m3 vs 335

[shots]

lovely so for 99.9% of the time 335>m3 and for the 0.1% when your over 200km/h m3>335? that cant be right

[noxredna]

A modified M3 will destroy a modified 335.. so it's irrelevant. You can't compare modified 335 vs stock m3 because there are reliability issues with modified 335s

Plus the DCT puts the auto gear box on the 335 to shame.. the shifts are brutally fast and you can still put it on auto when you are city driving. It's also fun to learn how to track on the M car - even though you've no experience.. buying an M3 pushes you to explore motorsports activities. Plus the V8 sound is incredible.. you can't replace that.

Also, an M3 is an M car.. you command presence and most M owners are relative car enthusiast.

I ran a 12.2 on 1/4 mile with 19" street tires, someone on the post just ran a 12.04 with radials. Both of our cars are modified though.

I have a 335 vert in Singapore and I love it.. it's an awesome city driver, the hard top roof is fantastic and the low end torque makes the car feel like it's going a lot faster than it is. If your looking for a hard top vert, I would stick with a 335.. a hard top M3 vert doesn't make any sense.

[shots]

thats awesome thank you for the nice summary of points without be condescending, but moding the m3 with bold ons will only add like 40 hp at the crank right maybe 33whp? really that big of a difference? worth 5-6000?

[xxe92xx]

Originally Posted by shots

thats awesome thank you for the nice summary of points without be condescending, but moding the m3 with bold ons will only add like 40 hp at the crank right maybe 33whp? really that big of a difference? worth 5-6000?

theres alot of info on modding u need to

but if your trying to mod an m3 right off that bat, its not gona be cheap...when i bought my m3 it was the car that sold me i had no idea or no thought of ever modding it, modding shouldnt be the reason your buying this car...it would be alot cheaper to keep your current car and add to that IMO

[chris719]

Most people don't seem to realize that you need to drive the M cars with a very heavy foot. Wide open throttle is what you need and then you'll get off the line fast, they don't respond well to partial throttle because you get stuck in the lower revs where you aren't making as much power.

[brava09]

Go for the M3....I just did


it's way faster than my 335i

[NRG]

Originally Posted by noxredna

A modified M3 will destroy a modified 335.. so it's irrelevant. You can't compare modified 335 vs stock m3 because there are reliability issues with modified 335s

Plus the DCT puts the auto gear box on the 335 to shame.. the shifts are brutally fast and you can still put it on auto when you are city driving. It's also fun to learn how to track on the M car - even though you've no experience.. buying an M3 pushes you to explore motorsports activities. Plus the V8 sound is incredible.. you can't replace that.

Also, an M3 is an M car.. you command presence and most M owners are relative car enthusiast.

I ran a 12.2 on 1/4 mile with 19" street tires, someone on the post just ran a 12.04 with radials. Both of our cars are modified though.

I have a 335 vert in Singapore and I love it.. it's an awesome city driver, the hard top roof is fantastic and the low end torque makes the car feel like it's going a lot faster than it is. If your looking for a hard top vert, I would stick with a 335.. a hard top M3 vert doesn't make any sense.

If you talking around the race track, yes 100%. The 1/4 vs 335, M3 will suffer if comparing modded to modded. Latest Famoso runs shows numerous 335s from tuned to slightly tuned running 11s@120+. Fastest M3 went 12.x@115. Fastest N54 belongs to OldBooster with 11.2@128 time slip, show me a modded E9XM3 that approached that. While the DCT is amazing, the 335 ZF tranny is no slouch either. When combined with a tune (JB3, V3, GIAC) shifts are extreamly fast as well. Oh and, I had my 335 now for 3 years tuned, from SSTT to JB3 and everything in between plus whole bunch of beta testings for BMS, not a single tune ralated issue.

[SUB-ZERO]

Originally Posted by shots

lovely so for 99.9% of the time 335>m3 and for the 0.1% when your over 200km/h m3>335? that cant be right

Keep dreaming dude! If you have to ask the question, then keep the 335. I suggest you go see/touch/drive an M3.

[Kyoshi71]

I had a 2007 335 just before my 2010 M3. I loved the 335 but seriously, no comparison. You need to look at the overall package.

[H Bomb]

i would just keep your 335, it seems you just don't understand the concept of the M3. it seems your all about straight line speed, 1/4 mile, 0-60 etc. if that is the case then keep the 335.

there is just something about driving a car to 8400 rpm through the gears and until you drive an M3 you just won't get it. i had an E46 M3 and when i found out this one had a V8 and redlined even further i knew i was gonna get one. the car does its work above 5k. if you don't drive it like you stole it and work in the 5k and above range you won't understand or appreciate the car.

good luck in whatever you decide

[uberschnell]

Most of the e90 crowd is one-dimensional, focusing purely on speed. Granted, I got to keep an M3 for the day and have to say a tuned 335 is a far faster car in day to day driving where torque is king. But look at the lsd vs open diff, it's just the beginning of the major performance differences when it comes to all around performance. Looks wise also the m3 is really what any 335 could only hope to aspire to.

