I don't know if I agree with the statement that BMW doesn't make sports cars. They do have a few lovely vehicles in the lineup like the M3 and the 135i. I would however agree that they do not make VALUE-conscious sports cars. Most of their stuff is laden with luxury amenities, gizmos, etc....but their performance is undeniable, as is their racing heritage.

All you have to do to a 335i or 135i is to add a Dinan Flash for roughly $2K and you have a beast of a car that has a warranty, putting out 384HP and 421 lb-ft torque.

Still, I Love the Z...its fun!

 

+1 the 335i is an awesome car. They respond to these chips very well, there are tons of youtube videos of 335i's beating E92's and even stickin M5's. Now what kind of wear and tear that does to the engine I do not know. They also handle just as well as the Z, but in BMW fashion. It kind of reminds me of this video...

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/N...che_194608.htm

Although one maybe better performance wise, the Z always 1up's the opponent by simply being a Z.

Anyway, back to the OP, I agree I've had my Z since 2005 and I honestly still enjoy driving it everyday, and I still cannot explain why....

 

the 335 is a peice of sh*T. v6 twin TURBO 330 horse power. slap 2 turbos on a z to see what'll happen. PSSSSS

 

I have a feeling you got your *** handed to you a couple of times by 335i's because you decided to rev your stock Z against what you thought was probably just another BMW...

Anyway, the engine is really responsive to mods and for those who could care less about the warranty - spending less than a grand will get them at least 80 whp and 70 tq as Dinan tuning is more expensive with less gains.

 

335i is an inline six:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inline_6

Wish the N54 was in the Z.

 

the 335 really is a pretty crappy built engine, its just FI. any FI engine would be responsive to mods...

we have a jewl of an engine and once gone FI our cars are far superior... I guess its just all a matter of taste...

if you want more luxury then you opt out for a bimmer, or infiniti...
if you want a to-the-core modern day sports car you opt out for a 350 and put the extra 10k into mods instead of MSRP...

 

350z owns period.

 

 

WOW Ignorant much...

The price of a 350z with two turbos greatly exceeds the price of a 335i.









PSSSSSS

 

greatly exceeds? your statement is questionable because i my friend have spent the money on it and i still think i fall short of what people pay for a
335i i believe quite a few thousand shorter not including tax on the 335i and well for the money that you can spend to up your Z to reach the base cost of a 335i we can definately put a hurting on those 335i's EASILY!!! i can tell you i spank them left and right :P lol...and i paid much less for my Z WITH turbo then what people pay to get a 335i and my Z is much MUCH sexier in every way LOL..

 

I believe that...

We're doomed if we never evolve, and we're still referring to a 20 year old Toyota motor. That 2JZ had a pretty slow start when it was introduced. Granted, tuning houses didn't have all the technology to exploit it back then, I still wouldn't rule out the newer 3 liter turbo having gobs of potential.
BMW's N54 motor has taken strides since it's release so time will tell.


-----------------------


Too many fanboys on this website, you guys have to give respect where it is due. The new BMW is great car, just in a totally different league.

Back to the OP's topic, I love my this car too! This little Z hell on wheels has given me so many fond memories in the 5 plus years that I've driven it. And that's without any heavy changes to the engine. I just find myself pushing it more and becoming one with the car for all it's strengths and weaknesses. Once you find that connection, the only power adder is driver ability. I plan on doing the turbos like the big boys on these forums, but the truth is...I haven't gotten bored yet.

I have driven many cars and the status or novelty kinda fades with time. I know this sounds corny, but with the Z it's like throwing a good football around or putting on a well-worn baseball glove. It's like biting into a hearty burger with all the fixings. Other things taste better but there is no real substitute for it. I just can't explain the feeling.

So yeah +1 to the OP... "I Love this car"

 

BMW's inline 6 isn't crappy built. Stop being a fanboy.

 

its your opinion...

 

Yes, my opinion.


The Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 2009 (engine and tested vehicle):

* Audi AG: 2.0L TFSI turbocharged DOHC I-4 (A4 Avant)
* BMW AG: 3.0L turbocharged DOHC I-6 (135i Coupe)
* BMW AG: 3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel (335d)
* Chrysler LLC: 5.7L Hemi OHV V-8 (Dodge Ram/Challenger R/T)
* Ford Motor Co.: 2.5L DOHC I-4 HEV (Escape Hybrid)
* General Motors Corp.: 3.6L DOHC V-6 (Cadillac CTS)
* Honda Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.5L SOHC V-6 (Accord Coupe)
* Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.: 4.6L DOHC V-8 (Genesis)
* Toyota Motor Corp.: 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Lexus IS 350)
* Volkswagen AG: 2.0L SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Jetta TDI)


2.5-3.0 Litter Engine of the year:

http://www.ukipme.com/engineoftheyea...s_08/25_3.html

It's such a crappy engine. BMW should be embarassed for winning these awards.