BMW 335i Coupe 2007 Review

Road Test

Overall rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.5/5.0
Pricing/Packaging/Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 4.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

The arrival of a new BMW 3 Series coupe is a moment to be savoured when it usually defines another benchmark. The latest E92 335i is no different when it is the first 3 Series coupe to feature a twin turbocharged all-aluminium engine, the first with different styling from the 3 Series sedan, the first to feature flexible plastic front guards to match the bumper fascias, the first with the next generation of run-flat tyres and suspension settings and the first with the latest generation iDrive controller.

It is also the most expensive by a significant margin in an era when most new models arrive with a price cut. It is also the first that hasn't left me excited after the first drive.

Premium 3 Series coupes in the past usually separate the men from the boys, not only in earning power but in skills needed to access their usually high limits. The 335i Coupe separates the boys from the men to such an extent that an older BMW enthusiast may be tempted to shop elsewhere. It is not that the 335i Coupe is any less than its predecessors, it requires a specific mindset to exploit its many capabilities which now go way beyond driving.

The 335i has the dubious honour of being the first test car in recent times where the owner's handbooks are so thick that they require a special section of the boot. Almost as voluminous as any factory muscle car workshop manual on my bookshelves, they don't even begin to cover an engine or transmission rebuild.

Someone from the iPod and Bluetooth generation will be blown away by the 335i's huge depth of technology in seconds. Those who are only just coming to terms with this new way of working could find themselves intimidated and frustrated within the same time frame.

To give the 335i an even chance over our seven days together, I pretended I was back at school again as I spent up to an hour after work each day wading through the handbooks as well as fitting in the usual drive program. I often caught myself wondering whether the car was working for me or the other way around.

In the process, I discovered why several of my one-eyed BMW friends are bypassing this new generation 3 Series and looking at spending the same money on a race-prepared E30 323i/325i for weekend racing and a near-new E39 5 Series as a daily driver. However, the new 3 Series is not intended for them when its main rival is a flat next door to the owner's workplace. The 335i is the consummate business package that allows a seamless transition from an outer suburban retreat and life in the fast lane. Outside this context, it can seem overpriced and uninvolving.

To assess its full range of capabilities, I spent the week leading up to Christmas using the 335i to cover last-minute business appointments around the city and rushed out-of-town Christmas gatherings.

In the process, I covered almost 500km in a Monaco Blue example with two-tone beige and black interior and burr walnut highlights and almost 300km in a Titanium Silver example with black interior and brushed aluminium highlights. Both cabins are no-cost options and generate equally pleasing but totally different environments that would be hard to choose between save for the fact the beige requires a constant effort to keep clean.

Why the two examples? The 335i is so quiet up to 100km/h, even when pushed, that it could have an electric motor under the bonnet. The first example had a drone at low revs that resonated through the whole car, similar to a failed water pump bearing or alternator. Because it disappeared at high revs, it wasn't an immediate concern but when it was intrusive enough for CarPoint to dismiss the 335i, I had to retest another example. It was whisper quiet.

BMW reported back that the engine of the first car had probably been disturbed in a previous test and an engine oil line junction was contacting the engine bay structure when the engine was under light load. Under extreme power, the engine moved enough for it to lose contact so the noise disappeared.

The noise highlighted what many will find disappointing in the 335i. Under most Australian speed limits, drivers can rarely access the muffled race engine scream that the 335i generates when provoked. It is the most glorious sound that brings lightning response and immediate engine braking as required even as an auto.

When the relatively long inline six is located well under the scuttle, the chassis balance and handling are exquisite. The steering weight and feel under extreme mountain cornering is near perfect and the 335i just points without tyre squeal or scrub. The engine response is such that even with the most conservative level of stability and traction control engaged, you can still flick the car to tighten the cornering line knowing that there is an enormous safety net.

