Feature: Cliff Anderson's BMW 335i

18 May 2015

There's a hierarchy to the BMW world. Up until recently, it was a fairly rigid one: you spent more money to get a BMW that was either larger, or had a larger engine. Speed went up in direct proportion to dollars. A 4-cylinder 318Ti was much slower than a 325i, which was much slower than an M3. Sausages of different lengths they say, and you could pick how spicy each one was. At the top of most model's pyramids sat the M version: an M5 was what you inspired towards if you had a 525i, an M3 if you had a 318i, etc. But this straight-forward thinking has been questionable in the last few years.

The wrench in the gears started with the 335i back in 2007. Ostensibly, it replaced the 330i - but by adding a pair of small turbochargers to the 3.0L six, the 335i became a pretty impressively fast car. Period tests indicated it wasn't appreciably slower than the M3 of the last generation - and although the V8 M3 is a sublime driving experience, it's not really on another planet than the 335i either. The reason is torque.

The little boosted 6 was rated at 300lb-ft of torque from the factory, which was actually 5lb-ft more than the 4.0L V8 M3's engine, and delivered considerably earlier in the rev range. So while the M3 was arguably more exciting to wind out to 8,000+ rpm, the 335i driver didn't need to. And that's not even considering the aftermarket.

You see, a stock 335i only runs 8psi of boost pressure - about a half of a bar. Hardly anything by modern turbo standards. It's quite strong, too - being based on the iron block of the old M54 engine, rather than the newer Magnesium/Aluminum N52, and with forged internals from the factory, it can take a beating. The aftermarket has stepped up, and the result is more power than an M3, way more torque, and a lot less money.

That's just what Cliff was going for with his 2007 335i Coupe. Apart from lower ride height and a few minor exterior enhancements, you would never guess this is a car capable of hitting 60 in less than 4 seconds. Let's dive in and take a look.

Carthrottle: So Cliff, what do you drive?Cliff: A 2007 BMW 335i Coupe.

CT: Why did you pick that car in particular?Cliff: I had to drive my ex's car home from a party one night. She had a 2011 335i M Sport, with the newer N55 twin-scroll turbo motor. It was awesome, I knew I needed to have one.

CT: What's special or rare about it?Cliff: It's not really anything rare, there are tons of 335i Coupes out there. But the modifications with the mostly stock exterior is unusual in BMW circles. I mean, I'm making 373 horsepower on a dyno, but I have stock wheels.

Being a factory turbo car, the modifications list is pretty much what you'd expect. There's an Injen dual cold-air intake setup with hard pipes to pull air in. An Active Autowerke intercooler helps to keep intake air temps down to a reasonable level, a common problem with N54's. The stock charge pipe to the intake manifold blew up repeatedly at 18psi of boost, so a unit from Stett with a Synapse blow-off valve replaces it. On the exhaust side, catless downpipes from CP-E reduce backpressure, and an HKS exhaust (one of the last ones sold before HKS pulled out of the US) expels burnt hydrocarbons. The biggest component is one you can't see: the ECU has been tuned with the ubiquitous Cobb Accessport. With a Stage 2 tune designed for 93 octane and a higher-capacity intercooler, the N54 sees peak boost of 18-18.5psi, tapering down towards 12.5 at redline - around 10psi more than stock.

CT: What's the overall direction you're taking with this car? Cliff: Something really fast and fun to drive, kinda stealthy, but still easy to daily drive.

CT: What are your favorite features/characteristics about it? Cliff: Mainly, being back in a rear wheel drive car. I had a Scion tC before this, with all sorts of show-car stuff, but it was... not much fun to drive. But there's a lot of little things I like: how the little arm pushes the seat belt out to you when you get it, so you don't have to reach. And the adjustable side bolsters on the seats.

CT: The adjustable what? Cliff: The torso bolsters on the seats have air bladders in them. There's a control on the bottom of the seat where you can fill them or deflate them, they go from comfy cruiser to gripping you in place with the push of a button.

This brings you to the interesting compromise that the 335i represents. On the surface, it's a slightly lowered, slightly louder BMW luxury coupe - but it's still most definitely a luxury coupe. The seats are comfortable. There's sat-nav and iDrive. Even with coilovers it rides well, it's not that loud, and it's quite docile when you're not on it. These are not things you can really say are true of an M3. The E46 and E90 M3's are always slightly edgy, very stiffly sprung, and have boomy motors with little power low down. They feel like track tools that have been begrudgingly domesticated. The 335i is content to cruise, and its ZF 6-speed automatic (no DCT, no manual, just a regular automatic) helps solidify the absolutely false impression that it just wants to cruise. It can cruise... but it's better when you don't.

Open the taps and the Cobb-tuned 335i will respond one of two ways, depending on the weather: it'll either immediately slam you in your seat, or it will just spin it's rear 255/35/18 tires. The dyno sheet reads 373 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque at the wheels, and that was before the HKS exhaust or Stett charge pipe. Even rolling into the throttle at 40mph is iffy as far as traction goes. Cliff describes it best: "Driving one night, it was about 45° and slightly damp. Did a pull from third gear, shifted into fourth at 80mph and the rear end stepped out." That is torque.

