Well I've been so caught up looking at the e90 335i that I have not looked at the new G37 at all until today. I have to say that I am extremely impressed with what nissan/infiniti is doing and even more impressed with the car itself. Putting down that much power and a tq curve that flat and covers almost the entire rpm range just shows the potential of the engine.

I thought despite the fact that the G35 is going to get .2 more liters the 335i will still kill it but now i don't agree to that at all. From a stop yes but once the two cars are moving the high end power of the G37 will have a slight advantage on the 335i's low tq up top.. I can't imagine what the engine can do with some mods NA.. but with a 11:0 compression I think it'll be dangerous to boost the car stock and this will most likely limit the power output of these cars (at least for most drivers).

But still huge props to nissan!

 

.....Now give us the 370Z

 

The 335i is a beast when you chip it. I heard a chip on those cars gives them anywhere between 370 to 410 crank hp depending on accompanying modifications.

 

These are both great cars, and considering the powerplants are six bangers, one has to imagine that without each other....neither would have evolved to what they are today....hooray for competition! The consumers not only get something spectacular for the money, but a choice. And there are others out there as well that one can choose from.

As for adding power to the G37 with aftermarket bolt on modifications, one should expect that with a few tweaks to the intake, plenum, catback exhaust, etc., that gains in the range of 25hp to 30 hp are attainable without running afoul of CARB inspections etc. But that will probably just about do it as far as power gains without boosting the motor, or building it, or both.

As far as a nonbuilt boost job, whether that be with a supercharger or a turbo(s), the G35 internals have shown an ability to deliver somewhere on the order of 360-380 rwhp, or a crank hp of about 15% more than that. (there are cars running more, and those limitations are my own opinion on what I would feel comfortable running a car at. I got 20,000 trouble free miles on a Procharger with 360 rwhp {Dynojet}, and appreciate that others are prepared to run closer to the "edge" than I was.) I do not know what the tolerances of the new motor internals will be, but would not expect them to be materially different in terms of final results. The advantage of using the stock motor and low boost is that there is none of the low end lag in power that you get with a built motor using the conventional low compression (8.5 to 1) pistons and higher boost levels. But once one does build the motor, the potential power output may go far beyond anything useful on the street or track.

Bottom line here, is that both cars have way more power than is really necessary for the street or highway. Both cars have adequate power for the track to have a rollicking good time, without having to spend tons of money. Both cars, if you want to upgrade their capabilities, really do NOT need money spent on the motors, but should look to handling and suspension upgrades to manage their weight and adhesion in the corners and under braking/acceleration. And both cars, if you so desire, can be upgraded to "beast" quality with some chip/boost etc changes and without having to do a motor build. And both cars, with a motor build, become borderline insane performance platforms.

Lots to like, for lots of enthusiasts.

 

only if you want to stay NA. There are pleanty of cars that have 11:1 compression which are supercharged and turbo changed(the S2k for starters) that don't need an engine build for low boost lol. It would be insane for the G37 and the new z to be modded to bump down the compression and up the boost. I'm already dying to see it done.

 

it's said to get 400 hp with a 1400 dollar chip (without any other mods), but you still have to worry about all of the other problems that car is having right now though.

 

I'll take one of each

 

I'd be very interested in one, but the cost of a nicely appointed 335i makes me think otherwise. For that price, I'd rather get an E46 M3.

 

a chipped 335i will eat a E46 M3

 

very true. i was just referring to straight off the floor capabilities. but your point is very valid.

 

Understood,

I bought my wife a 2006 E90 330i the first year they came out and I was dissapointed that they came out with the 335i the within 2 years...

Her 330i is Very nice however and it handles like it is on rails. I am very impressed with BMW's suspension and the smoothness of that inline 6! Her car seems VERY refined and solid.

My only dissapointment with it is the electronics issues... Her right front blinker has gone out like 4-5 times and I have had to take it to the dealer to get it fixed. It just cuts out and you get that fast blinker issue where the rear goes on but the front does not... It is a safety issue as well and I was going to look into any recourse I might have with it. It started within 3 - 4 months after purchase and it is happening again, I need to make another appointment for it.