Indeed, it would be a brave and highly skilled driver who would choose to switch it all off (which the 335i allows) access the full performance on uneven surfaces as the firm suspension and runflat tyres can sometimes generate a level of bump-steer. (The optional 19s could well be too harsh for anything other than airport tarmac).

Brakes are simply awesome if a little grabby at low speeds.

This is the triumph of the 335i. The low pressure turbos are not there to deliver absolute power and torque ratings but an easy-going 400Nm of torque at just 1300rpm! After that point, the engine transforms itself into a free-revving 'atmo' screamer that soars up to just over 7000 revs in a frenzied bee attack generating 225kW along the way at 5800rpm.

It is unlike any other turbo engine when it combines the best of both worlds and its transition is seamless.

The auto seems to anticipate its every dimension with a Steptronic function that is sharper than usual and operates in the right direction with upshifts back, down shifts forwards. The mid-5sec 0-100km/h times are balanced by fuel economy that usually hovered around 9.0lt/100km and peaked at 12 when driven hard.

The overall feel of the controls and drivetrain is one of metal coated in neoprene compared to the edgier M3 approach.

The 335i's comprehensive iDrive facilities would make no sense if the driver couldn't access a serene cabin and reduced driver input when required. The exact capabilities of the 335i's support systems are beyond this discussion but suffice to say that the single iDrive controller accesses another world of integrated climate, sound, mobile phone and satellite navigation functions, all standard.

The trick is to know exactly when to punch, tilt or rotate the central controller as it's not always intuitive. I pulled over at least six times during the test to get myself out of a function that I didn't want to access but towards the end of the test period, I marvelled at its capabilities and now miss it.

The optional Comfort Access system is a must-have allowing you to enter, start, stop and lock the car without accessing the key. The latest Renault system which shrinks the remote unit to credit card size would be a welcome next step.

The amazing detailing through the cabin includes exquisite instrument calibrations that Holden and HSV should examine immediately, full 60:40 split fold down rear seat plus ski-port, outstanding boot luggage net, fabulous front seats with lower cushion extensions and superb steering wheel with simple tilt and reach adjustment.

As the week passed, another really clever feature would be revealed such as the daytime "corona" four headlight function and the adaptive headlights with cornering function. The standard sound system will captivate teenagers for hours as they discover dimensions in their favourite music they didn't know were there.

The coupe body's only drawback is the long doors that can't always be opened for rear access in tight parking bays. Cosy twin rear seating is almost as good as the front with its own climate control and storage.

The match between front bumper fascia and the plastic guards is not perfect otherwise the 335i oozes quality.

So would you want one?

The 335i Coupe and its almost $120,000 entry fee (with a mild trip to the options 'cupboard') defines a new technology extreme at a time that wealthy older buyers are paying similar money for the exact opposite in old Australian and US muscle coupes. Homegrown FPV and HSV ranges are filling the gap in the middle by providing some of both. If you expect a premium sports coupe to thrill you the instant you turn the key, go straight to a Porsche Cayman because the 335i won't. The fact that BMW charges you extra for steering wheel paddles is the giveaway.

If you don't need its support systems because it's not your 24/7 transport, then at least 20 per cent of the 335i's outlay and its brilliant electronic capabilities will be wasted as most drivers will only access about 50 per cent of the 335i's dynamic capabilities under Australian speed limits.

The 335i Coupe is the car for the driver where time means everything hence its run-flats are a non-issue in this report. BMW has lifted ride quality to the point where it is relatively refined compared to some non-sporting Europeans and it is certainly less lumpy than HSV's sports settings. If I was dying on an operating table, I would prefer a 335i-driving surgeon to reach me in time on his runflats then worry about his puncture afterwards. (My own brother-in-law runs a current 3 Series, when reaching a remote rural patient without delay can be critical. The cost of a later tyre repair is immaterial in these contexts).

My week with it was like mastering a complex mathematical equation. There is a physiological reason for this when most Australians are hardwired to access electronic information through their right hands. With the switch to right-hand drive, the iDrive controller becomes left-hand only.