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BMW 335i Twin Turbo Test Drive and Walkaround from Chicago Cars Direct

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Author:	chicagocarsdirect
Description:	Video Presentation and Walk Around of the 2007 BMW 335i Sport Sedan with Chris Moran of Chicago Cars Direct. The data doesn't make any sense. We're tearing our collective hair out trying to determine why the track-test numbers from our 2007 BMW 335i test car are so far off. Our freshly minted 3 Series twin-turbo coupe has not only eclipsed BMW's own impressive performance figures — by a ton — it's also smoked those of the 2005 BMW M3 Competition Package, a car we called "The Best M3 Ever Sold in America." And while that admittedly turbo-deprived car had been a six-speed manual, the Arctic Metallic 2007 BMW 335i Coupe cooling in the driveway is but an automatic. Nothing about our Austrian First Drive of the car prepared us for this. More than half fast Consider the facts: This 2007 BMW 335i test car blazed from zero to 60 in 4.8 seconds. BMW says the new coupe mit twin-turbo engine and Steptronic six-speed autobox should make that trip in 5.5 seconds. Seven-tenths of a second quicker? That's 13-percent better than BMW's claim. Folks give aftermarket tuners wads of cash for that kind of performance bump, especially when a car starts out in the mid 5s to begin with. Our 335i similarly scalded the quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds at 105.9 mph. For comparison, our 2005 M3 Competition Package used up 5.5 seconds getting to 60 and finished the quarter-mile in 13.7 seconds at 105.4 mph — close, but still a rearview-mirror performance. We almost beat the all-powerful 2007 Audi RS4, too. Despite a 120-horsepower advantage and all-wheel-drive launch superiority, it just nicked our 335i's 0-60 and quarter-mile times by a paltry 0.1 second each. Something's up. Could BMW be soft-pedaling the output and performance numbers to leave marketing headroom for a more outrageous 2008 M3 V8 to come? Did the luck of the draw or some other means provide us with an overachiever? We've gotta check into this. Dyno hum There can be no doubt that BMW's new twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-6 engine, complete with direct injection and a high 10.2:1 compression ratio, is impressive. Two smaller snails were assigned to only three cylinders each so they'd spin up faster, reducing lag and increasing torque at low engine speeds. Boy, does it work, as this beastie is rated at 300 hp at 5,800 rpm and 300 pound-feet of torque spreading from 1,400-5,000 rpm. In a rear-drive coupe weighing in at 3,579 as-tested pounds, that sounds about right — for 5.5-second 0-60 bursts, that is. In order to see what she's really putting out, we've brought our 335i to the chassis dynamometer at MD Automotive in Westminster, California. And since chassis dyno figures are always lower than manufacturer ratings because the former includes drivetrain losses and the latter does not, we've secured the help of an alert reader who has volunteered his month-old 335i for comparison. Steve Harrison's identically equipped 335i automatic is fresh off a trip up the California coast and all broken in. We should be able to tell if our press car's performance is unique or not. After a short time, two sets of fresh numbers sit before us. Steve's car produces 272 rear-wheel hp at 5,970 rpm. Considering drivetrain losses, he's easily seeing the promised 300 horses at the flywheel, probably more. Our test car produces a similar 273 at 5,970. But wait, there's more: While Steve's motor gently tapers off as rpm exceeds six grand, our mill continues to make more power until it tops out at 279 at 6,295 rpm, at which point Steve's 335i lags 19 ponies behind. Notably, our car maintains its advantage for the remainder of the rev range. So what's up? A comparison to BMW data shows that Steve has nothing to be worried about, as his 335i's rear-wheel output curve looks about right when compared to factory flywheel data. Our car is simply stronger in such a way that makes our pavement-melting 4.8-second 0-60 more understandable. But why? We're glad you asked. MD's dyno can also measure turbo boost during runs. It turns out that at any given rpm in the disputed region between 5,000 and 6,500, our car consistently makes about 0.5 psi more boost. Subtle, but a little goes a long way. Is this mere production variation? We can't dig deep enough to know for sure. If anything, this exercise underscores the potential of aftermarket chip tuning. Ain't electronically controlled turbo engines fun? For the record, during a desert freeway assault to Vegas at an average speed we don't care to print, the 335i achieved 25.9 mpg, compared to a 29-mpg EPA highway rating. With a lot of city and freeway stop-and-go thrown in, the overall average drops to 20.3 — just above the 20-mpg EPA city rating. With less lead in the shoes, the EPA figures actually seem attainable.
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wtf is with those ugly orange reflectors in the headlights?!

"well thanks" hahaha

great car, i've got the coupe tho

@linpointer Not even close, a 328 will do 0 to 60 in the high five's. Motor trend and car and driver have hit 4.7 0 to 60 in a 335i. Wherever you are getting your info from is way off.

this dude is a fuckin idiot, m3 dose 4.2 60mph. 335i dose low 6 sec.

Holy Cow!!

Does this goob actually have his collar popped? Please tell me there aren't people out there still doing that. Then again, he has an 80's era haircut.

if only i had enough money

In 2hours I am going my bmw 335i .

you know how much luggage bags fit in the trunk?

much better if they lose the ridiculous song in the back ground.

you have a lot of room to spread out. b/c i like to take my hands off the wheel to feel how much room i have. lol

prefer the coupe. bmw is amazing

@AugustBurnsRed23 mine too!

i love how hes driving like that in the snow on the highway(: ahahahaha !

Nice car, great review/video

when he opens that trunk it looks like its body-bag inside xD

The coupe is beautiful.

my car!!!! but mine is the coupe....beautifull

I agree this guy seems very trustworthy but is he just good at his job or is he for real?!

CHECK OUT MY 335 ON My CHANNEL! i love this car more than any other car i have EVER owned.... twin turbo with the jb3 which is good for about another 50 or so horses

@tubeyou443 They are great people. I have bought a few cars from them.

how many mpg do u get on this car

Hey it's my car :D

@TheAutocraze Yeah I know people been telling me it faster and just better than the g37 in many ways except for that tech. lol . But yeah people told me it handles great so yeah im going to test drive them both and see which one is better, which i have a strong feeling it will be BMW.

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BMW 335i Twin Turbo Test Drive and Walkaround from Chicago Cars Direct

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