E92 M3 vs. E92 335i + JB4?

[jamesdwhite]

Which would win quarter mile? And what about handling?

Trying to pick my first Bimmer!!

[KKM3]

You should get a b8 s4 and chip the shit out of it. A lot cheaper than an m3 and way more responsive than the laggy soulless engine in the 335.

[KKM3]

Just picked one up a month ago. Got a tune and picked up around 40whp I also ordered a pulley which will get me in the ballpark of 400hp. The car is already very quick. Almost m3 fast.

[jamesdwhite]

Can someone provide some stats though? I already have an Audi, and I gotta say I'm not an Audi man. Just not for me.

[KKM3]

Then get an m3 and don't worry about quarter mile times. You will eventually get bored with the 335 and always looking for ways to modify to perform better than an m3. It will never feel like an m and that's the main issue. With that said, technically a 335 with jb4 will destroy a manual m3 and will be slightly faster than a dct equipped m3.

[i001947]

Originally Posted by jamesdwhite

Which would win quarter mile? And what about handling?

Trying to pick my first Bimmer!!

If you can afford a used M3 that's the way to go and you never think about another BMW again.

[Longboarder]

Originally Posted by KKM3

With that said, technically a 335 with jb4 may beat a manual m3 if the M3 driver is an idiot and the 335 can actually get traction with that POS open diff and will get destroyed by a dct equipped m3 driven by a girl.

fixed it for you.

OP - you need an N54 335...the N55's are slugs. Oh and the N54's are out of warranty by now. And you more than just a tune. You need a dci and downpipes as well. Oh, and you need better tires and a LSD. And it will still be way slower than an M3 at the track. Oh, and you'll get CELs and other random crap that will go wrong the with 335 while the M3 is bulletproof.

[Longwong]

stock vs stock no contest for the m3 winning, especially with dct. 0-60 in 4secs, quarter 12.5. 335 0-60 5.3 s and 13.8 in quarter.

Modded vs modded same advantage to the m3 (tune, no cats). vs basic bolt ons.

Once you get into e85, bigger turbos and meth injection the 335 will leave you far behind but as LB said, you need a million other parts to make the car work as a whole.

m3 is a no brainer compared to a 335 if cost is not a factor

[Alessandro]

M3 is the better car and will always be vs. a none M, with tune and bolt ons you can make a cobolt go quicker then an M3 etc. that's not the point here. But to answer the questions a tune only 335 will be maybe as fast on the straight line or maybe slower depending on many factors (DCT, outside temperature etc.)

Remember you are the one which will drive the car and pay for it

[M3ZCP6MT]

Originally Posted by i001947

If you can afford a used M3 that's the way to go and you never think about another BMW again.

👍

[cleex024]

it all depends on what you want to do also with the car...i love messing around with the car and doing all the bolt ons lol so for me it was a no brainer as it would have cost me so much more to do it on an m3. i used to own an e46 m3 that i bought new but couldnt do much without throwing tons of money into it...which it is the same with the 335i...but the initial cost was much lower.

i just liked the challenge of trying to get my car faster than an m3 in every way but obviously its still not an m3 which doesnt really bother me. i could actually afford an m3 and do all the modding to it also but then its not an m3 anyway at that point so whats the difference i guess?

either way i used to love driving my e46 m3 but i love modding and driving my 335i even more. i cant say much about the new m3 since i havent driven one yet but im sure that is just as exhilarating.

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by Longboarder

OP - you need an N54 335...the N55's are slugs.

Somewhat true.

Originally Posted by Longboarder

Oh and the N54's are out of warranty by now.

Mine's a 10/06 build with 109K street and track miles, what's your point?

Originally Posted by Longboarder

And you more than just a tune. You need a dci and downpipes as well. Oh, and you need better tires and a LSD.

You forgot an FMIC upgrade. btw, there are much better tires than the stock M3's PS2's which chunk at the track. As for the LSD, you really don't need it unless you plan to track the 335I with traction control off. Even then you won't run faster times than the open diff with dynamic traction control engaged. Also all the after market LSDs for the 335I are way more advanced than the M3's stock hydrolic pump based diff.

Originally Posted by Longboarder

And it will still be way slower than an M3 at the track. Oh, and you'll get CELs and other random crap that will go wrong the with 335 while the M3 is bulletproof.

Not at all sir. It all depends on the track layout. On any small track, with say 2.5 miles or less, the Full Bolt on 335I will beat the stock M3, by as much as 4-5 seconds. I know, cuz I've been doing recreational circuit racing for years On larger tracks with straight-aways that allow speeds of over 140mph, the advantage goes to the M3, due to gear ratios, and max speed attained in 4th gear. However the gap will be less, say down to 1-2 seconds, if the 335I is a manual.

Please research facts before posting up information. Thanks.

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by cleex024

it all depends on what you want to do also with the car...i love messing around with the car and doing all the bolt ons lol so for me it was a no brainer as it would have cost me so much more to do it on an m3. i used to own an e46 m3 that i bought new but couldnt do much without throwing tons of money into it...which it is the same with the 335i...but the initial cost was much lower.

i just liked the challenge of trying to get my car faster than an m3 in every way but obviously its still not an m3 which doesnt really bother me. i could actually afford an m3 and do all the modding to it also but then its not an m3 anyway at that point so whats the difference i guess?

either way i used to love driving my e46 m3 but i love modding and driving my 335i even more. i cant say much about the new m3 since i havent driven one yet but im sure that is just as exhilarating.

