[GAaaAR]

Originally Posted by adc

$42.5k car (sedan, sport, leather) + $11k mods = $53.5k, just $300 less than an M3 sedan. And this 335 would still not be the equal of an M3, IMO. It will still miss a limited slip and can have potentially bothersome warranty problems.

I did the math and every time it came down to this: the 335i is only worth if stock or very slightly modified (JB3 and wheels/tires). Then you take it for what it's worth - an extremely satisfying sports sedan/coupe with a superb turn of speed and decent handling.

If you mod all the way - tune, exhaust, suspension, wheels, brakes, LSD - you end up paying more than you would for an M3. And beside any warranty issues (which may or may not materialize), you most certainly won't get your money back come resale time...

JMO.

That might be tru. I was thinking about the 335i coupe vs the m3 coupe where the discrepancy is greater. Not to mention I'm comparing a sensible optioned 335i vs a sensible optioned m3 where the differences then becomes even greater with the m3 having more expensive packages. A m3 will still be an M, however i would of saved money on the purchase and save money on gas with very very similiar if not the same performance as a m3.

Warranty issues aren't as serious as you think. The only thing they will catch me with is the brakes because the jb3 will come off when i go to the dealer and the suspensions are from dinan, while the performance tires don't void anything.

[roozie2001]

Originally Posted by Artz 330

power is nothing without control

i totally agree with u. i'd love to see the test done though. 2 pro drivers. closed track lap times.

[kushx22]

Originally Posted by sflgator

One word...YES. You would walk an E90/E92/E93 M3 with that setup on a 335i/135i (you would be close to or more than 400WHP / 400 lb.-ft. RWTQ with those mods).

[adc]

Originally Posted by roozie2001

i totally agree with u. i'd love to see the test done though. 2 pro drivers. closed track lap times.

Already done - Dinan with all the goodies vs. stock M3. M3 was a little bit faster - in all categories, if memory serves right.

I bet you can find that video if you google it...

[GAaaAR]

Originally Posted by adc

Already done - Dinan with all the goodies vs. stock M3. M3 was a little bit faster - in all categories, if memory serves right.

I bet you can find that video if you google it...

Yea but the Dinan car doesn't have a JB3 or V3 which should be considerably faster. The video already have them pretty close. I think the JB3 or V3 will put the 335i over the top.

[adc]

Originally Posted by GAaaAR

Yea but the Dinan car doesn't have a JB3 or V3 which should be considerably faster. The video already have them pretty close. I think the JB3 or V3 will put the 335i over the top.

It's not very clear-cut to me at least.

Dinan has custom offset wheels with some of the widest possible rubber under stock 335 bodywork - more rubber than the M3. While their suspension setups are clearly street-oriented, in fact so is the M3's. Dinan also has good cooling solutions, brakes etc.

I'm just not sure an extra 30HP will make that much of a difference on a racetrack. Balance, cornering speed, braking and the ability to put the power down usually have a much greater impact.

What the M3 has going for it is a surprising ability to resist understeer, a decent suspension and an incredible ability to put down the power. So much so, I was truly astonished after living with my one wheel drive 335 for a year.


All this IMO. Even if the Dinan car would have equaled/surpassed the M3's performance if a JB3 was used, and somehow yet still retained the Dinan warranty intact - to make it more of an apples to apples comparison - I still think the value is not there. The 335 would cost the same for the same performance - so why do it.

Don't shoot me, but if I were to spend $55-57k on a car, I'd much rather get an M3 than a modified 335. And if I were to spend $45k on my next car, it will be a 135i.

[GAaaAR]

Originally Posted by adc

It's not very clear-cut to me at least.

Dinan has custom offset wheels with some of the widest possible rubber under stock 335 bodywork - more rubber than the M3. While their suspension setups are clearly street-oriented, in fact so is the M3's. Dinan also has good cooling solutions, brakes etc.

I'm just not sure an extra 30HP will make that much of a difference on a racetrack. Balance, cornering speed, braking and the ability to put the power down usually have a much greater impact.

What the M3 has going for it is a surprising ability to resist understeer, a decent suspension and an incredible ability to put down the power. So much so, I was truly astonished after living with my one wheel drive 335 for a year.


All this IMO. Even if the Dinan car would have equaled/surpassed the M3's performance if a JB3 was used, and somehow yet still retained the Dinan warranty intact - to make it more of an apples to apples comparison - I still think the value is not there. The 335 would cost the same for the same performance - so why do it.

Don't shoot me, but if I were to spend $55-57k on a car, I'd much rather get an M3 than a modified 335. And if I were to spend $45k on my next car, it will be a 135i.

Point taken. However in the comparison, it clearly shows the 335i was still considerably cheaper. Even without the markup for the m3 (i think the markup is bs), and the JB3 is cheaper then the dinan tune making it even cheaper and faster. It shouldn't void warranty if the JB3 is truly invisible and can be easily taken off. I think in a straight line it'll put the 335i ahead. With the cheaper price and gas mileage, i think its a huge bargain. Obviously i will go with the m3 as well if i had the money tho cause the feel is different.