I got my 335 in late 06, way before the m3 was available, especially the DCT. I've spent a few $$ modifying it including swapping out most of the suspension components for m3 parts, throwing in an LSD and coilovers. Handling wise I'm too close to the m3 to make the upgrade worth the $$. I'm happy with my car, but keep in mind it's all been about trying to essentially emulate the M3.

[domobrown]

Pretty much everybody who has switched from a 335i modded or not has had no regrets when they went to the M3. A whole new door is opened in M cars; a different BMW experience. If you are willing to look over torque figures and straight line speed(which M3s are now advancing in anyways) then the M3 is the car for you. So far, you only seem to be infatuated with low-end power. I suggest a C63 for your needs.

[dlbrooks18]

both are great cars, N54 has lot's of tuning potential and an HPF single turbo upgrade in development

[GnokGnik]

Really depends on how you will use the car.

On the streets (fast/furious/accident) ~ 335i. You will have the world of modding at your feet. $279 bucks can net you 80 fuqing whp. I ran next to a M3 off a light and I just pulled a 1/4-1/2 CL in front of him and he couldn't regain that distance...I am sure after 100mph he would start gaining, but in the streets that is unlikely. Reliability is much more an issue than it is for the M3. Most people (women) can't tell the difference between the 335i w/ some cosmetic mods and a M3. I am a nostalgic/romantic, and hated M's move away from the inline 6...the 335i is its last hurrah...saying "3 liter Direct injection, twin turbo inline 6" makes me get a hard on. MUCH BETTER DD (and customizable car) IMO.


Around a track (don't have to worry about fitting a LSD, new suspension, tires etc) ~ M3. It has its own feel and purpose. You will LOVE revving that NA S65 LIKE IT WAS MEANT TO BE (you'll find the torque in the revs...but MPG will hurt). It is exclusive. You won't see 20 year olds (like me) driving M3's as often. It takes the beautiful E9x body and makes it go to the gym and gain bulging muscles. Very linear power delivery...but imho, lacking the sensation of speed. I wouldn't mod a M3, it was made to accomplish right out the factory. MUCH BETTER PERFORMER/SPORTS CAR.

I am sure the 335i hurt M3 sales, but the M3 was made without limitations in mind, while the 335i was retarded (lack of LSD? Really?) by BMW . The 335i is a very fast sporty car...while the M3 is a sports car.


In conclusion,

Daily Driver?
335i > M3

Track/Weekend Warrior?
335i + mods > M3

JK

[Evice]

I am amused by another post of this type of comparison. Just to stir the pot throw in the 135i in the equation. 135 vs 335 vs M3 haha

[H Bomb]

i will disagree the M3 is a great daily driver as well. i use mine as a daily and it works just fine. i also would take my 8600rpm redline over the 335 any day

Originally Posted by GnokGnik

Really depends on how you will use the car.

On the streets (fast/furious/accident) ~ 335i. You will have the world of modding at your feet. $279 bucks can net you 80 fuqing whp. I ran next to a M3 off a light and I just pulled a 1/4-1/2 CL in front of him and he couldn't regain that distance...I am sure after 100mph he would start gaining, but in the streets that is unlikely. Reliability is much more an issue than it is for the M3. Most people (women) can't tell the difference between the 335i w/ some cosmetic mods and a M3. I am a nostalgic/romantic, and hated M's move away from the inline 6...the 335i is its last hurrah...saying "3 liter Direct injection, twin turbo inline 6" makes me get a hard on. MUCH BETTER DD (and customizable car) IMO.


Around a track (don't have to worry about fitting a LSD, new suspension, tires etc) ~ M3. It has its own feel and purpose. You will LOVE revving that NA S65 LIKE IT WAS MEANT TO BE (you'll find the torque in the revs...but MPG will hurt). It is exclusive. You won't see 20 year olds (like me) driving M3's as often. It takes the beautiful E9x body and makes it go to the gym and gain bulging muscles. Very linear power delivery...but imho, lacking the sensation of speed. I wouldn't mod a M3, it was made to accomplish right out the factory. MUCH BETTER PERFORMER/SPORTS CAR.

I am sure the 335i hurt M3 sales, but the M3 was made without limitations in mind, while the 335i was retarded (lack of LSD? Really?) by BMW . The 335i is a very fast sporty car...while the M3 is a sports car.


In conclusion,

Daily Driver?
335i > M3

Track/Weekend Warrior?
335i + mods > M3

JK

[Echo M3]

I know, I know, this has been beaten to death. But I thought I would thrown in my opinion, given that I just had the opportunity to drive a 335i.

