My new toy (this is what you get when you move overseas where cars are expensive...)

[N55_BBM]

Moved overseas back to my homeland of Brazil for work about a month ago. Sold my '11 135 to a forum member... God I miss that car..

Anyway, so now here I am, in the most expensive country for cars in the whole world. The 135i costs the equivalent of US$125,000 here so I got my bimmer money plus a significant chunk of my savings and was able to buy a half decent car. For the equivalent of US$40,200 this is what I got.

It's the most expensive version of the Fiat Bravo, the T-Jet. It's equipped with a 4 cylinder 1.4L 152hp engine which generates 153 lb-ft of torque, which in all honestly is way more than enough to get around in traffic here. I think I can beat at least 90% of the cars out there on a drag race lol. This is the same engine that Fiat is taking to the US to equip some of the Chrysler models. I'm pretty sure you'll see it in the Dodge Dart over there next year.

Believe it or not, the engine is actually the coolest part of the car. It's surprisingly good and the car is pretty fast actually (in relative terms of course, coming from a 135i it's not that amazing lol). There's an "overboost" button that boosts the turbo pressure from 0.9 to 1.3 bar, which gives it an extra 16 lb-ft of torque. When you press the button the gas pedal also becomes exponentially more sensitive (a little too sensitive I would say) and the steering becomes stiffer. The best benefit to that little button is actually the steering, because before you press the button it's just too soft and there's close to zero feel to the car. Again, all in relative terms because I just came from a 135...

The paint on the car is Modena Red which is the same paint Ferrari uses. It's actually really effin gorgeous in person. Wheels are 17" alloys which is bigger than most other stock wheels you get around here and the calipers are painted red which is kinda nice. I'm still adjusting to the brakes, I was used to the 135's monster 6" calipers and now I find myself having to brake way sooner and it almost got me into trouble like twice already..

It's got a front and rear sunroof (the rear doesn't open though) which is pretty cool. Leather seats have a nice red stitching but the leather quality obviously doesn't compare to BMW's. But as far as the rest of the interior quality goes, it looks good but doesn't feel that great. The car rattles like mad (which everyone tells me to just deal with around here because that's just how they are), and the GPS/radio functions are so unfriendly it looks like a mentally challenged 7 year old developed them.

But oh well, all-in-all it's a pretty ok little car and it's what I was able to buy. Shit's incredibly expensive around here so for now I get to enjoy this and miss my 135. But I also get to enjoy about a thousand other things that you don't get up there (I'll leave that to your imagination), can't win everywhere!

Enjoy the pictures (it was a little too sunny outside so it's a little overexposed, woops)

[N55_BBM]

Pictures:

[2012_135i]

Sounds like you should have taken your 135i there, sold it, and retired.

[RaihaX]

Looks good if it makes you feel better pretty sure Singapore has more expensive cars

Last i check it was like 190,000 usd for a 135i

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by 2012_135i

Sounds like you should have taken your 135i there, sold it, and retired.

LOL

it's illegal to import used cars here.. and if you import a new one that's where the US$125k comes in... all taxes. god damn protectionism.

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by RaihaX

Looks good if it makes you feel better pretty sure Singapore has more expensive cars

Last i check it was like 190,000 usd for a 135i

lol that DOES make me feel better actually.

what doesn't is the fact that I've run into 3 ferrari 458's here in my city already (and it's far from being the richest city in the country).. damn car costs $870k here and you couldn't get one if you had it in cash because of the waitlist...

[DriveHard]

Hey Bruno!!

Looks good buddy.. I kinda like the stiching and the seat piping.. I assume all went well with the car transfer here..

Gonna miss you at the track.. Good luck down there..try to keep away from rio and the Thongs... they will get you introuble..

Car looks good.. kinda like the seat piping and the stiching..

Regards

p.s. ITS freakin 38 degrees today !!!!!! lucky bastard !!!!!!!! and i put my snows on last weekend..LOL

[audimotion]

Congrats on the T-Jet.

