335is manual transmission?

Hi all,

The lease on my 335is is up this year and I need to start thinking about my next car. I really love my is and am thinking about getting another one. This time around I would probably get it with the 6 speed manual.

My question to the "is" owners is how does the manual transmission feel on this car? I tried searching around and didn't see too my much commentary on the is. I did see a bunch of 335i owners saying that their transmissions felt vague with very long shifts. Is it the same transmission? I saw a few magazine articles that described the "is" as having short shifts. CNET said the ratio on is different than the 335i - http://reviews.cnet.com/coupe-hatchb...-34130355.html

Thanks!

Can't help you with the question but I too am about to place an "IS" order...Couple questions,I'm going DCT and I take it you didn't care for it-Reasons?? 18' or 19's?? And what color was and will be?? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thinking Crimson Red or Lemans just to be different since white has taken over the road,Thanks.

Hey chop,

I actually love the dct. It is by far the best "automatic" I've driven. Shifts are super quick and very smooth. I think there are 5 different settings (normal, ds, ds+sport, manual and manual + sport) each giving a different feel and shifting aggressiveness.

While I've driven a few manual transmission cars and have enjoyed it, I've never owned one. So this time around I want to change it up and give the manual try. I have nothing against the dct.

I'm going to stick with the 18" wheels. I think they look big enough and perform fine. The run flat tires that come with the car suck. Be prepared to switch them off or buy the tire insurance. Mine started to fall apart after 5k miles. They are also expensive to replace. I took off my rfts and replaced them with continental dws non-rfts that fit on the stock staggered 18" wheels. They are better for the winters here in new York and have reduced some of the harshness that the rfts created in the ride.

In terms of color, I have the le mans and love it. Ive seen the is in the sapphire black and really liked it too. I bet it's harder to keep looking clean though.

Good luck with your is. It's a great car which is why I'm considering another.

Turbo thanks for the help since coming from an "IS" owner it's much more helpful.Going with the 18's since I live in Ct. where the roads well..Suck!! But you know this as for the color I too like the Black but been there done that and don't have the time to deal with scratches and swirls besides the dirt plus having done Bimmers in Titanium/AW/Space/ No color worth repeating so seriously considering Lemans & Crimson Red but not much love going on for the Crimson (Not sure why)As for yourself if you've never done the stick route so you really should give it a go.Again thanks for the help and good luck

I just ordered an IS as well. I currently have 2011 335i 6 MT due do come off lease. I was able to drive the IS with the manual transmission but they did not have one w/ the DCT. The closest I was able to get was driving an '09 M3 they had with the DCT. I opted for the manual just because it felt more connected with the car and it's what I've had on my last two 335s.

My wife's car is a 2011 335is Coupe. I loved the DCT and was kind of nudging her that way, but she was determined to have another manual transmission (all of her cars have been manuals). It was nearly impossible to find any 335 with a manual transmission in San Diego County when we were looking in January 2011. I finally found one and went and drove it on a weekday, but she wasn't able to. I had an S2000 at the time and I told her that it was the closest transmission that I'd driven to the absolutely excellent transmission in my S2000. That was good enough for her and she ordered it without ever driving a BMW manual until she drove her car off the floor at BMW Welt. She has been very happy with the manual.

After taking it to the track last year she is now earnestly trying to learn to heel-toe downshift.

P.S. The correct color name is "Le Mans Blue Metallic" aka "Le Mans Blue", not "le mans" or "Lemans". BMW offers exclusive colors on M cars and cars with the M Sport Package that are named after race tracks, i.e., Interlagos Blue, Estoril Blue, Laguna Seca Blue, Imola Red, Jerez Black, Sakhir Orange, Dakar Yellow to name just a few. You can see the entire list here: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showt...rs-Race-Tracks. BTW, we were also unable to find a single Le Mans Blue car, new or used, at any BMW dealer in San Diego County, so we also ordered that sight-unseen. She has not been disappointed in our choices!

Originally Posted by SD Z4MR

My wife's car is a 2011 335is Coupe. I loved the DCT and was kind of nudging her that way, but she was determined to have another manual transmission (all of her cars have been manuals). It was nearly impossible to find any 335 with a manual transmission in San Diego County when we were looking in January 2011. I finally found one and went and drove it on a weekday, but she wasn't able to. I had an S2000 at the time and I told her that it was the closest transmission that I'd driven to the absolutely excellent transmission in my S2000. That was good enough for her and she ordered it without ever driving a BMW manual until she drove her car off the floor at BMW Welt. She has been very happy with the manual.

After taking it to the track last year she is now earnestly trying to learn to heel-toe downshift.

P.S. The correct color name is "Le Mans Blue Metallic" aka "Le Mans Blue", not "le mans" or "Lemans". BMW offers exclusive colors on M cars and cars with the M Sport Package that are named after race tracks, i.e., Interlagos Blue, Estoril Blue, Laguna Seca Blue, Imola Red, Jerez Black, Sakhir Orange, Dakar Yellow to name just a few. You can see the entire list here: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showt...rs-Race-Tracks. BTW, we were also unable to find a single Le Mans Blue car, new or used, at any BMW dealer in San Diego County, so we also ordered that sight-unseen. She has not been disappointed in our choices!

