A Healey now you're talking, fantastic proper British sports car. I bought the M roady as I really like the concept, big silly powerful engine and the diff, brakes, running gear etc from a bigger saloon crammed into a small-ish roadster that as a rule doesn't need spannering for folk that hav'nt got time to tinker, and while it is definitely superb and I really hope not many get written off as they are, imo, iconic, i'm just not gutted I have to sell mine as If i'm honest having tried a couple of e89's I just found them much easier and, well nicer to drive, hence it's prob an age thing. If I could keep the M for prosperity I would but having said that they need using so prob a good thing I can't, people that can ought to have them. I agree with you the 89 needs a six up front so I reckon it'll be a 35i.
ZM to 35is
- Thread starter john-e89
- Start date
Hi Andya1, congrats on the 35i, please let me know how you get on with it, I hope it does everything you want it to. I also had a 3.0si but auto, I didn't like the thumb push button down shift and it suffered badly from the sticky steering but the engine was fantastic, silky smooth and plenty of low down grunt, I nearly went for another but got the M itch. Sounds like we're on the same wavelength with the 35i. Hi Maniac, thanks for the post, I've read a lot of your posts, very informed chap. Have you had any comparison with the 35i and i's? As if there's nothing in it I may as well go the whole nine yards.
Excellent good for you Andy,i can imagine you're pretty excited being so close to pick up. A week in Scotland with the zed sounds perfect. Mine is a weekender also but having a 7yr old son I can only do evening hoons really as the wife has all but banned him going in it after I got hit at very high speed in the si, but hoping to go on some forum runs / meets and especially the Scottish runs, know a great place to stay near Peebles on the borders, some great roads up there. Post some pics up if poss when you get it. 
john-e89 said:Excellent good for you Andy,i can imagine you're pretty excited being so close to pick up. A week in Scotland with the zed sounds perfect. Mine is a weekender also but having a 7yr old son I can only do evening hoons really as the wife has all but banned him going in it after I got hit at very high speed in the si, but hoping to go on some forum runs / meets and especially the Scottish runs, know a great place to stay near Peebles on the borders, some great roads up there. Post some pics up if poss when you get it.
Hi John I will post some pics when I get it
the place we are going to is Kylesku and from York where we live it says it is a 10 hour drive 
so we are staying there for 7 nights and just getting out walking with our dog in that stunning scenery then we will have some fab food and beer at the fab hotel there, but we are planning to stay one night halfway there so I was thinking maybe around Perth but it has to be dog friendly and I am looking at the inn on the Tay as it does look good with great reviews.Look forward to seeing the pics Andy, hav'nt been that far up for years but remember it being a fantastic place for scenery etc. well i guess a 10hr drive will confirm if you like the car or not! The guy I bought my M from lives in Edinburgh and he goes up there a few times a year with a car mad group of friends for a weeks honing around, showed me some pics, looks amazing.
shortfuse 2
Senior member
john-e89
hi mate I looked at and drove 35i and 35is if you can go for the 35is fully loaded you will have a massive smile on your face all the time.
more power etc just the one to have
hi mate I looked at and drove 35i and 35is if you can go for the 35is fully loaded you will have a massive smile on your face all the time.
more power etc just the one to have
Well I know that the 35is will leave a big smile but I can assure you that after my 3.0si the 35i will certainly give me a big smile with more power and a great sound and I can't wait to get it the thing is with a used 35i or 35is there aren't that many around and for me I wanted red leather so finding the right car and colour combination and spec isn't easy so a black with red leather 35i is coming to my house next week 
Of course if you are in the fortunate position to buy new then a 35is in Valencia Orange would be the one for me but as mine is a weekend fun car I didn't want to spend daft money and let's face it either car is a superb car with over 300bhp a smile is guaranteed 8)
the thing is with a used 35i or 35is there aren't that many around and for me I wanted red leather so finding the right car and colour combination and spec isn't easy so a black with red leather 35i is coming to my house next week Of course if you are in the fortunate position to buy new then a 35is in Valencia Orange would be the one for me but as mine is a weekend fun car I didn't want to spend daft money
and let's face it either car is a superb car with over 300bhp a smile is guaranteed 8)
Thanks for the input chaps. I drove a 35i before a 35iS and didn't like the 35i - the power was far flatter over 4K (which I guess is adressed by the extra 30bhp of the 35iS).
More importantly for me the suspension was not 'adjustable' in the sense that the standard suspension in the 35i I felt was rock hard compared to the 'std' setting on the 35iS adjustable suspension which I found acceptable. The 35iS I have is on 326 alloys and the 35i was on 296's. It shouldn't make any difference but the 35i was a hugely harder setup.
More importantly for me the suspension was not 'adjustable' in the sense that the standard suspension in the 35i I felt was rock hard compared to the 'std' setting on the 35iS adjustable suspension which I found acceptable. The 35iS I have is on 326 alloys and the 35i was on 296's. It shouldn't make any difference but the 35i was a hugely harder setup.
