E90 325i Sports Edition

[Juan Powerblow]

JPB,

I completely get your drift and agree on your take of the Artic color. Somehow here in Msia, that color makes the car look sissy/girly etc. (no offence to Artic owners) When I was deciding on color I was in the same delima, but it was btw Monaco Blue and SG. I too found that SG was getting too common, but at last decided that MB was very near to black and very difficult to maintain. Artic was not even on my list the minute I saw to car at AB in daytime.

For the interior, my previous ride had biege leather and man it was tough to keep clean. So what did I end up with, SG with black leather. Was worried about black being hot in our climate but to date I find this not to be an issue. (with Vkool tint of course)

To me the awesome color for E92 wld be Space Gray! Saw a few when I was down under and my next fav color wld be Montego Blue. Dont they have these colors as options here in Msia??

Danc, becos the E92 is CBU, you can custom order whatever color or interior combo that's available worldwide but bookings now are only slated for April production, which means you only get your car in July 2007 i.e. 4-5 months away! Since I just sold my car and with my lifestyle, I can't be without a car for that long.

 

[KL2DC]

Well, the other issue following my last post is this, I now have to spend more than RM20K on lowered suspension (15 mm drop specified on 335i would be nice) plus 18" rims and new tyres. Then there's the rear spoiler plus additional tinting. By the time I'm done, the car could well be in the RM360K plus category. That's what would get me a pristine 2005 E46 M3?!! Heck, I better get over this mid life crisis quick!

Yes, the E92 needs the sports suspension. An aftermarket alternative would be the KW V1 coilovers. It'd be nice to get the OEM 189s for that 335i look, but at that price point might as well shoot for 19" BBS LM, CH or Hartge Classics.

No nice OEM rear spoiler out yet but the new M-Sport body kit looks pretty nice.

Debadging is a must

So a kitted E92 323i or a used E46 M3...hmmmmmmm

If I were you, I'd just swing back to the E90 325i Sports. Its a great car with all the good stuff built in. If you want to look different there are a number of more cost effective options, as discussed: Black out grille, Splitters, Wheels, Blacklines, rear spoiler...not much to do.

I think most girls don't care whether its an E90 or an E92. Heck I did alright with my Civic...sometimes the car is secondary

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Yes, the E92 needs the sports suspension. An aftermarket alternative would be the KW V1 coilovers. It'd be nice to get the OEM 189s for that 335i look, but at that price point might as well shoot for 19" BBS LM, CH or Hartge Classics.

No nice OEM rear spoiler out yet but the new M-Sport body kit looks pretty nice.

Debadging is a must

So a kitted E92 323i or a used E46 M3...hmmmmmmm

If I were you, I'd just swing back to the E90 325i Sports. Its a great car with all the good stuff built in. If you want to look different there are a number of more cost effective options, as discussed: Black out grille, Splitters, Wheels, Blacklines, rear spoiler...not much to do.

I think most girls don't care whether its an E90 or an E92. Heck I did alright with my Civic...sometimes the car is secondary

Yeah, I was just kidding around mate! I'm doing this for me since never had a coupe before and sometimes life needs an unexpected twist, esp in a small town like Kay El. Frankly, I rather do without the attention i.e. hate the idea of being spotted by friends and forummers outside some dodgy place just cos my Coupe was parked outside, hehehehe.... probably get a MyVi for such rendezvous! Hahaha..

 

[KL2DC]

Frankly, I rather do without the attention i.e. hate the idea of being spotted by friends and forummers outside some dodgy place just cos my Coupe was parked outside, hehehehe.... probably get a MyVi for such rendezvous! Hahaha..

LOL too funny...true though

 

[E28driver]

Red leather is sooo sexy, perfect for the coupe. Best paired with silver, graphite, black, white and space grey. Space grey/coral red/grey poplar wood is the most exclusive E92 combo and was the very one BMW sent out as a debut/launch preview cars.

Thanks for the pics.

Red leather will wear well, it just turns into a darker burgundy-like shade.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

LOL too funny...true though

Eh bro, this has happened before! One of our poor forumer's car was spotted at a hotel reputedly known for "other" activities and it became a forum topic! The poor fella was only attending a wedding there!

Back to topic, I'll only know today whether the colour change on my E92 can be effected. I was also wondering if the practice of no facelifts for coupe or convertible variants will be maintained cos I see that as another plus point for sacrificing 218 bhp for the E92 with only 190 bhp. Heh!

 

[MRsamdol]

JPB,

Have you gone to the shah alam glenmarie showroom? there is an e92 323i there last i checked before CNY.

 

[Schwepps]

Hi Guys! I went for a back-to-back test-drive of the Standard and Sports with the specific intention of guaging the differences in sportiness, comfort and luxury. I was very pleasantly surprised that the Sports won on ALL 3 counts!

Sportiness: On the road, both cars have the same engine response of course, but the Sports with the M steering wheel and seats feels much sportier and begs to be driven harder. The lateral support of the sports seats hold you tight in the corners. The fast curves around the Glenmarie golf course showed that the Sports feels more planted than the Standard. The steering also felt more precise without steering assist and the M steering wheel feels wonderful.

Comfort: I deliberately drove over the same ridges and potholes in the factory section of the Glenmarie area, expecting the Sports to lose what with the M Sports suspension and 18" wheels. Surprisingly, there was no difference! In fact I felt the Sports handled the ridges better and quieter! The M Sports suspension does it's job very subtly indeed.