SD that's just me using short hand.."Lemans"While I have you any regrets choosing 18' over 19'?? I need to find one person yes just one that condones the choice of Crimson Red,Feelings?? I mean you had to have a 2nd choice to back up "Lemans" Did it again.

I ready like the crimson when looking at it on the "build your car" section of the BMW website. Just haven't seen one in person. I would call it a reasonable back up to the "le mans."

Originally Posted by Chop362

SD that's just me using short hand.."Lemans"While I have you any regrets choosing 18' over 19'?? I need to find one person yes just one that condones the choice of Crimson Red,Feelings?? I mean you had to have a 2nd choice to back up "Lemans" Did it again.

Get the blue with the brown interior. It looks great.

I would recommend the 6 speed manual, it is far better than the "I" model. Mine has M short shifter, and the power/boost feels amazing. There were a few good reviews by autotrader and Motorsport about the manual transmission. They also said that if you are looking to buy the "is" with DCT you are probably buying the wrong car... hope this helps

Originally Posted by beden1

Get the blue with the brown interior. It looks great.

Thanks beden but I would get the Titanium if I hadn't already done it..So you've seen the Lemans Blue in person?? Not for anything but in 3 years since the model release i have to be honest i've seen the car twice and both Sapphire Black(No thanks)

Originally Posted by 2Turbo

I ready like the crimson when looking at it on the "build your car" section of the BMW website. Just haven't seen one in person. I would call it a reasonable back up to the "le mans."

Turbo go to YouTube type 335is there will be 2 or 3 vids..Closest to in person.

Originally Posted by Chop362

SD that's just me using short hand.."Lemans"While I have you any regrets choosing 18' over 19'?? I need to find one person yes just one that condones the choice of Crimson Red,Feelings?? I mean you had to have a 2nd choice to back up "Lemans" Did it again.

You forget that this is my wife's car, and she got what SHE wanted! This is her daily driver and we heard all kinds of horror stories about how bad RFT tires were, tires exploding on potholes, etc. We weren't about to make the problem even worse with 19" tires and wheels, so we stayed with the 18". We wanted to make sure she didn't get stranded, so it was simply the more practical choice. We have dedicated non-run-flat autocross tires and wheels now and we're not trying to impress anyone on the street.

My color choice was Alpine White because I liked the idea of the "Storm Trooper" look, with all the black accents on the 335is, but I'm glad she wanted the LMB because in AW it would have liked like a lot of other 335s. As I mentioned, LMB is an exclusive "M" color for the 335is, the 335i with the M Sport Package, and oh yeah, the M3, so by definition there are few BMWs in this color. It kind of begs to be LMB. We have absolutely no regrets getting LMB, even though we never got a chance to see it in person before we ordered it. The first time we saw the color was on the floor at BMW Welt, sitting on the rotating platform, in the spotlights! We still get compliments from people on the color, especially other BMW enthusiasts.

At one of our first autocrosses with the 335is another one showed up, in fact the only other one we've seen at an autocross, and he had the Crimson Red. The only other major differences between them that I remember other than the color is that he had the 19" wheels and tires and the DCT. Here's some pictures of them side-by-side. These pictures were taken at the end of the day and all the cones were already picked up. It's around 4:30-5:00 PM in mid-September, so the shadows are kind of long:



Crimson Red is not a bad red, but compared to the metallic LMB, the LMB just "pops" more. It has beautiful metal flakes in it, a light blue, a dark blue, and silver. I honestly don't know how anyone would regret getting this color. It really is a striking blue. You'll notice that we liked it so much that when I went looking for Z4 M Roadsters, the color I wanted was Interlagos Blue, very similar but not as bright and a bit more blue/purple, and I was very fortunate to find one. (Only 78 made for the US with IB and Extended Black Nappa Leather!) So now we have our own "Blue Bimmer Club".

Also, regarding the "Lemans", I'm just busting your "chop". The proper way to abbreviate it is "LMB".

Originally Posted by vst335is

I would recommend the 6 speed manual, it is far better than the "I" model. Mine has M short shifter, and the power/boost feels amazing. There were a few good reviews by autotrader and Motorsport about the manual transmission. They also said that if you are looking to buy the "is" with DCT you are probably buying the wrong car... hope this helps

There is absolutely no difference between the 6MT in the 335is and the 6MT in any other 335i. If the 335i has the M Sport Package it has exactly the same transmission, exactly the same short shifter, and exactly the same M Shift Knob. The M Sport Package is just "standard" with the 335is and has exactly the same components. The transmission has nothing to do with the 7 second 370 ft./lb. of torque boost.

It's true that many reviewers said that they like the 6MT better than the DCT. However, if you track the 335is Coupe, which is what BMW actually designed it for with the additional water cooler and the increased air flow with no fog lights, the DCT would be a better choice.

