Compliments of BMWUSA.com come the images of the soon to launch 2011 335is (the official announcement will be January 22nd). The “is” (which is obviously next to the 335 on the emblem) models will feature an up-tuned N54 twin turbo motor, styling cues, larger wheels and other exclusive features. A dual clutch transmission will also be available as an optional extra. This car looks to feature parts directly out of the BMW Performance catalog, the body kit and wheels especially! We are expecting the official numbers and information soon but for now 322hp and 369 lb-ft of torque during overboost are what we are hearing for output. As always we will keep you updated.
For those in the know, the sport package is an essential part of any BMW purchase. And for those really wanting to set their cars apart, the M Sport package gives you all the sport package goodness with a dose of M car attitude. Today we take a look at the 2011 3 Series Coupe and Convertible with the M Sport package. The general design of the M aerokit hasn’t changed too much but it does create a slightly different effect with the larger headlights especially.
As before inside featuring unique trim, M Steering wheel, M Shifter, anthracite headliner and specific M Sport wheels.
Today, BMW Officially announced the updates of the 3 Series Coupe and Convertible. As many have speculated (including us) the facelift (or Life Cycle Impulse in BMW terminology) has been a minor one in terms of the number of physical changes but those changes update the looks a good deal. The new headlights, featuring LED technology in the corona rings include eyebrows (reminiscent of the exiting E60), in addition to the new wider kidney grills scream BMW making these cars unmistakable as Bavaria’s finest through and through. Updated rear lights along with new front and rear fascias conclude the most obvious cosmetic changes.
The major change for the 335i is more than skin deep and wouldn’t go noticed unless you inspect under the hood. Propelling the new 2011 E92/93 3 Series models is the latest generation 300 hp/ 300 lb-ft BMW turbo charged inline six. Unlike its twin-turbo predecessor the new engine features only a single turbo. It utilizes dual scroll technology combined with BMWs Valvetronic system to provide improved response and to bring on the torque a full half of a second quicker all while improving emissions and fuel economy.
For 2011, 328 and 335 models will continue to see the enthusiast’s preferred 6-speed manual transmission as standard (3 pedals included at no additional charge) or each model will have an optional 6 speed automatic transmission available. New to 2011 vehicles equipped with an automatic and the optional “paddle shifters” is the concept of one paddle to downshift and one to upshift, as has been featured on ///M models.
New trim material options and color choices are available for 2011. This rounds-out some of the most noticeable changes to BMWs best selling two-door models.
For all of the changes and the full break down please continue on for the Official Press Release.
Official Release: Yesterday, BMW of North America accepted the Ward’s 10 Best Engines award for its groundbreaking 3.0-liter BMW Advanced Diesel engine at the North American International Auto Show. For the 2010 model year and the second year in a row, BMW’s sequential twin-turbo inline-6 diesel engine was elected to the 10 Best Engines list by the Ward’s AutoWorld panel of expert judges. To win a place on the 10 Best Engines list, an engine must score highly in measures of horsepower, torque, refinement, technical relevance, and comparative data.
We originally broke the news last week of BMW bringing the 2011 335is to market but now that it has made its way around cyber-space we thought we show you some official documents from Canada. The “is” will be exclusive to coupes and convertibles. The boost in performance will be similar to the X6’s 7RR package and BMW Performance Kit with 22hp and 32 lb-ft bumps (322hp/332 lb-ft). The “is” will differ from those performance upgrades as it will feature “overboost” and provide a maximum of 369 lb-ft of torque.
Worth noting is that the list of standard features are for the Canadian market and there are some differences in content to the US, wheels being the main difference as the US will see 19s as at least an option. In other parts of the world these models will be referred to as the 340i.
The short answer is; we don’t know. But let’s take a look at what we know. Last weekend we exclusively broke the news that the 135i was not only getting the DCT 7 speed dual clutch transmission but also the N55 inline six turbo. More specifically BMW is replacing the N54 dual turbo with the N55 single turbo twin-scroll. It’s great news for fans of the 1 Series and DCT technology but what about that engine change?
As you may have heard from our interview with Martin Birkmann, the switch to the N55 is all about efficiency. And on paper it makes sense with identical numbers in regards power and torque. But what about the N54’s power being under-reported? We had heard for years from automotive magazines and websites that dynoed the engine that the N54 was actually putting out well over 320 hp (and sometimes much more). While no one yet has dynoed an N55 we’d guess that we will not see those kind of numbers from the single turbo twin-scroll set-up. What does all this mean? While on paper the N55 is a match for the N54, in the real world we can’t help but wonder if the 2011 135i and the 335i didn’t just lose a little power versus the 2010 models.
Anything lost (even unofficially) BMW will be giving back in the form of the forthcoming BMW Performance engine kit for the N55. Engineers are currently fine-tuning the kit and expect to have it available sometime in the latter half of the year. However beyond that option, BMW firmly believes that the N55 will be “tuner proof”. They expect that tuning the N55 will be infinitely harder to do as compared with the N54. So while the N55 has the efficiency, for the enthusiast it clearly has some downsides. If you take away the N54’s oil cooler issues it’s been a fantastic engine for BMW and the enthusiast market. It has fantastic power and torque while delivering respectable fuel figures.
Will the N54 equipped 135i and 335i be the more coveted cars in the years ahead? No doubt some will think so. However if true, we’d guess that would only be the case for the enthusiast market. The N55 will surely continue to serve multiple BMW models well while being noticeably more efficient. It’s just a shame that we may have lost some of that unadvertised oomph that the N54 was known for.
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We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
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Sections: E90 3 Series, Official News Jan 20th, 2010 5 Comments 
