Like The Sopranos or that poo you've waited all day to evacuate, all good things come to an end. And sadly for us, the hot 'n steamy relationship with our project BMW 135i has also been terminated.
The car was loaned to us by BMW so we could report on its driving prowess and maybe make a few modifications along the way. And while having the car three months before it was released to the dealers made us look like the cool kids in town, it turned out to be a substantial obstacle when it came to tuning.
Our first problem was finding wheels, since most tuners assumed the E90 3-Series wheels would fit. However, a BMW engineer explained it was if the 135i body had been dropped over the 335i's mechanicals. As a result, it was like a hippo in spandex - everything was squeezed in tight. Therefore, the suspension and brakes were right out in the corners, with not much room for wheels. So the offsets were shallow and the tire sizes were skinny.
In the end, we went to The Wheel Supply in Walnut, CA. They worked with DCR Wheels to create a set of its Nürburgring three-piece wheels with the correct offset to fill our fenders. They had to try several rim sizes, but eventually got it about spot-on. The forged centers and chromed lips proved very resilient, as were the custom-painted centers DCR produced for us. The next problem was suspension...
Our first call was to Turner Motorsport to discover what H&R Springs had for the car. H&R is always among the first to bring new products to market and, as it happens, they had a Street coilover kit and some meaty sway bars to replace the stock twigs. We experienced a few problems with incorrect installation and the front springs being a little too low. However, the teething problems were resolved, longer springs added and all H&R's 135i coilovers now benefit from our findings, which is nice to know.
The real benefit of the Street coilovers was the incredible ride comfort. Passengers would look at the ride height and assume the worst, but were pleasantly surprised they didn't need back surgery after riding with us. We daily drove the car at this height and it rarely rubbed, never crashed into potholes and provided plenty of comfort with genuine high-g cornering ability. We should also acknowledge the flexible sidewalls of the Continental ContiSportContact3 tires
fitted to the car that provided a supple ride and plenty of grip.
Getting the stance right was naturally our first priority. Afterwards, we browsed the BMW Performance catalog online (accessories.bmwusa.com) and came up with a list of parts to achieve an OEM+ look for the 135i. What's more, the genuine BMW accessories would provide the same quality of fit, finish and durability as OEM.
The only plastic parts we used were the front bumper and side skirts. These were direct replacements, even using the same fixings. Once painted, they have the perfect OEM+ feel, yet the vents in the skirts and the wider front intercooler duct give our BMW 135i more attitude. We scraped that poor front spoiler almost daily and it took the wear without complaint.
The remaining exterior additions were BMW Performance carbon fiber parts. Again, the quality was exquisite; better than most aftermarket parts we see - although the price reflected that...
The parts included replacement mirror housings and a rear diffuser. Both fitted with the stock clips. Then a carbon rear wing replaced the stock trunk lip. It's more aggressively styled but doesn't scream aftermarket.
The same quality applied to the carbon interior parts. These included door handle, dash and center console trim. And, aside from removing the console, fitting was straightforward.