After dropping off my car for servicing today, I was pleasantly surprised to be given a 335i coupe. My immediate impressions were...WOW! The torque at low RPM is extremely evident - it certainly feels like it pulls earlier and harder than the M3. The handling is excellent, and while it does not have the stability of the M3 in higher-speed cornering, it is ridiculously grippy compared to most cars out there on the road. To those of you that chose to purchase a 335 - I applaud you. It's a brilliant, brilliant car for its price range. I am very happy with my purchasing decision, but there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrased of if you could not afford the M3 or another car over the 335. I honestly felt that except for the less-sharp handling and lower top-end grunt compared to the M3,it is remarkably quick and in daily conditions, almost as quick .

I have never been a fan of turbocharging but wow, those twin turbos sure do sound fantastic.

[TailHappyM3]

Originally Posted by pman10

I know, I know, this has been beaten to death. But I thought I would thrown in my opinion, given that I just had the opportunity to drive a 335i.

After dropping off my car for servicing today, I was pleasantly surprised to be given a 335i coupe. My immediate impressions were...WOW! The torque at low RPM is extremely evident - it certainly feels like it pulls earlier and harder than the M3. The handling is excellent, and while it does not have the stability of the M3 in higher-speed cornering, it is ridiculously grippy compared to most cars out there on the road. To those of you that chose to purchase a 335 - I applaud you. It's a brilliant, brilliant car for its price range. I am very happy with my purchasing decision, but there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrased of if you could not afford the M3 or another car over the 335. I honestly felt that except for the less-sharp handling and lower top-end grunt compared to the M3,it is remarkably quick and in daily conditions, almost as quick .

I have never been a fan of turbocharging but wow, those twin turbos sure do sound fantastic.

You would've loved the 335d even more given your surprise with the 335's torque.

[CaptainDang]

Originally Posted by noxredna

A modified M3 will destroy a modified 335.. so it's irrelevant. You can't compare modified 335 vs stock m3 because there are reliability issues with modified 335s

Plus the DCT puts the auto gear box on the 335 to shame.. the shifts are brutally fast and you can still put it on auto when you are city driving. It's also fun to learn how to track on the M car - even though you've no experience.. buying an M3 pushes you to explore motorsports activities. Plus the V8 sound is incredible.. you can't replace that.

Also, an M3 is an M car.. you command presence and most M owners are relative car enthusiast.

I ran a 12.2 on 1/4 mile with 19" street tires, someone on the post just ran a 12.04 with radials. Both of our cars are modified though.

I have a 335 vert in Singapore and I love it.. it's an awesome city driver, the hard top roof is fantastic and the low end torque makes the car feel like it's going a lot faster than it is. If your looking for a hard top vert, I would stick with a 335.. a hard top M3 vert doesn't make any sense.

Wow somebody needs to put the crack pipe down.

The latest Famoso MB event, the M3's were getting their ASS handed to them. Both in Supercharged and N/A form.

The Fastest bolt on M3 there (which happens to be the fastest N/A M3 in the country) ran a 12.xx @ 115 mph. Fastest SUPERCHARGED M3 E9x M3 there ran a 12.5. Full modded M3 supercharged owned by Sticky and tuned by Gintani ran like 22 seconds in the 1/4 since the DCT transmission couldn't handle the power and took a crap every run. (I think he spent like $20,000 on his setup too)

Bolt on N54 powered 135's and 335's were balls deep in the 11s @ over 120mph, my buddy in a bolt on 135i ran a 11.5 @ 122. Fastest BMW there by far. Oh and he got over 30 MPG on his drive home. LOL

You can't compare an M3 to a 135/335 in terms of acceleration, it's not gonna happen. (The N54 and 6spd Steptronic is superior when modded) Plus the M3 is kinda pig, I think at 3700 lbs????

[CaptainDang]

Originally Posted by 330CIZHP

Mostly M3s stock dyno in the 340 - 350 wheel HP region and not 320 wheel HP. With bolt-ons and tune, 390 - 400 whp.

Yes, there are the 320 - 330 wheel HP dynos, but there are many variables at play making it an apples to oranges comparison. I am sure on those dynos, the 335 will be no higher than 250 - 260 wheel HP. To make it truly apples to apples, put them on the same dyno on the same day. Then you have a comparison.

Umm depending on what dyno, I've seen M3's dyno 310whp, 340whp-350whp would be on one of the higher reading dynos.

A stock 335i will dyno around 270-280whp, on a dynojet, with some as high as 290whp range. I think automobile magazine dyno'd 300whp on a stock 335i once. Bolt-ons on a 335i will push to 450whp possible on the stock turbos, both vishnu and burger tuning has done it, with almost equal amounts of torque, over 400ft lbs. A number any bolt-on M3 can only dream of.

