[11] 2011 Bmw 335 In This Year News

As we've been blathering on for weeks about the wonders of BMW's spanking-new 3.0-liter N55 engine (it traded one of its turbos for Valvetronic and came out ahead on responsiveness and fuel consumption while breaking even in horsepower and torque), the Roundel gang has been readying a sportier new 335is model powered by, what? The old twin-turbo? Tweaked to spool out an extra 20 horses and 32 pound-feet (make that, 70 extra pound-feet for short bursts of overboost!)? C'mon, guys. Admit what the Net has been alleging all along: the old twin-turbo really made gobs more power and torque than you let on, right?

Nein.

The engineers swear on a stack of product-change-notice paperwork that indeed this new version, nicknamed N54B30, is tweaked to pump more air for improved performance. The mission of this North America-only model is to cut the factory in on some of the action BMW owners have been giving companies like Dinan, Hartge, AC Schnitzer, et al. in search of a bit more performance and exclusivity. Indeed the added power is largely derived in the same way those guys often make it -- with a hotter chip that turns up the boost (from 8.7 psi in the 2009 335i to 11.6 psi nominal peak). As for the aforementioned overboost of up to 14.5 psi, this only happens for a maximum of seven seconds, generally below 4500 rpm, so the horsepower never tops 320. Unlike some of those other guys, however, BMW upgrades the cooling system substantially (an auxiliary radiator and an oil cooler flank the main radiator and the cooling fan's performance is increased), to preserve manufacturer-warranted durability.

Other powertrain changes include more rigid hydraulic engine mounts and a rortier exhaust note (it doesn't pass Euro sound regs but sounds terrific, though exhaust backpressure is unchanged). It's available with either the six-speed manual or the seven-speed twin-clutch automatic. You'll also find versions of this engine powering the new 740i (315 horsepower) and Z4 sDrive35is (335 horsepower, thanks to that car's roomier, cooler underhood environment).

Because 335i coupes come standard with the sedan's M Sport suspension anyway, there is virtually no change to the hardtop's chassis specifications, but the convertible is lowered 0.4 inch and its spring and damper rates are firmed up to coupe/M Sport specs. Coupes and convertibles get 335is-specific five-twin-spoke wheels as standard, with 19s optional.

Dressing up the exterior are sportier looking fascias and side skirts, with black-lacquer-look grille surrounds, mirror caps, and a matte black rear diffuser (which BMW engineers claim smoothes air separation at the rear, but this engineer is skeptical of that assertion). The front fascia includes foglamps for the convertible, but coupes will devote that space to ducting air to the extra heat-exchangers, as they're more likely to see track duty (our prototype test cars all show fogs in that spot, however).

Inside you get an M sport wheel, gray gauge faces with white needles and a 335is logo, stainless pedal trim, and aluminum dash and console trim. It all looks and feels pretty special, but is it worth the $7000 upcharge? Answering that question would be much easier with some hard data in hand, so let's strap our VBox onto a dual-clutch example (clearly the quickest) and head out onto the front straight at Portugal's Estoril circuit for some quick-'n'-dirty acceleration and braking data.

There are a few caveats: These early-build cars do not have launch control, which will appear in production; overnight rain has left the surface a tad damp in spots, and there's a slight headwind (the level portion of the straight is not long enough to run in both directions). Nevertheless, I twice manage to flat-foot the accelerator with no "brake torquing" and get a nice hard launch with reasonable wheelspin, and manage to beat our quickest 335i coupe (a six-speed manual) handily: 4.8 seconds to 60 mph, versus 5.1; 13.3 seconds at 105.6 mph in the quarter versus 13.6 at 104.3. Consider these highly conservative results to be revisited closer to when the car goes on sale in April (convertible) and June (coupe). Note that neither this engine nor the DCT transmission will be offered elsewhere in the 3 Series lineup.

So a 16-percent price bump (more like 20 when you factor in the $1575 price of the DCT) buys a six-percent 0-to-60 bump. Hmm. Of course, the car is also mighty satisfying to drive from a handling standpoint, even on a damp motorcycle-racing circuit. A broad, stable footprint, 50/50 weight distribution, smooth power delivery, and an incredibly astute Dynamic-Traction Control system allow mere mortal drivers to extract optimal lap times under these conditions with no incipient undergarment soilage.

Factor in the attractive and vaguely tuner-tweaked appearance, the full warranty with free scheduled maintenance, the measurable performance increase (particularly in the case of the convertible), and the 335is starts to look like a reasonable proposition--especially to anyone contemplating a tuner bump of similar magnitude. And of course 335is owners will be able to lord their ample turbo count over those who've sprung for the new base car.

2011 BMW 335isBase price$50,525 Price as tested $54,400 Vehicle layout Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 2-door, coupeEngine 3.0L/320-hp/330-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6Transmission 7-speed twin-clutch autoCurb weight (f/r dist) 3600 lb (mfr) Wheelbase 108.7 inLength x width x height 180.6 x 70.2 x 54.1 in0-60 mph 4.8 secQuarter mile 13.3 sec @ 105.6 mphBraking, 60-0 mph 113 ftEPA city/hwy fuel econ 17/25 mpg (est)CO2 emissions 0.96 lb/mile (est)