Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community - FT86CLUB - View Single Post - FR-S vs BMW 135i

Ammonia · 07-01-2013, 12:48 PM

I posted this in the introduction thread, and I figured this was a place to do a decent comparison between my previous vehicle and my new! Enjoy:

My previous car was a heavily modded BMW 135i, with the N54 motor, a methanol injection, catless downpipes, full exhaust, tune, etc. Basically full bolt-ons. For anyone not familiar with the car, the 135i is one of the smaller cars in the BMW line-up, part of the lesser-known 1 series. For me, the car was perfect, love at first sight when one of my customers traded it in a little over a year and a half ago.

The N54 is a twin-turbo inline 6, comes stock with 300HP at crank, and is an absolute delight to drive, especially in a platform that only weighs ~3200 lbs. By the time I was finished modding, mine had over 420WHP, and was an 11 second car in the 1/4. I was, and still am proud of my little 1 series.

Fast forward to this month. The wife and I recently closed on our first home. The commute to and from work will be about triple of what it used to be, and DDing the 135i would probably be a nightmare, being that she gets about 14mpg. She suggested that, in light of our mortgage payment which is much higher than our current apartment's rent, we trim the BMW out of my life. Many fits of rage and sorrow ensue.

Well, after spending the majority of the last week lurking the forums on here, and doing my research into the mods this platform has in progress, I can safely say that I believe I will be in good hands. The 1 series does have one flaw, and that is there isn't an enormous aftermarket scene. There are only a few major competitors, only 3 viable aftermarket turbo developers, etc. This platform, wow. Has progressed further in a year than the N54 has since its inception in 2007. Never seen the like. And it dawned on me. I can probably get the FR-S to where my BMW is now, maybe even further if I let the modding community work abit.

So, here I am now. I had my dealership purchase a lightly used White 2013 Scion FR-S from a neighboring Toyota dealership. The car is 6MT, fully loaded with the touchscreen, premium sound, and only 5000 miles, and I bought it wholesale for only $23k. I save money in car payments, double my MPG, lower insurance, pay less for parts, gain a warranty. But most importantly, the wife is happy... She doesn't know that I now have a NEW project car though!

Pictures of my BMW follow:

This is how it looks recently:

Euro Blackline taillights are very nice:

Her "grrrr" face:

All business in the engine bay:

And here is the replacement:

All around, I feel good, especially after driving it. I do miss the power, I do miss being faster than 90% of the modded cars in my town, but after driving the car, I didn't really think so much about killing the next CTS-V I saw, or murdering that M3 from down the street, or shaming that supercharged 5.0 Mustang I've seen in town. I just think... "...Man, I bet I can totally drift this corner at 50 mph." And, for now, thats enough for me.

The drive in the FR-S is much more involved and rewarding, and it makes me smile while doing the most mundane drives. The BMW always egged me on to go to ever more ridiculous speeds, but the FR-S stays fun at street speeds, which is a refreshing change.

Here are a few more pictures, of my car and my friend's modded 135i. He bought the hood from me, and some other parts too:

Interior is actually not bad in the FR-S. It is a little more spartan than the BMW, but I like function, and I especially like the Bluetooth automatically playing my music when I get in, from exactly where I left off last. Pretty nifty.

Another perk is the community here! I love that it's not all about rice and slammed cars and stancing, etc. I've seen some beautiful cleanly modded cars, and I love it.

I do plan on modding the FR-S, probably starting with some Rota RT5s, suspension, and blacked out lights, along with Tom's Taillights. Following that will be some UEL headers for Subie burble, and a quad exhaust for a sexier butt / sound. From there on out, Tune, then down the line, some sort of FI. All in good time though.

All-in-all, while bittersweet, I couldn't be happier with my decision. One of those rare occurences. I just have to pretend that I'm heartbroken, for the wife's sake.

Thanks for having me, and I look forward to spending many hours on here.

