Back again - 2nd 35is - paid a lot - BAH!

[Silverstar]

Have a wee look at the link in my post on page 2 and see what you’ll get here for a wee bit more @£500k

viewtopic.php?t=139235&start=15

Blimey they say Spain is supposed to be cheap but looking at that listing I had better move back to the UK near where I am new build 2 or 3 bed apartments cost between 500000 to 2 million (penthouse) euros!

[Marcoose]

It sure was expensive in the US, in the UK it’s list price was around £43k before options but it was never an M car, so one shouldn’t expect M level of sharpness from it. the M badging is merely the trim level as it is on all other E89s regardless which engine option you pick, they were all available in either SE or M trim level.

The 35is was marketed as a performance car. Irrespective of only an M badge.

The sad truth is as soon as you push it a bit, the shortcomings are clear. Disappointing for a BMW for that kind of money.

That’s why I call the E89 a GT. Sports car it isn’t. But with the right mods, yes, now we’re talking. I’m very happy with mine now.

[zxy]

Well I consider it a sports car well maybe a GT sports roadster if you insist. It has many qualities that some of my so called true sports cars did not have. It is very powerful and is actually capable of decent lap times on a track, not that I recommend tracking it. So that means to me that it is sticks well enough in the turns, at least the one I have seems to. I would not push it to the point of using racing slicks or even summer performance tires but that is not necessary to do as well as most sports cars. Besides it is just fun to be in and be a bit sporty on country roads occasionally.
For a lot of my life a sports car had no A/C, no 7 speed paddle shifter. no DSC, no buttons to tighten the suspension, or even roll up windows or a power top much less an aluminum one, A lot of them were surprisingly slow, had an am radio hanging under the dash, possibly no air bags or even seatbelts and often scary handling. This could describe the era of beloved MGAs, Triumphs Porsches and Jag xk120s which some people actually raced on weekends. The E89 works for me as a sports car and as you say it can be elevated to more perfect one if you really need that.

[Marcoose]

I’m happy you have a nice motor and I’m happy you love it. Same here.

[matsmith749]

That’s the beauty of the modern world - make it whatever you really want it to be

Happy days!

[Nanu]

It sure was expensive in the US, in the UK it’s list price was around £43k before options but it was never an M car, so one shouldn’t expect M level of sharpness from it. the M badging is merely the trim level as it is on all other E89s regardless which engine option you pick, they were all available in either SE or M trim level.

[/quote]The way I understood it (And no doubt will be proved wrong) was the 35is already possessed as standard what 'M' division upgrades did.

[B21]

I guess based on the E85/E86M and other M cars that to be an M car they should have most if not all these attributes..

An engine that was mechanically different / uprated compared to ‘cooking’ models
A LSD of some type
Different steering geometry compared to ‘cooking’ models
Different steering / suspension / wheels / tyres / brake components compared to ‘cooking’ models
Different exhausts
Different seats / trim
Usually built in a different factory / team

Any others ?

[Mr Tidy]

That sums most of it up for E85/86s.

Ms had the S54 engine that the E46 M3 had with an LSD, Hydraulic PAS, non-runflat tyres and different geometry with wheels that had different offsets.

Although seats were the same as those in Sport facelifts, but with an M logo stamped on them!

Facelifts came as SE, Sport (and M) - BMW hadn't invented the M-Sport trim level then!

[matsmith749]

I've come to realise what I really want from this car over the years of having all sorts.

- Looks are important to me, nice inside & out - not like what everyone else has (tick)
- I drive humdrum roads at 30 mph or less for >90% of the time. Must have creature comforts (tick)
- I never go on racetracks, or drive at 10/10ths on back roads. Never. Excelling here at the expense of the 90% above would be bad (tick)

So yeh - more GT than pure sports car? I'm ok with that. From a pure handling perspective, I'm not sure that any e89 (tweaked or not) will out handle the older e85. So much weight gain is tough to overcome.

I like the more noise from the exhaust better than I would appreciate the 1 or 2 seconds per lap that I would get from better handling.

The 35is might well have been made with me exactly in mind - I loved the car last time I had it, and if the new one is just as good I will be delighted.

On the old one, I was more bothered that you couldn't put the roof up/down whilst moving than anything else!

Seems to be a lot of bashing of the 35is on here (surprises me) - I must be one of the few that have (i) had this car (ii) would buy another. It's a great car, with it's limits & shortcomings like any other.

Go into it with your eyes open - you may just love it!

I'm working on the 'mods list' as I wait to collect the car - stubby (check) - sat nav update (check) - number plate (check). Not a long list, in the summer I will change the speakers to something better.

[Chippie]

The 35is might well have been made with me exactly in mind

Me too, my only gripe is for me the steering can feel a little vague, this can probably be rectified with a few thousand pounds being spent on suspension and steering upgrades, when the time comes to replace failing parts I may well do this, but for now I’ll just accept it is what it is.

[B21]

I've come to realise what I really want from this car over the years of having all sorts.

- Looks are important to me, nice inside & out - not like what everyone else has (tick)
- I drive humdrum roads at 30 mph or less for >90% of the time. Must have creature comforts (tick)
- I never go on racetracks, or drive at 10/10ths on back roads. Never. Excelling here at the expense of the 90% above would be bad (tick)

So yeh - more GT than pure sports car? I'm ok with that.

I like the more noise from the exhaust better than I would appreciate the 1 or 2 seconds per lap that I would get from better handling.

The 35is might well have been made with me exactly in mind - I loved the car last time I had it, and if the new one is just as good I will be delighted.

On the old one, I was more bothered that you couldn't put the roof up/down whilst moving than anything else!

It’s a good reminder that we all have our own needs and wishes and where and how we drive defines what we are looking for..enjoy

[Marcoose]

Whilst I’ve written harsh critiques about the 35is, I wasn’t bashing it. I love mine and would buy and mod another.

My beef is price for what you get straight out of the box. Whoever bought my car new for US$80,000 grossly overpaid for it. I however paid US$35,000, which was a massive deal. Even with US$5,000-US10,000 of mods, it’s still a great deal.

I’m very happy with mine and would own another.

[Nanu]

I'm working on the 'mods list' as I wait to collect the car - stubby (check) - sat nav update (check) - number plate (check). Not a long list, in the summer I will change the speakers to something better.

I was with you all the way until you mentioned a Stubby being an upgrade. At that point you lost all credibility

[matsmith749]

Lol - no idea why this is even discussed

Prefer the look of the stubby aerial so it’s gonna get switched out… i don’t even listen to the radio

[tiglon]

Lol - no idea why this is even discussed

Prefer the look of the stubby aerial so it’s gonna get switched out… i don’t even listen to the radio

I don't listen to the radio either... not since I got a 35is with terrible radio signal anyway! Probably due to the stubby...

Love the car though and will likely own it until it dies or I'm forced to sell (probably by the mrs). Seriously underrated car regardless of any mods - most people have never come across one and are shocked by the performance. Is it a Boxster or Elise? No but I don't think it's trying to be.

As for the "M" debate, here's a photo of the engine swap I did this week with a 1M