BMW.SG | BMW Singapore Owners Community The Ultimate BMW Community – Established Since 2001
MotorTrend drives and reviews the 2013 BMW 335i xDrive with M Performance Power Kit and M Performance Parts. Does these optional features improve the overall performance of the car? Here is an excerpt from the review by MotorTrend:
Among our test car’s long list of optional features were a few items from BMW’s M Performance parts catalog. The M Performance Power kit ($1170) adds a revised ECU unit, new air intake system, and rocker panel-mounted M Performance decals to hint at the extra oomph under the hood. The kit boosts the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six’s output by 20 hp and 32 lb-ft of torque to 320 and 332, respectively. 2013 BMW 335I Xdrive Rear End Given the solid 0-60 time, the 2013 335i xDrive was predictably strong on the quarter mile, with a recorded time of 13.0 seconds and a trap speed of 105.4 mph, just 0.4 seconds behind the DCT-equipped M3. The eight-speed transmission is the definite superstar of the powertrain. It may not be a dual-clutch unit, but it sure does behave like one, with quick and precise shifts. Part of the credit goes to the “sport†transmission option ($500), which shortens shift times and adds steering wheel-mounted shift paddles. Additionally, the tall eighth gear allows the inline-six to spin at a low 1700 rpm at highway speed, achieving a fairly efficient EPA rating of 30 mpg on the highway. (Its city figure? 20 mpg.)
The sedan exhibits a fair amount of body roll when pushed to the limit. Some staffers felt that the suspension tuning was a bit on the soft side, despite our tester’s adaptive dampers (part of the $3200 M Sport package). Unfortunately, xDrive models don’t get the M Sport suspension calibration (stiffer shocks and springs and 10mm lower ride height), which probably would’ve allayed some of the clumsy behavior exhibited during hard driving. We also noticed a slight oddity with our tester’s 18-inch summer tires, thanks to some investigating by associate road test editor Carlos Lago. Instead of the staggered setup that comes from the factory, our wheels were the same width all around (BMW says they couldn’t get the wider rear wheels in time).
