dk38
03-28-2009, 08:58 AM
Finally, after 2 months of waiting my girlfriend and I flew down to SC to pick up my 09 Sedona Red 135i this week. The Performance Center Delivery experience was fantastic. From being picked up at the airport in a 5er to the time I was handed the key to my new car we were pampered by :bmw:
At the delivery center we started the day with some driving drills, such as full on ABS braking on a wet curve , DSC on a wet skidpad, and pushing the limits on a small road course. Following the driving we went to the Zentrum museum and visited the X5/X6 factory. And after seeing how the SAVs are made we got a chance to drive them on an off-road course BMW has set up near the road course. After lunch one of the instructors took us on a hot lap in an M5 and for the first time in my life I got a chance to see what it feels like to be in an ///M car driven full out on a track by a professional :woot:
The last part of the day involved an extensive session with one of the driving instructors and my new car. He showed me everything I needed to know and then some and we were on our way.
I stopped by the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon but I couldn't push the car at all because it had less than 200 miles on the clock. But it was fun nonetheless.
I am impressed with the 135i overall. So far I think it is superior to the E90 in almost every way. My E90 is the 325i with the magnesium aluminum I6 and therefore severely down on power to the E82 but that was not what surprised me. The 135i has a sweeter ride, it has thinner sidewalls on the 18s compared to the 17s on the 325 but still manages to soak up road imperfections better. The TTI6 is a little monster, I didnt rev it past 4500 rpm but even at 1500 rpm the 300 torque can be felt. The car can be driven with practically no downshifting, 10 mph in 3rd or 40 in 6th, no problem. I'm going to write some more about my driving impressions as I put more miles on the car and get a chance to test its limits but for now I have to admit I am a satisfied :bmw: owner :race:
Here are some pics from the trip:
At the delivery center we started the day with some driving drills, such as full on ABS braking on a wet curve , DSC on a wet skidpad, and pushing the limits on a small road course. Following the driving we went to the Zentrum museum and visited the X5/X6 factory. And after seeing how the SAVs are made we got a chance to drive them on an off-road course BMW has set up near the road course. After lunch one of the instructors took us on a hot lap in an M5 and for the first time in my life I got a chance to see what it feels like to be in an ///M car driven full out on a track by a professional :woot:
The last part of the day involved an extensive session with one of the driving instructors and my new car. He showed me everything I needed to know and then some and we were on our way.
I stopped by the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon but I couldn't push the car at all because it had less than 200 miles on the clock. But it was fun nonetheless.
I am impressed with the 135i overall. So far I think it is superior to the E90 in almost every way. My E90 is the 325i with the magnesium aluminum I6 and therefore severely down on power to the E82 but that was not what surprised me. The 135i has a sweeter ride, it has thinner sidewalls on the 18s compared to the 17s on the 325 but still manages to soak up road imperfections better. The TTI6 is a little monster, I didnt rev it past 4500 rpm but even at 1500 rpm the 300 torque can be felt. The car can be driven with practically no downshifting, 10 mph in 3rd or 40 in 6th, no problem. I'm going to write some more about my driving impressions as I put more miles on the car and get a chance to test its limits but for now I have to admit I am a satisfied :bmw: owner :race:
Here are some pics from the trip: