A Couple New Zealand Reviewers Pit the 335i against a Volvo C70

The Volvo reviewer feels the C70 is enough car for him and for most people. He is probably right. The C70 is a nice car but it doesn't match the sophisticated driving dynamics of the 335i.

What's interesting is the comparison of "the boots" (trunks) of the two vehicles. I thought BMW's was bad, the Volvo requires the top to be lifted back up to get underneath the space below the folded top. At least Volvo has a button that's easily accessible in the trunk to make this simple, but still it shows an interesting difference I had not seen in other reviews of the Volvo C70.

Not a lot new here, but an interesting perspective on two competitors in the hardtop convertible market.

You Can Get a Limited Slip Differential for a Non //M Car

"It's called DTC but it should be called fun," says the Autocar reviewer in the video. "The car will come out of corners like a proper rear-wheel car"

Limited Slip Differential or LSD is something that can be had on the //M3 but not the 335i, that is until now. Dinan sells a version for $2,595 (comes in two versions one for Auto and the other for Manual transmission.) Another manufacturer Quaife is selling their LSD for $1,305, that's a special price on the E90Post board.

So why even get a LSD for your car? Limited Slip Differential is designed to provide power to both wheels instantaneously allowing for faster lap times, better control and even power distribution. Most will feel the advantage if they track their cars. For thosee who do not track their car they will see some advantage when roads are rough where the LSD will correct the impact of one wheel hitting lumps and bumps on the freeway without having the pounding we feel in the open differential that is in a stock 335i.

You can learn more about Open vs LSD differentials here.

DIY Oil Change

An excellent step-by-step oil change on a BMW 335i is available at the Team BHP website. Full photos of the DIY oil change is available on the site with complete write up. I highly recommend this site for those of you who like changing oil instead of having to hassle with the dealership. more.

Intake Options for the 335i

My latest infatuation is researching air intakes for the 335i engine. There are quite a few out there now and some really have a great looking setup. Here are few things I've learned looking at intakes:

1. Dual or Single cone? Dual cones definitely give you a higher performance boost and most choices give you about a 12-15 horsepower gain. Single cone benefits are minimal compared to stock so if you are doing this you want some performance gain.

2. Costs range from $130 for a nice BMS dual cone to almost $2,000 for a beautiful, yet insane, all carbon GruppeM model. I find the better choices are in the $300-$400 range for a good looking dual cone setup.

3. Low or high sitting intakes. Some intakes are installed where the filters sit low in the engine bay and this setup can cause water getting easily into the filter's air flow which can lock up your engine. The best choice is to go with an intake that sits high in the engine bay so water is less likely to get into your air flow.

4. Warranty. Replacing an intake could affect your warranty with BMW (or in my case Dinan.) It's a rare thing but intakes affect engine performance and if you have a major engine issue it seems you could get into some sticky discussions on a warranty claim if the reason for an issue isn't crystal clear. So, be aware of this when considering this kind of modification.

There are two dual intakes I'm considering. The best looking one is the Injen model (see image above) that runs in the $400 price range and even comes in a red color with red filters. Sure the red/red thing is a bit "ricey" but there is something very cool about the look that is appealing. The other choice is probably the favorite preference of the E90Post.com board, aFe Dual Filter Intake; it's gain is a supposed 27 horsepower. It's a nice setup in the mid $300 range. It looks good and actually is considerably easier to install than the Injen product.

My big issue with any option after researching all of this is warranty. I have the Dinan software and really wonder if any future claims could be derailed if I do have an engine issue before my 4 years or 50,000 miles are up. For this reason, I may just wait two and a half years and do this modification and look at getting the BMW Performance Steering Wheel now.