Originally Posted by SD Z4MR

You forget that this is my wife's car, and she got what SHE wanted! This is her daily driver and we heard all kinds of horror stories about how bad RFT tires were, tires exploding on potholes, etc. We weren't about to make the problem even worse with 19" tires and wheels, so we stayed with the 18". We wanted to make sure she didn't get stranded, so it was simply the more practical choice. We have dedicated non-run-flat autocross tires and wheels now and we're not trying to impress anyone on the street.

My color choice was Arctic White because I liked the idea of the "Storm Trooper" look, with all the black accents on the 335is, but I'm glad she wanted the LMB because in AW it would have liked like a lot of other 335s. As I mentioned, LMB is an exclusive "M" color for the 335is, the 335i with the M Sport Package, and oh yeah, the M3, so by definition there are few BMWs in this color. It kind of begs to be LMB. We have absolutely no regrets getting LMB, even though we never got a chance to see it in person before we ordered it. The first time we saw the color was on the floor at BMW Welt, sitting on the rotating platform, in the spotlights! We still get compliments from people on the color, especially other BMW enthusiasts.

At one of our first autocrosses with the 335is another one showed up, in fact the only other one we've seen at an autocross, and he had the Crimson Red. The only other major differences between them that I remember other than the color is that he had the 19" wheels and tires and the DCT. Here's some pictures of them side-by-side. These pictures were taken at the end of the day and all the cones were already picked up. It's around 4:30-5:00 PM in mid-September, so the shadows are kind of long:



Crimson Red is not a bad red, but compared to the metallic LMB, the LMB just "pops" more. It has beautiful metal flakes in it, a light blue, a dark blue, and silver. I honestly don't know how anyone would regret getting this color. It really is a striking blue. You'll notice that we liked it so much that when I went looking for Z4 M Roadsters, the color I wanted was Interlagos Blue, very similar but not as bright and a bit more blue/purple, and I was very fortunate to find one. (Only 78 made for the US with IB and Extended Black Nappa Leather!) So now we have our own "Blue Bimmer Club".

Also, regarding the "Lemans", I'm just busting your "chop". The proper way to abbreviate it is "LMB".

Now that's what i'm looking for thanks for the pics SD but is it me or is that CR missing something?? Maybe not a deep enough red like say the old e46 Imola as for your LBM it looks outstanding with no sunglasses needed also liking the look of the 19's but really being cautious about that need i be?? Just not sure. Leaning now towards your color and have till the 31 of the month maybe longer if the incentives remain in place...Now it's my turn to bust your "Chop" It's not Arctic it's Alpine white!!! "The mighty has fallen!!"Any more info. on the car just keep it coming it's really a help.P.S. doing a roof delete less 100 lbs. 2 inches on the scalp gain too.

Originally Posted by Chop362

.Now it's my turn to bust your "Chop" It's not Arctic it's Alpine white!!! "The mighty has fallen!!"Any more info. on the car just keep it coming it's really a help.P.S. doing a roof delete less 100 lbs. 2 inches on the scalp gain too.

Yup, you got me! I've made that mistake more than once. I'm changing it in my previous post.

Not sure how tall you are, but I'm 5'9" and I have no problems in the 335is with a helmet on. I've never measured how much room is left.

Originally Posted by 2Turbo

I saw a few magazine articles that described the "is" as having short shifts. CNET said the ratio on is different than the 335i - http://reviews.cnet.com/coupe-hatchb...-34130355.html

I am guessing they are just referring to the m sport shifter that is standard on the "is". You can fine tune further like I did by getting a ZHP weighted shift knob. You can also install the $10 BMS clutch stop which I plan to do in the near future. If you get DCT there is a possibility you will get bored at some point and covet the MT. If you have 6MT you will never want anything else specially on the N54.

Originally Posted by Chop362

Thanks beden but I would get the Titanium if I hadn't already done it..So you've seen the Lemans Blue in person?? Not for anything but in 3 years since the model release i have to be honest i've seen the car twice and both Sapphire Black(No thanks)

My son and I test drove a 335is coupe in Le Mans Blue with brown interior. It was a great combo. The brown leather looks like baseball glove leather. I would definitely get that interior on my next BMW, if they still have it at least 10 years from now (that's how long I plan to keep my 335is as I like it that much)

Which engine is in the 335is MT?

Can anyone confirm wether the 2013 335is 6MT comes with the N54 or the N55 Engine? I know for a fact that the 335is DCT is the N54, but am starting to wonder if they just throw in the N55 with the M-sport chip into the MT orders.

Don't know in a my life depends on it way but the specs are the same for both DCT & 6MT engines. The sport N55 kit aka PPK cannot match the torque of the IS N54 package although its advertised at the same 320BHP. On a dyno the N55 PPK does about 295whp & the N54IS 320whp. My 135is has the N55 with the PPK on a 6MT but the DCT's use the same N55 PPK engine in the 135is version.

Mine has 6MT and its N54

Is it a 2013?

I have yet to meet someone with a 2013 MT 335is... anyone...???

It's a 2012