 

oh you're not the only one experiencing the 'fast blinker'. My wife's car (2001 325i) had that problem 3 times within the span of 12 months. it's damn annoying. but i guess it's part of owning a BMW...they tend to have electrical problems.

 

they tend to have all sorts of weird little problems. Good cars though, but terrible to maintain.

 

chip and exhaust is good for almost 350whp. I have a G but IMO if you have the money get a 335i. The g37 if you wanna boost it your only gonna be able to run like 5psi through it. And then you gotta be worried about blowing your motor at anytime. At least with the 335i its coming turbo'd from the factory so you know its gonna be reliable.

 

I agree. Thank goodness they have that free scheduled maintenance thing, otherwise I would be paying a pretty penny to keep it trouble free.

 

if you think that think again.... my good buddy is a tech at BMW who gives me hidden secrets into that motor which has a lot of problems with higher boost and fuel issues. i can write a lot about it but i still rather get a G37 and mod it

 

^^^ do a search over on E90post.com. search shiv@vishnu. Tuners were originally confused because the car was very hard to tune. I hate to break it to you buddy but the big secret is that the wastegate works differently thats about it.

 

Did he mention the high oil temps that 335s are experiencing? Someone in germany said he sees 240F cruising at 120mph.

 

I have two bimmers and love the marque. The seamless refinement of the straight six they have developed is justifiably the object of great praise. And the handling package is remarkable as well. You almost cannot believe how fast you are going with the elegance to the weight transfer.

But the car I bought to use as a platform for performance was the G35, and there were a number of reasons. One of them is that the V6 configuration, though it is going to be "rougher" than an inline, is the ability to pile on the hp and torque if you want to. And to mod up the suspension and other features to turn it into a "super" car for a very affordable price.

"head to head" from the dealer lot the bimmer is a slightly better performer. The operative word here is "slightly". But the platform is stressed out/maxed out to do it. The G37 is barely getting started, and for many thousands less.

And the engine is only the first part of that consideration. The bimmer had to get boosted to achieve what it did. Throw a low boost TT on the G37, and a couple of handling mods and you will be 100hp higher than the bimmer, at about the same cost. It will be "beast" car though, and most people don't really want that.

NA power is the best, most reliable power, for a street car and for many track cars. Having run supercharged and turbocharged cars for years, and being a big fan of forced induction, there still has to be an acknowledgement that FI increases wear, maintenance, periodic problems etc. It just does. With more power like that you get more heat and stress.
Is it worth it? For those who love and use the additional performance, take the time to educate themselves about FI and to invest the effort and attention and money to religiously maintaining the car, a boosted motor is a joy like no other. Breathtaking power and performance increases over the nonboosted base motor.

And there is a key point. The base powerplant is no comparison to the G37 at this time. Boosting the motor was the only way to keep comparability of the stock block. Come back in 80,000 miles and see what is happening with these cars. Yes, for an auto test shoot out of two new releases there is comparability, but there are going to be a lot of G37's purring along (as well as a V motor purrs....maybe "growls" or "rumbles" is a better choice of description) at 100,000 and even 200,000 miles, while in my estimation the boosted bimmer motors are going to be falling by the wayside long long long before then. I may be wrong, only time will tell.

Again, I start and finish this comment with the acknowledgement that I own and love to drive both the bimmer and the G. For myself, I did not have to choose one over the other, and that is a treat. But if I did have to choose between these two cars, and this is just my choice and not that of others necessarily, the powerplant component comes down squarely on the side of the G37. The base handling and sophistication goes to the bimmer. Not by a lot, because the slalom of the G is better, it is just a touch more aggressive and bold (and it is addressable). The list of standard goodies and features and price elements go to the G37. The interior gets a bit more personal and I really liked the seats in the G37 and the bimmer. They are different but both outstanding. Some of the plastic etc really could be upgraded in the G for very modest cost and eliminate that deficit to the bimmer entirely and I am perplexed at why they did not do that, as it will cost sales no doubt.