I'm pretty sure you can spec the adjustable suspension on the 35i also - but it is standard on the 35is.
The way I see it, the 35is is basicly the same car as the 35i but has most of the optional bits as standard, plus a slight engine tune & the noisier exhaust.
Given the costs of the options that are included it was a no brainer for me - I would have got the engine tune, extras, plus exhaust anyways
If you get the chance to try both back to back, the 'is' version gives you a lot more specialness for the money - definitely recommend trying it.
Matt
The way I see it, the 35is is basicly the same car as the 35i but has most of the optional bits as standard, plus a slight engine tune & the noisier exhaust.
Given the costs of the options that are included it was a no brainer for me - I would have got the engine tune, extras, plus exhaust anyways
If you get the chance to try both back to back, the 'is' version gives you a lot more specialness for the money - definitely recommend trying it.
Matt
When I test drove the 35i that I am getting it felt and went superbly and for me it will be a massive step up from my E85 3.0si so I will be more than delighted driving the 35i, I agree if you are buying new then why not get the 35is but for me it is a weekend roadster and the performance and ride will be perfect for my needs and buying used the 35i and the 35is are a bit harder to find in the colour combination and spec that I wanted plus I didn't want to spend 20k on a weekend car and I am getting mine for less than that so I will be in wide grin mode when I pick it up on Friday 
We all have different opinions on which model to get and I am no expert driver and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two cars apart from the 35is being more powerful but that would be the extent of my skills in telling them apart
When I was getting the E85 3.0si there were people saying you really should get the M but when I got the 3.0 it just blew me away as the performance was so good and it felt brilliant to drive and not having the M didn't bother me at all as that 3.0 felt so fast, so this 35i is probably going to make my wife Linda pass out when I accelerate
They are both great cars whichever one you get
We all have different opinions on which model to get and I am no expert driver and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two cars apart from the 35is being more powerful but that would be the extent of my skills in telling them apart
When I was getting the E85 3.0si there were people saying you really should get the M but when I got the 3.0 it just blew me away as the performance was so good and it felt brilliant to drive and not having the M didn't bother me at all as that 3.0 felt so fast, so this 35i is probably going to make my wife Linda pass out when I accelerate
They are both great cars whichever one you get
andya1 said:When I test drove the 35i that I am getting it felt and went superbly and for me it will be a massive step up from my E85 3.0si so I will be more than delighted driving the 35i, I agree if you are buying new then why not get the 35is but for me it is a weekend roadster and the performance and ride will be perfect for my needs and buying used the 35i and the 35is are a bit harder to find in the colour combination and spec that I wanted plus I didn't want to spend 20k on a weekend car and I am getting mine for less than that so I will be in wide grin mode when I pick it up on Friday
We all have different opinions on which model to get and I am no expert driver and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two cars apart from the 35is being more powerful but that would be the extent of my skills in telling them apart
When I was getting the E85 3.0si there were people saying you really should get the M but when I got the 3.0 it just blew me away as the performance was so good and it felt brilliant to drive and not having the M didn't bother me at all as that 3.0 felt so fast, so this 35i is probably going to make my wife Linda pass out when I accelerate
They are both great cars whichever one you get
well said .. and please lets not let this thread turn into a 35i - 35is punch up
olice: .. both great cars with great forum owners£1055 is the difference between the i DCT & iS. The adaptive suspension is £660, having driven Z4s with & without adaptive suspension on the same wheels I'd say it's a must have option. The remaining £400 then pays for an extra 25-100Nm of torque once over 1275rpm (exact figure depends on rpm & if over-boost conditions are met). It's worth noting the 35iS produces about the same torque at 5900 rpm as the 35i does at peek torque, around 2500rpm.
techathy said:
Great reply but that all means nothing to me and many others on here
I promise you I wouldn't be able to tell the difference with the suspension and as for the torque at a certain rpm it means nothing to me, if you read the performance figures of the two cars there is very little in it and was the same for my facelift 3.0si compared to an M not that much in it, I know that the 35i will never get near its limits with me driving I do like some straight line speed and a great sound but quoting me all these figures means nothing to me and probably many other buyers as well I do understand if buying new and it is costing a small fortune anyway then the extra for the 35is makes sense especially if it is your main car and I would probably do the same but mine is a weekend fun car and it will be perfect for my needs.
Hum... okay in the same gear at the same speed the 35iS will be accelerating 6-25% faster depending on the exact conditions. In 2nd gear the 35i hits peek acceleration at 23mph & from then on its rate of acceleration is dropping. The 35iS at 54mph is accelerating as hard as the 35i at 23mph & it has been accelerating faster than the 35i since 12mph. You'll see the same pattern in all gears but the speeds will be different.techathy said:
Does that make any more sense or should I just shut up?
