bc01cls

I have a friend who works at my wife's bank and happens to drive a 2001 BMW 330i. High powered broker type. For a month now he's been telling me how fast his new ride is with the Dinan chip, cat back, and cold air intake. "At least 285 hp" he boasts. "This thing really moves, even with the select shift". Anxious to experience this untold power, we went for a test run up the street. I kept waiting for him to floor it......... but he was flooring it, and it felt slow! He hit the sweeper at 55 to show me how well it handled.......OK but nothing earth shattering. So before going back into the bank, I invited him for a ride in my "stock" CLS which he was admiring on the walk back. Immediately I see him sizing up the car, complementing the gold color (his is white), and settling in to my much more accomodating seats. Off the line it chirps and off we go. By the time I hit the sweeper I was going 60+ and casually remarked that I had sways, while he lunged for the "oh shit" grab handle. He was very impressed and so was I after riding in his cramped 4 door 330i. Kind of cool to experience both cars back to back by the way. We returned to the bank and all he could say was, "gotta go eat my sandwich" and promptly left out the back door. I think he was too embarrassed by how fast my car was compared to the mucho $$$$ he dumped into his beemer. (He probably rushed back to the Dinan dealer!!) Next, we'll have to race and 10 to 1 says I beat him, even with the Dinan mods. Funny part is, I've been kind of looking around for a 2 door 330i since my wife really wants my CL-S. But after today's drive 2 things became apparent. If I did get a BMW it would not be an automatic, and secondly I'm not that impressed that I would go out and spend 35k on a near new one. Interior on those 3 series has really gotten "spartan" when compared to our cars, and feels really small. Think the wife will have to wait a while!

Mike

Wow, even though it's an auto I would think that w/those mods it would be pretty fast. Hopefully he wasn't sandbagging you.
Let us know when you're going to race him.

[ 08-28-2001: Message edited by: Mike ]

StonedCL

iTrader: (1)

Well when I play POOL (Billiards) vs a newbee the first couple of games I pretend to suck , miss easy shots then when the money is on the table i roll..Its called hustling. Dont race for money he is a hustler..LOL

Dantes

That is what i was thinking....."i have to go eat my sandwich" that isn't exactly a excuse that a person that just realized he wasted to much money a a steel frame would say....just my toughts

later,
dantes

ClassyLuxury

To represent the Bavarian side of the story (you knew it was coming ) ...

Aesthetics are a highly individual thing, and if you prefer the CL's interior to the bimmer's, that's your business. The 330i can be a tad small front and back for, er, Super-Sized American types, but the 330ci feels quite spacious in front and larger than expected in back, comparable to a CL. Personally, I (obviously) prefer the more European, even Teutonic, feel of the BMW's interior. No object, control, or surface exists without a specific purpose, and the total impression is of communication with the driver. Gauges are clear and unadorned, the surfaces have a very rich feel to them (no cheap plastics or fake wood), and all lines seem very considered and purposeful. The CL interior is quite nice, but I don;t get the same feeling of purpose in one.

And as for performance, well, let's just say you were chirping the wrong set of wheels

soopa

Yea, why is it the 330 Coupe feels much roomier then the Sedan?

Id agree that the 330Ci feels roomier in back then the CL.

I like both cars... id prolly buy the bimmer if I could justify the cost. Just not worth that kinda money tho...

Its just a panache thing...

I think I'd rather retire early and laugh my way to the bank in my Aston Martin.

patsmere

Well said

bc01cls

Soopa, you're right about the room in the coupe because I just sat in one in the showroom before taking the spin in my buddy's 4dr. It felt fine.....not as wide or spacious as the CL-S but certainly not cramped. Still think the new BMW 3 series coupe is the prettiest 2 door out there. Now if they could just fix that price!

mrdeeno

i think the reason the 330ci back seems larger is because there is actually room for 3 people (2.5 anyway), while the cl's is for only 2 with that thing in the middle.

so if you are wide of ass, you can still sit in the bimmer's rear seat without being "off" a seat, while the cl's seat forces you to be "all" in one or have part of your ass on the plastic thing.