07-01-2013, 12:48 PM	#1
Ammonia Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Drives: Whiteout FRS, Audi A4, 135i (sold) Location: Fayetteville, NC Posts: 918 Thanks: 1,440 Thanked 567 Times in 289 Posts Mentioned: 11 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	FR-S vs BMW 135i I posted this in the introduction thread, and I figured this was a place to do a decent comparison between my previous vehicle and my new! Enjoy: My previous car was a heavily modded BMW 135i, with the N54 motor, a methanol injection, catless downpipes, full exhaust, tune, etc. Basically full bolt-ons. For anyone not familiar with the car, the 135i is one of the smaller cars in the BMW line-up, part of the lesser-known 1 series. For me, the car was perfect, love at first sight when one of my customers traded it in a little over a year and a half ago. The N54 is a twin-turbo inline 6, comes stock with 300HP at crank, and is an absolute delight to drive, especially in a platform that only weighs ~3200 lbs. By the time I was finished modding, mine had over 420WHP, and was an 11 second car in the 1/4. I was, and still am proud of my little 1 series. Fast forward to this month. The wife and I recently closed on our first home. The commute to and from work will be about triple of what it used to be, and DDing the 135i would probably be a nightmare, being that she gets about 14mpg. She suggested that, in light of our mortgage payment which is much higher than our current apartment's rent, we trim the BMW out of my life. Many fits of rage and sorrow ensue. Well, after spending the majority of the last week lurking the forums on here, and doing my research into the mods this platform has in progress, I can safely say that I believe I will be in good hands. The 1 series does have one flaw, and that is there isn't an enormous aftermarket scene. There are only a few major competitors, only 3 viable aftermarket turbo developers, etc. This platform, wow. Has progressed further in a year than the N54 has since its inception in 2007. Never seen the like. And it dawned on me. I can probably get the FR-S to where my BMW is now, maybe even further if I let the modding community work abit. So, here I am now. I had my dealership purchase a lightly used White 2013 Scion FR-S from a neighboring Toyota dealership. The car is 6MT, fully loaded with the touchscreen, premium sound, and only 5000 miles, and I bought it wholesale for only $23k. I save money in car payments, double my MPG, lower insurance, pay less for parts, gain a warranty. But most importantly, the wife is happy... She doesn't know that I now have a NEW project car though! Pictures of my BMW follow: This is how it looks recently: Euro Blackline taillights are very nice: Her "grrrr" face: All business in the engine bay: And here is the replacement: All around, I feel good, especially after driving it. I do miss the power, I do miss being faster than 90% of the modded cars in my town, but after driving the car, I didn't really think so much about killing the next CTS-V I saw, or murdering that M3 from down the street, or shaming that supercharged 5.0 Mustang I've seen in town. I just think... *"...Man, I bet I can totally drift this corner at 50 mph."* And, for now, thats enough for me. The drive in the FR-S is much more involved and rewarding, and it makes me smile while doing the most mundane drives. The BMW always egged me on to go to ever more ridiculous speeds, but the FR-S stays fun at street speeds, which is a refreshing change. Here are a few more pictures, of my car and my friend's modded 135i. He bought the hood from me, and some other parts too: Interior is actually not bad in the FR-S. It is a little more spartan than the BMW, but I like function, and I especially like the Bluetooth automatically playing my music when I get in, from exactly where I left off last. Pretty nifty. Another perk is the community here! I love that it's not all about rice and slammed cars and stancing, etc. I've seen some beautiful cleanly modded cars, and I love it. I do plan on modding the FR-S, probably starting with some Rota RT5s, suspension, and blacked out lights, along with Tom's Taillights. Following that will be some UEL headers for Subie burble, and a quad exhaust for a sexier butt / sound. From there on out, Tune, then down the line, some sort of FI. All in good time though. All-in-all, while bittersweet, I couldn't be happier with my decision. One of those rare occurences. I just have to pretend that I'm heartbroken, for the wife's sake. Thanks for having me, and I look forward to spending many hours on here.