ON top of that, the 135i and 335i weigh almost 200lbs less than the M3, in terms of power handling, the Steptronic 6spd is way more robust than the DCT. As shown in the recent MB/BMW shootout, the DCT is not made to handle extra power very well from forced induction. It overheats and goes into limp mode.

[330CIZHP]

You are definitely one of those biased fanbois that drive people nuts. I have a source for 375 whp bone stock M3 sedan dyno by the Edmunds long term test fleet. Want to see it?? Still you did not see me quoting that at all since it must be a factory freak. I was using averages and M3 certainly averages 340 - 350 whp on dynos and the 335 averages 265 - 275 whp stock.

You are making all kinds of crock up by pulling together different dynos to make the 335 dyno higher than it should and M3 lower than it should on the same dyno on the same day. Are you seriously telling me that on the same dyno on the same day, an M3 will dyno within 20 - 30 whp of a 335?? What kind of ludicrous foolishness is that?

- Where did you get the 200 lbs weight difference?? Show me a source where both cars were weighed at the same time. For one, 335 does NOT weigh 200 lbs less than M3. They both weigh well within 50 lbs of each other. Test weight of a 335 6MT coupe was 3570 lbs and M3 coupe with 6MT weighed 3611 lbs. If you need sources, I can get those for you, but don't blatantly lie.

- If apples to apples comparison is concerned, recently a european magazine comparison of a stock M3 vs vs Euro E46 M3 vs stock 335 was done at the same dyno on the same day (all cars were 6 speed). The stock 335 dynoed at 275 whp 300 ft-lbs torque, the E46 M3 at 290 whp and the M3 E92 dyno'ed at 355 whp. The article scan also was posted here a while back. Please if someone knows about the article I am talking about, please link it here to help me prove the point to this foolish fanboi.

Case in point, you are full of it and on the same day, on the same dyno at the same place, M3 will dyno close to 80 - 90 whp more than a stock 335.

All in all, you are a fanboi of 335 just like the one's that have been floating around saying "hey why buy an M3 when you can do a $2000 tune on 335 and be better than M3??". Certainly your ignorant post really points that way.

Originally Posted by CaptainDang

Umm depending on what dyno, I've seen M3's dyno 310whp, 340whp-350whp would be on one of the higher reading dynos.

A stock 335i will dyno around 270-280whp, on a dynojet, with some as high as 290whp range. I think automobile magazine dyno'd 300whp on a stock 335i once. Bolt-ons on a 335i will push to 450whp possible on the stock turbos, both vishnu and burger tuning has done it, with almost equal amounts of torque, over 400ft lbs. A number any bolt-on M3 can only dream of.

ON top of that, the 135i and 335i weigh almost 200lbs less than the M3, in terms of power handling, the Steptronic 6spd is way more robust than the DCT. As shown in the recent MB/BMW shootout, the DCT is not made to handle extra power very well from forced induction. It overheats and goes into limp mode.

[Echo M3]

Thank you for knocking some sense into this kid

Originally Posted by 330CIZHP

You are definitely one of those biased fanbois that drive people nuts. I have a source for 375 whp bone stock M3 sedan dyno by the Edmunds long term test fleet. Want to see it?? Still you did not see me quoting that at all since it must be a factory freak. I was using averages and M3 certainly averages 340 - 350 whp on dynos and the 335 averages 265 - 275 whp stock.

You are making all kinds of crock up by pulling together different dynos to make the 335 dyno higher than it should and M3 lower than it should on the same dyno on the same day. Are you seriously telling me that on the same dyno on the same day, an M3 will dyno within 20 - 30 whp of a 335?? What kind of ludicrous foolishness is that?

- Where did you get the 200 lbs weight difference?? Show me a source where both cars were weighed at the same time. For one, 335 does NOT weigh 200 lbs less than M3. They both weigh well within 50 lbs of each other. Test weight of a 335 6MT coupe was 3570 lbs and M3 coupe with 6MT weighed 3611 lbs. If you need sources, I can get those for you, but don't blatantly lie.

- If apples to apples comparison is concerned, recently a european magazine comparison of a stock M3 vs vs Euro E46 M3 vs stock 335 was done at the same dyno on the same day (all cars were 6 speed). The stock 335 dynoed at 275 whp 300 ft-lbs torque, the E46 M3 at 290 whp and the M3 E92 dyno'ed at 355 whp. The article scan also was posted here a while back. Please if someone knows about the article I am talking about, please link it here.

Case in point, you are full of it and on the same day, on the same dyno at the same place, M3 will dyno close to 80 - 90 whp more than a stock 335.

All in all, you are a fanboi of 335 just like the one's that have been floating around saying "hey why buy an M3 when you can do a $2000 tune on 335 and be better than M3??". Certainly your ignorant post really points that way.