My wife is from the south of France and we visit often. The cars there are so small, but cool as hell. Peugeot's, Fiat, Renault, Seat, Citroen all make sweet cars...as long as they are the "sport" models. Most are Turbo Diesel and from driving them you would never know. They produce no smell and make no more noise than a gasser. Very refined.

Good luck with the Jet. At least you got a "sport" model with a lot of options.

Question: How is the parking situation in Brazil? In France your car looks new for 1 day, then the dents and scratches start from all the assholes who bump into you when parking and key your "new" car because of jealousy.

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by audimotion

Congrats on the T-Jet.

My wife is from the south of France and we visit often. The cars there are so small, but cool as hell. Peugeot's, Fiat, Renault, Seat, Citroen all make sweet cars...as long as they are the "sport" models. Most are Turbo Diesel and from driving them you would never know. They produce no smell and make no more noise than a gasser. Very refined.

Good luck with the Jet. At least you got a "sport" model with a lot of options.

Question: How is the parking situation in Brazil? In France your car looks new for 1 day, then the dents and scratches start from all the assholes who bump into you when parking and key your "new" car because of jealousy.

Yea unfortunately we don't get the cool "sport" models that Europe gets. The T-Jet is one of the few. Even our VW GTI (which we now don't even have anymore) wasn't the same as the European/American one, it's a little different, looks like shit:

http://www.blogauto.com.br/wp-conten...ti-604x403.jpg

The only "sport" models we get would be the Fiat Bravo and Fiat Punto T-Jet, the Civic Si, and I think that's pretty much it... other than that it would be via import which means paying like 300% in taxes, so if you can afford that you'd go all out and get ferraris, porsches, etc.. No wonder you don't see any M3's here for instance, they cost like $500-600k..

What they do down here is label a car "R" or "sport" but nothing related to the engine, transmission, suspension, etc changes.. it's just a visual restyling which is stupid. The T-Jet is an exception because they did but a better suspension, engine, and lowered it. Check out the Fiat Uno Sporting, for instance:

http://www.carrodegaragem.com/wp-con...ing.jpg?9d7bd4

Comes with an 88hp 1.4L engine which you can still get on the "non sporting" model... (you can also get a 55hp 1.0L engine). All they changed in the car really was the paint, wheels and some stupid stuff and they mark it up like mad. Fiat does this the worst but all other companies do it as well.

I test drove the regular Bravo which has a 1.8L engine and it's crap... they made an engine with more torque than a typical 1.8L but it takes forever to rev up and it's the sluggest thing ever. The 1.6L engines around here are better than that one.


And as far as parking, let's say a typical American would not be able to parallel park around here. The other day I managed to park on a spot and had like an inch or two separating me from the car in front and behind me. Regular spots are also sometimes very tiny and it's sometimes pretty impossible not to touch your door on the car next to you. But it's not as bad as Europe, I've lived there before... I'm done with the scratch/ding paranoia I had when I owned my 135 in the states though, it would drive me crazy here

[audimotion]

^ Good Info!

Speaking of parellel parking...last year I witnessed (in France) a lady parallel parking a VW Polo with a smoke in her mouth, cell phone to her ear, and a coffee in her lap. It was the most awesome parellel park ever...fast, perfect and in a spot that allowed just inches front and back. Mind you the car was a manual and I'm sure it didn't have power steering. Unbelievable.

[germ]

Doesn't look bad.

AND it gets aluminum pedals, which BMW was too cheap to put in our 1...

[alvitdk]

Not too bad, actually quit nice looking. Man, I love Brasil and visit about twice a Year. Rio is my favorite, Sao Paulo not so much but as you said "can't have it all". Well, enjoy your "CHURRASCARIA", the dream of meat lovers.

[amancuso]

Nice car! but hey, if you had bought a 128i over there, people on this forum would tell you it's slow. LOL j/k best of luck in Brasil!

[Powerbeast]

Interior looks sweet

[Garduna]

cute little car. the interior actually looks quite nice!!!