finally decided and pulled the trigger...

After agonizing over what model i wanted to get, I finally decided on a 2011 135i coupe (with the M package). Here she is:



I was worried my double bass wouldn't fit, but it's sitting in the passenger seat (and i can still shift!)

So I'm curious...do modifications void the BMW manufacturer's warranty?

Great looking 135i - enjoy!

I'm really surprised your bass can be safely and easily transported in the coupe. Although my 73 key Nord Electro will just fit in my 128i 'vert's trunk, the associated amp & other equipment won't, so I prefer my 328i wagon for gigging.

From what I've read, if a part fails due a mod, the warranty will not cover it - but will still be in effect for unrelated issues.

And watch out for those Baltimore potholes!

Tom

Originally Posted by Tom K.

Great looking 135i - enjoy!

I'm really surprised your bass can be safely and easily transported in the coupe. Although my 73 key Nord Electro will just fit in my 128i 'vert's trunk, the associated amp & other equipment won't, so I prefer my 328i wagon for gigging.

From what I've read, if a part fails due a mod, the warranty will not cover it - but will still be in effect for unrelated issues.

And watch out for those Baltimore potholes!

Tom

Thanks Tom! It fits pretty easily, the only problem is that i have to be able to open the door pretty wide to get it in/out, which is annoying with parking, but I don't have to transport it all that often thankfully. It sits nicely in the passenger seat with the scroll passing through the rear 60/40 driver's side into the trunk.

Regarding the potholes...at least my normal city commute was just repaved for the Grand Prix, so it's pretty nice. I'm still wondering if i should have picked up the tire coverage though

Beautiful color choice and congratulations! Let the modding begin!

Originally Posted by olde

Regarding the potholes...at least my normal city commute was just repaved for the Grand Prix, so it's pretty nice. I'm still wondering if i should have picked up the tire coverage though

I've been travelling regularly to Johns Hopkins for a health issue the past few months and have had no tire damage heading east on that collection of craters known as Baltimore Street. But I keep the speed down to 10~20 mph and have 16" RFTs on my E91. So unless you really fly over these routes on 19" wheels, I'd pass on the tire/wheel insurance.

Has the downtown street construction finished now that they've run the GP? In DC, these projects seemingly drag on for years!

Tom

Congrats on sweet ride

Originally Posted by Tom K.

Has the downtown street construction finished now that they've run the GP? In DC, these projects seemingly drag on for years!

Tom

Yeah, they've had some closures at night to take down the fences and grandstands, but no more roadwork. I'm actually pretty impressed at how quickly they complete road projects here.

I meant to ask you before...do you put winter tires on your 128 here in MD? I haven't really experienced winter here, so I'm not sure how many days of work i'm going to miss because i can't drive in the snow anymore

Originally Posted by olde

After agonizing over what model i wanted to get, I finally decided on a 2011 135i coupe (with the M package). Here she is:

Nice looking ride you have there! I just picked-up a 135i myself...an `08 CPO convertible from BMW of Bel Air.

Congratulations and enjoy!

Looks really nice. Always liked the M-sport wheels on the 135. Did you also get the DCT transmission?

Pity that BMW offers some god awful ones on the 128.

Congrats! I like the Blue! Did the windows come that tinted?! I bought mine up at Silver Springs and they aren't tinted at all!

What are you looking to do to her? As mentioned before, most dealerships policy is that it has to be proven that the part in question was directly effected by a modification. That's not always the case. I know when I owned my Lancer, they have to prove that it was the mods fault for the issue, if you modded the exhaust in ANY way they would void the warranty on the exhaust. A guy put in a custom stereo and apparently when he had an electrical problem Mitsubishi said your who electrical system AND sensors were voided due to the aftermarket stereo....!

Originally Posted by jatbeni

Looks really nice. Always liked the M-sport wheels on the 135. Did you also get the DCT transmission?

Nope, manual. I love driving a stick

Originally Posted by BeemerMeUp

Congrats! I like the Blue! Did the windows come that tinted?! I bought mine up at Silver Springs and they aren't tinted at all!

Yeah, and they don't pass MD safety inspection - they're only 10% and MD requires 35%, so i have to remove it

Originally Posted by BeemerMeUp

What are you looking to do to her? As mentioned before, most dealerships policy is that it has to be proven that the part in question was directly effected by a modification. That's not always the case. I know when I owned my Lancer, they have to prove that it was the mods fault for the issue, if you modded the exhaust in ANY way they would void the warranty on the exhaust. A guy put in a custom stereo and apparently when he had an electrical problem Mitsubishi said your who electrical system AND sensors were voided due to the aftermarket stereo....!

