BMW BLOG

The Amish are renowned for their restrained appearance, and a well crafted simplicity. Loath to emulate what they view as the discordant modern world, they have shunned any affect of modernity. Amish building and furniture making is highly praised but the superficial simplicity of styling belies a well conceived and carefully constructed core.

Two simple lines define the exterior of the 1 series. The beltline runs from the tip of the front fenders all the way through the rear decklid. Higher than the beltline of the 3 series, it tends to emphasize the vertical, when the 1er is actually only marginally taller than the 3 series.

The other prominent line is the curve that runs just above the rockers on each side of the car. With a bit of a sway towards the front – it ‘pinches’ the apparent size of the wheelbase. At 104 inches the 1 series has a fairly long wheelbase and only four inches shorter than the 3 series, but that lower line does a good job disguising it. Read the rest of this entry »

Starting with March 2010, the BMW 135i Coupe and Convertible models will be powered for the first time by the inline six cylinder gasoline engine combining TwinPower Turbo with High Precision Injection and Valvetronic.

The new engine, codename N55, made its debut in the BMW 535i GT and it will be seen across the BMW line-up, starting with the facelifted 3 Series Coupe and Convertible. The engine comes matted to the new seven gear double clutch transmission with sports automatic.

The Twin-Scroll engine continues to produce 306 horsepower and takes the Coupe from 0 to 62 mph in 5.2 seconds and the convertible in 5.5 seconds. These performance figures are not, however, taking a toll on the fuel consumption and the official numbers show 8.5 liter per 100 km respectively 8.6 liter per 100 km.

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At the Detroit Auto Show 2010, BMW brought out an existing upgraded model, destined for the enthusiasts in the BMW community. The 2010 BMW 135i Coupe makes a transition from the several times award winning N54 six-cylinder twin-turbo engine to the newer, more efficient and equally powerful, N55.

The N55 powerplant uses the the innovation of twin-scroll technology and the integration of VALVETRONIC throttle-less intake technology.

This new engine promises even better throttle response and even more fuel efficiency. Thanks to VALVETRONIC, VANOS, and the twin-scroll turbocharger housing, peak torque is reached 100rpm earlier than with the previous engine, and engine boost response is improved across the entire engine speed range.

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BMW’s EfficientDynamics philosophy continues with the 2011 135i Coupe and Convertible models which feature the company’s latest twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six cylinder engine. Both models will feature the 7-speed Double-Clutch Transmission (DCT) as an option.

The new six-cylinder (N55 designation) develops maximum output of 300 hp at 5,800 rpm, with peak torque of 300 lb-ft available all the way from 1,200–5,000 rpm. This is the same level of performance as the current 3.0-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder but with the innovation of twin-scroll technology and the integration of VALVETRONIC throttle-less intake technology, this new engine promises even better throttle response and even more fuel efficiency. Thanks to VALVETRONIC, VANOS, and the twin-scroll turbocharger housing, peak torque is reached 100rpm earlier than with the previous engine, and engine boost response is improved across the entire engine speed range.

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Project 135i by WheelSTO returns with a new iteration, dubbed v1.2 and it is looking better than ever. Let’s give them the change to tell us more about their ongoing project.

Last June we revealed our very own Project 1 (v1.2). It was wearing an array of parts that suited the 135i well. We received many compliments on what we had done, however we were not finished.

Our attention first went to the rear of the car. Bastuck had released a prototype US-spec quad exhaust system for the 135i. We still call it prototype as we feel the fitment is a little off for the US Spec cars with the charcoal canister. We did a little customization on our end to make the fit flawless and look like it was built in Bavaria. We are working with Bastuck to remedy the situation. The quad system just like the dual is a full cat-back system (aft of secondary cats) and utilizes Bastuck‘s own non resonated y-pipe. We opted for the non-resonated version for 2 reasons; less restriction and so we could hear the engine sing. This exhaust really lets the turbo engine sound come through. Slightly more rumble, a bit louder, and a little more “open sound” made for music to our ears.

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Jeremy Clarkson gets another BMW in his hands, but this time, he’s not feeling so generous with the BMW brand. A few months back, in a way, he surprised us when he gave the new Z4 nothing but praises. The latest car that went through his purgatory was the BMW 135i Convertible with the M Sport package, but the review was less flattering.

In a way, this surprises us since in his review, he mentions how much he enjoyed the 135i Coupe model, a vehicle that is very similar to the convertible. design, dynamics and performance of that car are nearly identical with the convertible model, hence our confusion, but let’s take a look at what Jeremy had to say.

“Joy’s not really a German thing, I suppose. We do joy. The Americans do joy. The Italians do joy, even though they never laugh. Germans, though? They’re rather better at precision and accuracy and following orders. Which is why I can’t quite understand what went wrong with the new convertible version of the 135i.

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Our close friends and long time supporters of our blog, Julius and his team at WheelSTO, have an exciting project to share with us: a BMW 135i Coupe which went through a series of modifications. As always, we will let them share the story behind the Project 135i.

We picked up our 135i in September 2008. We instantly fell in love with its gorgeous looks, well designed interior, powerful motor, and more importantly the way it made the driver feel completely in control. We chose Black Sapphire Metallic as it’s a beautiful spin on the standard black. Understated and looks brilliant in the sunlight. The car came with the beautiful Coral Red interior as well. As soon as we got it back to the shop we knew we were in for a really good experience.

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Among the BMW community and true addicts, the 135i Coupe model needs no further introduction. Every since its launch in 2007, the BMW 135i Coupe has earned the title of one of most exciting to drive cars in the BMW line-up.

Many BMW owners, tuning and modding shops had and still have fun modifying the standard features and convert the Coupe into an iconic racecar. The white painted 135i Coupe featured in our article belongs to David S., a long time reader of our blog and an even bigger BMW fan. The tuned up 135i made its debut this year at the 24 hour race at Nurburgring and was praised by the press and the community present at the event.

Together with his friends, David S. created a 135i Motorsport kit that turns the 135i Coupe into a real race car. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the changes implemented by them:

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