconds, then it eventually changes.

The paddle shift on the 335 is not something I've really gotten into the habit of using, so couldn't really tell you what it's like to use day to day. From what little use I've had of it though, it seems ever so slightly more responsive than the steptronic mode on the 330, but not much! The most annoying thing is that both paddles can be used to upshift and downshift..push to downshift and pull to upshift. There's a mod that can be done to make it work like other paddles (one side for up the other for down), but until I start using them more I'm leaving mine as they are.

Weird system where you can push the paddles! Isn't there also some Alpina software you can flash to it to make it change quicker?

IME the 6HP is noticeably better than the 5HP, its shifts are significantly more urgent. Its a much better box all round. You'd definitely notice the significant improvement between the two if you changed to one with lots of 5HP driving experience.

Would like to try one, but maybe in a few years when 335i prices have dropped a bit lol.

 

[Belloni]

What model are you looking at..the 335i?

I absolutely love mine, it's effortlessly quick..sometimes too quick as it's far too easy to hit license-losing speeds without even realising it. Often you don't even feel the car accelerating at the rate it is..you really have to keep one eye on the speedo. BMW have done a great job of turbocharging the straight six though, the power delivery is so linear that it feels like a normally aspirated car.

Steering is precise and nicely weighted and the brakes stop you flat and very quickly. I have the auto, which I'm having a bit of trouble with at the moment, but I think it just needs the adaptations reset so it's going into BMW next week to get that sorted. Generally the auto is really smooth though and you shouldn't be able to feel the gear changes unless you're pushing it hard.

It's certainly a very different beast from the 330ci it replaced though, and in a way I preferred the 330 as it had more character. The 335i can feel a bit clinical sometimes as it's well sound-proofed. In fact I tend to drive around with the window down all the time so I can hear the noise of the engine.

The main downside of the E92 at the moment is the price; residuals are really good at the moment. I paid £15k for mine which is a well-specced 08 plate with 45k miles on the clock. That's a lot of money for a car that's coming on for 6 years old, but I don't regret it one bit. If I'd bought an example with fewer options then I'd probably have felt a bit robbed.

I've been looking at the 320i or 325i, think they are enough for me power wise. What's it like on petrol? I've been looking at models with sat nav as I love "toys" to have! It sits quite low doesn't it?

 

[commited]

In auto it's pretty good, it's just in manual you tell it to change, wait a few seconds, then it eventually changes.

The wait definitely isn't a few seconds in my 530i, yours may be broken It's no where near as fast as the latest autoboxes but the change delay is a second at the most in my experience.
Considering they're pretty old now, they're still a great autobox.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Yea, the 5HP (and 6HP) are great automatic gearboxes. What they will never be is great manual gearboxes, because that isnt the point. If you want a manual but find it easier to find an auto for sale, then don't, as you wont be happy with it. But if you want an auto, the box is great.

When I bought mine I was very anti auto and spent a LOT of time tracking down one of the very rare manual 530i's.

Today, every time I drive my 530i I think 'This really is a great car in every way... except for the fact it isnt an auto'

Doh.

 

[commited]

They never sold manual e39s in Australia so I had no option, but when I return to UK/Ireland, I'll get an auto - they suit the car really well.

The "manual" mode of the autobox is great for windy roads when you don't want to the gearbox to continually cycle between gears etc, but considering that is about 1% of my driving it's a decent trade off when I spend 50% of it sitting in traffic (driving anywhere in Sydney )

 

[[TW]Fox]

I only ever use the manual mode to stop the stupid thing shifting into 4th on dual carriageway hills for no apparent reason

 

[Voxination]

The wait definitely isn't a few seconds in my 530i, yours may be broken

Don't scare me like that I was exaggerating slightly, it probably is no more than a second tbh, it just feels like ages.

I was very sure I wanted an auto when buying mine, now I'm the exact opposite of Fox in thinking that everything is fantastic about the car, but wish it was a manual.