Luxury: With the 2nd dashboard hump, i-Drive and Satnav, the Sports wins hands-down. In the driver's seat, it feels definitely the lux model of the E90 range, even beating the E92 on that score IMO. The i-Drive was a breeze to use compared with the button menus on the Merc. More functions too. The Satnav worked very well, with a soft feminine voice helping me to find the golf club, telling me when to turn left or right in good time. each time I ignored her instructions, she would adjust her instructions seamlessly. The parking range indicator was a surprise and worked well.

I have to say, after driving the Standard and then the Sports, the difference is night and day. Both are 2007-build CKDs and there are no pre-regs available. At that 18k price differential, there is no question which is the car to get. The Sports is one honking machine!

The only gripe I have about the Sports is that the headliner comes in only one colour - anthracite, which is basically black. The seat choices are black, grey or tan. So there is no real choice but black seats and I find a totally black interior with brushed aluminium trim too oppressive. I'm sorry, but I feel black is a very boring colour, both externally and internally.

My finger is on the trigger! Only 2 more things to do: check out how the grey seats look with the black headliner, and convince the home affairs minister that I'm not thinking like JPB and do not intend for this car to be a venus fly trap with seats that automatically melt womens' clothing on contact.

 

[KL2DC]

Schwepps...great review!

1) Scroll a number of posts back. I told you that "you'd love the sport seats and steering wheel".

2) You mirrored my sentiments on active steer vs standard steer. There was a discussion on why active steering was left out in the Sports model.

3) I have recently found out that the 18" Potenzas ride better than my 16" all season Turanzas. I know you guys have the better Contis but perhaps the same hold true in relation to the Potenzas.

4) Count your blessings you have access to the anthracite interior. Iirc you guys have 3 color choices: black, beige and grey. With that in mind, black should remain the best choice, not a big fan of the beige and grey. I'd reevaluate this one more time. Its too bad lemon or terra is not offered.

So do we have a sale, or what?

 

[Schwepps]

1) Scroll a number of posts back. I told you that "you'd love the sport seats and steering wheel".

You were very right!

2) You mirrored my sentiments on active steer vs standard steer. There was a discussion on why active steering was left out in the Sports model.

You lose some of the famed BMW steering feel with active steer. It becomes quite apparent with a back-to-back comparison.

3) I have recently found out that the 18" Potenzas ride better than my 16" all season Turanzas. I know you guys have the better Contis but perhaps the same hold true in relation to the Potenzas.

A big surprise for me. I thought I was going to have to decide between the more comfortable Standard and the better handling Sports! The Sports won both counts IMO.

4) Count your blessings you have access to the anthracite interior. Iirc you guys have 3 color choices: black, beige and grey. With that in mind, black should remain the best choice, not a big fan of the beige and grey. I'd reevaluate this one more time. Its too bad lemon or terra is not offered.

I'm not a fan of black, so what do I do? I can only evaluate the grey. Tan doesn't even go with the brushed aluminium and so is definitely out.

So do we have a sale, or what?

Gee willikers, it's a humdinger, so....yes!

 

[safri]

Schwepps, as i said much much earlier, RM18k diff for all the goodies you'd mentioned and enjoyed is a no brainer for those considering e90 325i...don't wait too long or else you may end up getting e92 like someone we know...

 

[rookie]

Ya man! What are you waiting for? Selling the idea to the home minister should be easy based on how you have described the pros and cons

 

[Schwepps]

Ya man! What are you waiting for? Selling the idea to the home minister should be easy based on how you have described the pros and cons

Ha ha! Well, it's no good having a great car if you suddenly find that your legs are too short to reach the pedals! (kidding)

Don't worry, trigger will be pulled for sure

 

[Schwepps]

Ya man! What are you waiting for? Selling the idea to the home minister should be easy based on how you have described the pros and cons

BTW, my home minister doesn't care about the pros and cons of cars. I might as well tell our cat about those. In that situation, one just has to bite the bullet, pull the trigger, and hope it doesn't ricochet!

 

[rookie]

BTW, my home minister doesn't care about the pros and cons of cars. I might as well tell our cat about those. In that situation, one just has to bite the bullet, pull the trigger, and hope it doesn't ricochet!

So should we be meeting you in AB Glenmarie to witness this historic signing ceremony for the E90 325i Sports Edition?

 

[Schwepps]

Y'mean circle the wagons? Why didn't I think of that?

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Schwepps, what say you we swap cars every week or month so I get to play around with 218 bhp in M-package every now and then?

 

[Schwepps]

Sure JPB! Provided you leave one of your birds in the front passenger seat and I leave my cat. Deal?

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Sure JPB! Provided you leave one of your birds in the front passenger seat and I leave my cat. Deal?

Yeah rite! I think it's time for sithwarrior to start another rumour that I'm in fact gay!

Having made so many trips to so many BMW dealerships, I noticed a lot of E90 325i Sports Package being rolled out for delivery or collection. It seems obvious that many fellas outside this forum think it's a much better deal too. Dunno about you guys, but I've seen 2 registered SPs around KL already. I've no doubt there'll be more. So, either BMW reduce the price of the standard version or raise the price of the Sports Package.

Pssst... if I can, I woud like to join the signing ceremony too! Who's your salesperson?

 

[KL2DC]

LOL you guys crack me up....

Schwepps: Golly, I do think grey would work better with aluminum. Get Monaco Blue, it'd go great with the grey.