Picture from National Speed

Torque is the overwhelming thing you notice once you get on it. While M3's love to howl and scream to redline, the 335i actually stops making useful power about 800rpm short of the factory rev limiter. But the two tiny turbos give instantaneous response, shoving you back hard even from low RPM. The exhaust note from the HKS exhaust is lovely: loud enough to notice, but not howling slow Honda loud. It's not boomy, either. The catless downpipes give you a wiff of high-octane after you've been going at it and stop at a light. This is a seriously rapid car, any gear, any speed: Cliff reckons it's good for a mid-12 in the quarter, and datalogging with the Cobb Accessport has shown 3.9 and 3.8 second 0-60 times with a good launch. That puts it around a half-second quicker than an E90 M3 for the same benchmark, which is pretty cool.

You used to need a high-buck tempermental exotic to hit sixty in under 4 seconds. I remember the collective brick that the media shat out when the 993 Twin Turbo came out, with it's clutch-abusing 3.9 second time. But this is a $30,000 used car with a few bolt ons, a really sweet interior, and a factory warranty. It's just as happy laying the absolute smackdown on loud-mouthed Mustang and Honda drivers as it is cruising out to the coast with the stereo going. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, if you will.

CT: What's your least favorite aspect about it? Cliff: The cost of modifying it! There's a definite "Beemer Tax" to the cost of parts. That, and it's thirsty. If you are going full throttle from 60mph up to {redacted} it does two gallons per mile.

CT: Well, to make horsepower you have to mix fuel and air. To make more, you need more. Cliff: Yeah, but two gallons per mile. Come on. Also, the run-flat tires that come on these cars suck. They have such stiff sidewalls, they give you a false sense of security. It's gripping, it's gripping, it's gripping, then bam, you're sliding. And they don't stick too well. I'm going to a set of 10" wide wheels soon running a 275, hopefully it'll stick.

CT: Ahh, that segues nicely into my next question. What are your future plans for the car? Cliff: Well short-term, I have a new set of wheels coming: CCW LM20's. But longer-term, I want to run the single-turbo setup from Vishnu tuning. These cars all came with forged bottom ends from the factory. Vishnu's single-turbo project is making 600+ horsepower at the wheels with 90,000 miles on the stock bottom end. I want to run their smallest turbo option for the quickest spooling, and make at least 600 on pump gas with methanol injection. Oh, and I'm thinking of getting a vanity plate that says "40 ROLL?" (maybe you should upgrade the brakes, too! Yikes.)

CT: What's the biggest challenge with modifying these cars? Cliff: Finding parts is difficult. There aren't a whole lot of off-the-shelf parts for them yet. The other issue is heat buildup. Driven hard, these cars can go between 225-245 degrees, and they go into limp mode at 260 degrees. That happens pretty frequently, especially in the summer. At least my IAT's (intake air temperatures) stay down, thanks to the big intercooler. They're not exactly easy to work on, either. The turbos are hidden on the bottom of the engine bay.

Picture from National Speed. Stock on right, Active Autowerke on left.

Heat buildup is right; after driving around for a while with a few pulls mixed in, we pulled over for some pictures. Popping the hood let out a shimmering wave of heat, noticeably more than you'd expect after a few short stints of fast driving. Introducing more boost to the N54 has it's own issues: after blowing apart three stock charge pipes, he decided to replace it with a stronger unit and a more robust blowoff valve. Then there's the N54's penchanct for eating it's high-pressure fuel pump. Cliff hasn't had any problems with this notorious part yet, but that's because it was replaced shortly before he bought the car.

CT: What car would you like to have next? Cliff: An E92 M3 with an Active Autowerke supercharger kit would be nice.

CT: And how about your cost-no-object dream car? Cliff: Funny question! I've always wanted a MkIV Supra with a big single turbo conversion. I was actually looking for one when I got the 335i, but they're just too much money. I mean, for what it is.

It's an interesting comparison, because if the 335i reminds me anything, it's a German Supra. Attractive but somewhat staid styling, comfortable interior, and powerful twin-turbo six cylinder. The N54 doesn't have quite the aftermarket support of the 2JZ-GTE yet, but it's crazy how their values roughly parallel each other.

CT: What's your favorite time or place to drive it? Cliff: (laughs.) I-440 at 3 in the morning. It's a highway car.

CT: Anyone you'd like to give a shout out to for the build? Cliff: National Speed in Wilmington, NC has helped out a lot on this one.

What conclusions can I reach about this car? Well, it's very well-rounded. For a daily driver, a 335i takes a beating. It's comfy as all get out, well equipped, solidly built, and classy. For those interested in maintaining something of a professional appearance, it's not some boy-racer looking hot rod like an EVO or STI - it's a grey BMW. Cruising to work or the beach is a pleasure, not a chore. But when you need to let your hair down and roast tires, it'll do that too. It's almost absurdly fast for a full-interior car with an automatic and basic bolt-ons, and except for a resonant buzzing from the rear center console (endemic to E92's, not caused by modifications) it's quiet and refined. The solid shove of torque would never get old, either. Could it be better? Sure, everything could. That much power deserves some form of brake upgrade, and besides basic coilovers the suspension is entirely stock. But with daily drivers that you make payments on, it's a process - and this car is part of the way through it. Who knows, in a few months we might see this car putting twice as much power to the wheels as it is now.

Circling back around to where I started from - is an M3 an aspirational car? Sure, it always will be. But if you decide to stick with the 335i, it's questionable if you're actually missing out on anything. And thus the heirarchy tumbles.

Cliff Anderson's 2007 BMW 335i Coupe

Engine: "N54" 3.0L I6, iron block, aluminum headValvetrain: DOHC, 24v, Vanos and VALVETRONICAspiration: Twin turbocharged, intercooledDrivetrain: Longitudinal front-engine, rear wheel drive. ZF 6-speed automatic transmission

Engine Modifications (internal): noneEngine Modifications (external)