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| BMW
335i Coupe |
Broadcast
date : 11th February 2007 |
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While the BMW 335i Coupe is
still dimensionally a BMW 3-Series model, it’s interesting
to note that not a single panel on the new two-door is shared
with the four-door version.
The new nose hints at the new M3 coupe, which Beemer fans have
been waiting for, and which is due to arrive here towards the
end of this year.
But the rest of the car is remarkably understated, the flanks
free of styling-line clutter, and the wheels in non-shiny
alloy with a classy, rather than sporty spoke pattern.
The interior is snug, but not unduly so, and the trim on our
test car featured wood panelling that complemented the subtle
approach to performance motoring that this coupe brings to the
party.
Our test car was the Steptronic auto-drive model, while a
six-speed manual is also available, and the spec includes the
I-drive system, which remains fiddly for basic functions like
ventilation control.
The seats are superbly comfortable and offer a vast array of
adjustment for the front passengers, with BMW’s attention to
quality very evident in the finish and the texture of the
leather upholstery.
BMW was in fact the first company to offer a mass-produced
turbo model with its 2002 back in 1973, beating Porsche to the
draw.
The Bavarians also dabbled with a turbocharged six with its
European-spec 745i in the mid-1980s. After sampling the 335i,
we have to wonder what took BMW so long to hop on the turbo
bandwagon.
The model numbers for the 335i coupe can be confusing. The
engine capacity is in fact three litres, and the extra
"5" presumably denotes its turbo enhancement. And
what an enhancement it is!
0-100 comes up in 6,0 seconds for the automatic, and 5,7
seconds in the manual model. But even more impressive is its
mid-range performance.
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Although Car Torque’s test
team is generally orientated towards a more involving manual
transmission set-up, we have to say that the combination of
twin turbochargers, 225 kiloWatts and Steptronic offers a
magical performance package.
Right now, this is our favourite BMW model, and one of the
best cars of all we’ve sampled in the past 12 months.
BMW 335i Coupe
(Automatic)
- Engine: In-line
six-cylinder, turbocharged petrol, 2 979 cc
- Power: 225 kW @ 5
800 rpm
- Torque: 400 Nm @ 1
300 rpm
- Transmission:
Six-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive
- 0-100 km/h: 6,0
litres/100 km
- Top speed: 250 km/h
- Fuel consumption:
12,0 litres/100 km
- Price: R502 200
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