But the clincher:The upgrade potential at modest costs goes to the G37. With a couple of tweaks to the suspension, handling, wheels-tires, and some breathing mods to the intake/exhaust that would goose up the torque another 15-20lbs/ft and close that torque gap........without impacting warranty or longevity issues....at a total cost of WAY LESS than the dealer to dealer price differential of the cars, and the contest becomes a "no contest" in my book.

My take on this iteration of the bimmer is that the engineers and marketing folks in Germany are looking at the evolution or direction that all these cars have taken and are stuck with a WTF are we gonna do? To which the answer had to be, the only thing we can do.....boost it. Or, if you don't like the rules, change the rules. This works short term. When the GTR comes out and you compare them, the interesting issue will be, is the performance gap from the bimmer to the GTR worth the price differential? And the bimmer, both 335i and M3, are going to be in a very difficult "sandwich" for marketing, pricing, and performance. The bimmer has been, is presently, and likely for a long time to come shall be a phenomenal driving machine and experience. And one to enjoy and treasure. But the dawning reality is that the VQ has a lot of future potential to tap into and that is frightening prospect for the bimmer. I would look to the future and expect that there will be something new, radical and amazing to come out of Germany in response. Indeed they have probably been working at it for some years now. And that is all good for us as consumers.

What does Infiniti need to do to make the G37 "put away" the 335i in an "enthusiast" model if such was their desire? (Or you if you just have to do it to be satisfied?). I would recommend consideration of the following.
1. Improve the cold air intake with something like the JimWolfTechnologies pop charger.
2. Improve the intake plenum with something like the Motordyne unit for better distribution of the intake charge.
3. Tweak the ECU chip
4. Go to a lighter weight and more free flowing catback exhaust unit.
5. Replace the clutch with a single mass unit of lighter weight, and a lighter flywheel, one that is between something like the present Nismo and the JWT....perhaps in the 18 to 20 pound range. The dual mass one in there is just a hippo. This would still be very comfortable on the street and in commuter traffic, though not as smooth as Mom's Buick.
6. Replace the piggy heavy stock wheel/rims with 18 inch wider and lightweight alloy rims and put 245mm tires on the front and 275mm tires in the back. Overall the weight savings would still be at least 3lbs per wheel. IF you have done this to another car, you know how significant such a change will be.
7. Fully adjustable coilover suspension as standard. Really focus the engineers on this one.
8. Firmer performance bushings throughout, especially on the front upper control arms.

These changes would, if done OEM, cost very little over existing components, but the performance differential would be startling. Turn in would be crisper and more immediate, acceleration and braking would improve because of the lower unsprung weight and less inertial resistance in both the drivetrain and at the wheels. Lateral load transfer management would be smoother, tighter and more immediate. Turning and braking/accerating grip would be materially increased because of the larger contact patches of rubber on the pavement. The modest torque gap would be significantly closed between the boosted bimmer and the G37 coupe.
The very marginal differences in performance seen on some of the test categories between these cars on braking, acceleration etc would be eliminated if not in fact swing to the favor of the G. The feel of the car would be much more sporty, and not to the taste of everyone to be sure....and remember that this is a car for commuters too.......but for those that wanted more blast, and some bragging rights, this would probably be enough to do it. It may not be worth it to Infiniti to take such steps. But if they wanted to, it is easy as pie. And if they choose not to do so........you can and without a ton of money. And if you want to boost it while making some of these handling changes, it becomes a blow away comparison.

You gotta love the car!

If you want a more complete and stand alone evaluation of the stock G37 coupe from my performance driving perspective, that is in the new issue of Nissan Sport Magazine, which hits the stands this week. There are five other reviews on the car as well as part of the overall report. I think that collectively it presents the best look at the new coupe that has yet to be released.
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They just started putting oil coolers on all sport model 335i's. Its after a certain build date.