Nice mods, and an interesting post. It's nice hearing from a former E46 M3 owner. I personally would never get an E90 M3. Don't get me wrong, it's a great car, but I am heavily into tracking my car, and I've seen what the M can do over the years. It's impressive, but for what you can get the E90 M for new or used, you're better off with a C5 Z06, which will run the exact same track times stock for stock. I personally have seen quite a few of the cars people like discussing on here run at quite a few varied tracks. My next vehicle will be a C6 Z06. It's just an incredible track car.

[///McRae]

Originally Posted by jamesdwhite

Which would win quarter mile? And what about handling?

Trying to pick my first Bimmer!!

I can't find the picture, so I'll just say it instead: "Aww, no. Not this shit again."

[TurboBimmer]

Originally Posted by cleex024

it all depends on what you want to do also with the car...i love messing around with the car and doing all the bolt ons lol so for me it was a no brainer as it would have cost me so much more to do it on an m3. i used to own an e46 m3 that i bought new but couldnt do much without throwing tons of money into it...which it is the same with the 335i...but the initial cost was much lower.

i just liked the challenge of trying to get my car faster than an m3 in every way but obviously its still not an m3 which doesnt really bother me. i could actually afford an m3 and do all the modding to it also but then its not an m3 anyway at that point so whats the difference i guess?

+1

The modding and the N54 community has become a part of the equation for me. I've met alot of great people though various forums who share the same passion.

Not saying it would have been different if I initially got an M3, but seeing modded M3s is ALOT rarer over here. Most owners think that the car is perfect as it came from the factory.

Which is ok unless you take the car to the racetrack. Even if it performs better than a (stock) 335i, it also suffers from undersized brakes and excessive weight. Powerwise, a stock M3 is rather underwhelming. So most enthusiasts supercharge it which puts a big hole in the pocket compared to modding an N54.

To each his own.

[beemerdude5150]

Originally Posted by jamesdwhite

Which would win quarter mile? And what about handling?

Trying to pick my first Bimmer!!

youre on an m3 forum. Hello!

[pbonsalb]

Years ago, Grassroots Motorsports modded a 335i to beat an M3. They put half the price difference into modding the 335i with suspension and bolt on parts. With James Clay from Bimmerworld driving both cars, the 335i beat the M3 on the track, but not by much.

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by Autobahn335i

+1

The modding and the N54 community has become a part of the equation for me. I've met alot of great people though various forums who share the same passion..

We've hit 738whp/606wtq with just aftermarket turbo upgrades. Hardly anything to sneeze at.

Originally Posted by Autobahn335i

Not saying it would have been different if I initially got an M3, but seeing modded M3s is ALOT rarer over here. Most owners think that the car is perfect as it came from the factory.

Which is ok unless you take the car to the racetrack. Even if it performs better than a (stock) 335i, it also suffers from undersized brakes and excessive weight. Powerwise, a stock M3 is rather underwhelming. So most enthusiasts supercharge it which puts a big hole in the pocket compared to modding an N54.

To each his own.

You're forgetting that the M3 has a wet sump oil system, just like the 335I. Very few owners get the $5,000 mod from VAC motorsports to change over to a dry sump oil system. Having to rev up to nearly 9K to make power takes its toll on the bearings on the motor. That combined with the stock wet sump oil system should= bearing failure sooner or later. If I were to buy a stock E90 M3, this, and a sparate set of wheels with R compound tires, would be my first and only mod.

[cleex024]

Originally Posted by Autobahn335i

+1

The modding and the N54 community has become a part of the equation for me. I've met alot of great people though various forums who share the same passion.

Not saying it would have been different if I initially got an M3, but seeing modded M3s is ALOT rarer over here. Most owners think that the car is perfect as it came from the factory.

Which is ok unless you take the car to the racetrack. Even if it performs better than a (stock) 335i, it also suffers from undersized brakes and excessive weight. Powerwise, a stock M3 is rather underwhelming. So most enthusiasts supercharge it which puts a big hole in the pocket compared to modding an N54.

To each his own.

The thing is it's not just the brakes but suspension, mushiness, ssk, wheels, exhaust, the list goes on and plus items I don't know about since I don't have an m3.

I know the e46 is completely different from the e9x but everything I listed above was a problem in the e46 and probably would be a problem for me on the e9x also.

After factoring all that plus the extra I paid for the m3 I would be way over what I have put into my 335I to be only slightly faster. Either way I love both cars and they are both sexy while the m3 being a little more sexy lol.

[okusa]

Just run a quick search and see how many 335 drivers switched to the M3 vs M3 drivers that switched to a 335.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

The M3 isn't about quarter mile times. Go get a C63 if you want straight line speed.

[Vanmarsenille]

Originally Posted by okusa

Just run a quick search and see how many 335 drivers switched to the M3 vs M3 drivers that switched to a 335.

This^.