One of the twins or keep the 135i ?
 

Just looking for a little insight before I make my decision. Current 135i owner that tracks once a month. Been really impressed with the BRZ / FR-S that I have witnessed on the track. Drove one at the dealer a week ago and was really impressed. Don't know if I can go down in power that much and still have fun ......

For those of you who track the car what would you do .........

Thanks for the input

Im still keeping it under 4k for the break in and I'm having a blast lol. Previous 400HP Camaro SS and Stage 2 GD WRX owner if that tells you anything

I'm still within the break-in period as well, but have taken it into the 5-6k rpm range and she's begging to be pushed some more!!! Don't have any track time so all I can really go on is what I've felt so far...sorry I couldn't b much help!

Don't forget the fact that if that is released (with or without a turbo version) it will end up being over 30k.

I drove the 135i couple of times when I was servicing my 328i. It's a fun little car. Didn't take it to the track or anything though, so wouldn't be able to give you input in that.

All I know, is that it had the same feeling of my 328i, while being smaller. And that's a good thing.

From test driving the BRZ and driving the 135i, one thing I can say is you will probably miss some of the power. Also functionality, if this is going to be your only car, then yeah... I don't see myself going out at night in my BRZ nor taking long trips or getting stuck in traffic. 135i just like most BMWs gives you the best of both worlds without excelling at either.

my 0.0002 cs

A tuned 135i trumps the frs imho. 300 hp 400 ftlbs....

Questions for you:
1. How long have you had the 135? What do you like/dislike about it?
2. You track once per month; how well do you do? You said you were impressed by the twins at the track...how so?
3. Most important: what are your goals with this particular car?

What I'm getting at is, if you're looking for a "fix" for time at the track, you might consider HPDE/other instruction to improve your skills. That can be cheaper and more effective than switching to a completely different car. Also, what are your goals for the car? If you're looking for a daily driver that can also go to the track on occasion, isn't the 135 a great fit for that? The twins can be a good fit too, but they are less refined and likely less comfortable than the 135. (Disclaimer, my last and only BMW was a 1996 318, and I've never driven a 1 series)

There can be financial/economical advantages to switching to the twins as well...maybe a lower car payment/lower insurance; cheaper to mod and get replacement parts, although to mod up to the power of the 135 would be a big investment.

There's also the fun factor and image factor. To be frank, there are many BMWs/Acuras/Mercedes/Mustangs/Camaros around my area...but very few twins. I actually kinda like that. It means my car is a bit unique...so that may be important to you as well.

Had the 135i for 2 years and love it. Just need a little more room inside as I hit The roof with my helmet on. No such problem in the twins.

I do ok at the track. Not looking to be the fastest out there but learn and have fun. The 135 is a bit of an under steering pig. The twins I have seen are amazing in the corners.

Main use will be weekend and HPDE. occasional trips to work and stored for the winter

Started looking into replacement seats and suspension for the 135 and it gets expensive. Also how far do I go and still enjoy the street ride ??

From what I have seen a read the twins perform well on the street and track right out of the box


Thanks

Based on all of that, I say go for the switch. You've had your current car for a while and it sounds like you know what you want.

As for me, I've owned BMW/Acura/Audi/Honda and have never enjoyed driving a car as much as this one. It's raw, feisty, loud and easy to get to the limit. It's actually my daily driver and after 6 months, I still look forward to driving it every time I get in and it still brings a smile to my face.

There's also a great community here on this site. So take the plunge and keep us posted. Good luck! :thumbsup:

There are several former high power junkies who are now driving one of the twins..
I am one of them... No regrets for me.. I find the FRS more enjoyable to drive on a daily basis and in the real world. My one track experience so far with the FRS proved to be most enjoyable and it's quite capable in stock form..

I've driven M3's, M5's and 1M's, and I still love my FR-S, as a daily driver it's a lot more comfortable than the M3, and feels more direct in the corners. So far, in almost 3 weeks of owning my FR-S and putting 1000 miles on it, I do not miss the power from the M3, nor from my 530i.

One thing is that my 530i is a lot more tail happy than the FR-S is, so compared to that the FR-S feels like it drives on rails.

I just came from a FBO 135i about a month ago. I had JB4G5 board, meth, catless DPs, Berk Race Axelback, etc the list goes on. It was an 11 sec car, high 11s anyways, 12s on street tires and pump gas. Couldn't have been happier in the 135i.

I couldn't be happier in my FR-S either though. For different reasons. The drive feels more involved, the steering feel is excellent. The car really rewards you for pushing it to its limits, and having an adequate 200hp means the limits are accessible, which makes you feel alive. The 135i was amazing in its own way, oodles of power, great driving feel, enough torque to twist my wife's panties off, an extremely smooth delivery of power.


Conclusion? Both are excellent cars. If you were like me, secretly eyeing and looking up the FR-S/BRZ while still owning the 135i, I can safely say that if you should choose to make the transition, you won't regret it. If you decide to stay in the 135i, then you still have an excellent car.


I will say though, in the year or so that the Twins have been out, more headway has been done in the tuning world than has been done for the N54 since its introduction in 2007. That should give you a glimpse of where this platform is headed. There is a lot of unrealized potential in the FR-S/BRZ, and if you're willing to gamble like I did, I'd make the switch now.

I came from a 2008 335i MT Sport Coupe. I never tracked it and would have thought it too expensive a proposition if were to have considered it. It got old dealing with $1,800 run flat tires, and all the other double and triple price maintenance with computer resets for everything. The car was fast and handled great, but it weighed too much to be truly sporty.

I've had the FR-S for less than a year. I bought a helmet. I have done several autocrosses, time attacks and a track day. Stock tires are holding up fine. Next set will be something way stickier but these tires are great for learning the handling of the car. I've dusted off my mechanic tools and have already done an oil change and brake fluid change and expect to perform most of my own maintenance.

You really can't enjoy a late model BMW in this way. I don't miss it.