That's what I've heard...i was thinking of doing the Dinan cold air intake, but i may look into the BMW performance upgrade package instead. I'm going to talk to my local BMW dealer (Towson) that does Dinan work and see what they say about it.

Originally Posted by olde

Yeah, and they don't pass MD safety inspection - they're only 10% and MD requires 35%, so i have to remove it

That's what I've heard...i was thinking of doing the Dinan cold air intake, but i may look into the BMW performance upgrade package instead. I'm going to talk to my local BMW dealer (Towson) that does Dinan work and see what they say about it.

I want to get tint but Virginia is the same way 35%, I have seen cars with 35% and it doesn't seem to really be worth it. I also have friends who have 25-30% and get away with it... You could always register your car out of state!

Let us/me know what comes of the performance package. I have heard rumors about it and would love to get it, IF the cost justifies the performance. I have heard anything from an estimated $500 to $2000, not including labor costs. If you're only getting a slight bump in HP/TQ then I would just wait.

I can't imagine an air intake really causing any issues. I'm new to the whole mods and aftermarket parts bit but from what I understand, an air intake is the safer of the modifications and causes the least amount of issues... Correct me if I'm wrong.

That blue exterior color is gorgeous! I know you will enjoy your new BMW 135i coupe with the M package!

Originally Posted by olde

Yeah, they've had some closures at night to take down the fences and grandstands, but no more roadwork. I'm actually pretty impressed at how quickly they complete road projects here.

I meant to ask you before...do you put winter tires on your 128 here in MD? I haven't really experienced winter here, so I'm not sure how many days of work i'm going to miss because i can't drive in the snow anymore

With a set of snow tires and the Dinan LSD upgrade you should be ok in moderate snow conditions.

http://www.dinancars.com/shop/D773-0...ly.aspx#page=2

My son has the Dinan stage 2 and the the Cold Air Intake on his 2009 135i convertable. He realy like it, especialy the extra torque.

No LSD as he has the autmatic transmision.

I have heard rumors Dinan will come out with performance upgrades in 2012 for the N55 engine.

Originally Posted by Norm37

With a set of snow tires and the Dinan LSD upgrade you should be ok in moderate snow conditions.

http://www.dinancars.com/shop/D773-0...ly.aspx#page=2

My son has the Dinan stage 2 and the the Cold Air Intake on his 2009 135i convertable. He realy like it, especialy the extra torque.

No LSD as he has the autmatic transmision.

I have heard rumors Dinan will come out with performance upgrades in 2012 for the N55 engine.

Thanks Norm! I've been talking with my local Dinan rep at the dealership about upgrades...he said they hope to have the performance tuning ready by January for the N55.

I'd like to get wheels as well, but they've had problems fitting wheels on this model without making mods to the frame and suspension. They confirmed that they can machine HRE performance wheels for my car (like http://www.dinancars.com/shop/D750-0...ck.aspx#page=1), but those will be $6400 (plus i'd have to buy new tires). Not sure if the performance benefit is worth the cost, although i like the idea of having them custom forged

My dealer found a cheaper wheel option, but I'm wondering if i should just wait for Dinan to figure out the fit for the BBS CH-Rs for the E82.

I think I'm just going to stop worrying about the snow issue for now...I don't have to commute right now, although that could change. But I figure I'll just take vacation days if the snow is really bad...hopefully there won't be crazy snow this year.

Originally Posted by olde

I think I'm just going to stop worrying about the snow issue for now...I don't have to commute right now, although that could change. But I figure I'll just take vacation days if the snow is really bad...hopefully there won't be crazy snow this year.

Performance summer tires are not recommended for use when the temperature drops into the low 40s and below. It's not just snowy conditions as the rubber compound gets very hard at low temperature.

One term used to describe them is they get hard like (Hockey Pucks). So the tire has a tendancy to lose its grip and slide even on dry pavement and has a longer stopping distance.

Did you check out tire rack for wheels?

If you have mild winters you might consider performance winter tires vs winter tires.

My son has the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 performance winter tire on his 135i convertable. He doen't drive the convertable in snow.

The PA3s are a good snow and cold weather tires that also work well in warmer weather and rainy conditions.

He doesn't put on his summer performance set of tires until the late night temperature gets into the the high 40s or low 50s

Congrats, great package!

As far as mods voiding the warrantly, just be careful. In my personal opinion, mods are subject to interpretation by BMW. For example, a performance exhaust shouldn't affect much in the car, but a chip upgrade affects the performance and potentially components of the car. At least, that's how BMW will view it. Some mods you might consider are Dinan, which can be installed by BMW. It still voids the BMW warranty, but Dinan will offer a replacement warranty to match the terms of BMW's. Either way, do your research. It just depends on what you want to do.