Heh. It took Dinan well over a year to produce the S3 335i, but so much of the work on that car was applicable to the 135i that it's now ready to go. Roundel sent Chris Wright up to drive it, so look for a story in the March issue. Wright is the guy who wrote about Dinan's last two M5s; made sense to me for him to do those stories because he drove M5s himself (E39 and E Whatever The Hell The New One Is), so he had a baseline for comparison. With the 135i, however, he had no experience, so we sent him from LA to Morgan Hill in a brand-new press car: no stress, just break it in carefully and bring it back. . . wring out DINAN's 135i, not the press car! So he picks up the press car and calls me ten minutes later to tell me he's falling in love with the car. Oh, Lord, what's going to happen when he gets the Dinan car to Laguna Seca? I guess you could get tired of the M5, what with that V10 and its pathetic 507 horsepower. . .
Sounds great! I enjoyed his articles on the M5. I really like the 135i, but what I really want is a 123d with sport package! Or better yet a Dinan SD, I just made that up. This is for real though 40+ mpg, 200hp and almost 300 lb ft torque!!!! Why can't we have it!!! With this car you really can have your cake and eat it too! I also have a lot of trouble with e codes on the current batch of BMWs All the others I know by heart, but now I can't keep up. I guess it is because they started using more than one code for a model series.
This is so very, very bad. I swore I wasn't going to do anything (well, not much anyway) to the 135 because it didn't really need it. It alread outperformed my E36 M3 in virtually every area but I have a hunch after reading about the Dinan 135, there may be a "For Sale" sign in the M3 soon, just to finance my Dinan needs...
Don't you have two M3s? Which one would you sell 2door or 4door. Am I right on this? Can you get all your cars in the garage that is in your signature picture? If so, I am so jealous!
No, they don't all fit in the garage unfortunately. I kick myself now because when I had the house built, I had the opportunity to build the garage double-deep but I thought, who in their right mind would ever need a six-car garage!? What I did do though, was to have a garage door put in the back of the garage and I poured a parking pad behind it so I can park one in the back and three in the garage. That still leaves two that need to sit out in the driveway but fortunately in Houston we don't have any ice and snow so I just throw car covers on them to protect them from the sun. I always threaten to sell one of the cars (usually the one that's giving me problems at that particular point in time) but the problem is that they all have very distinct personalities and each one kind of fits a specific niche. IF I were to sell one, it would probably be the coupe simply because the two cars are remarkably similar in a lot of respects. They are both 2-door coupes, RWD, go like stink and are an absolute blast to drive on the street, at an autocross and on the track. They are also incredibly close to the same size inside and out. I do have to say though, the M3 is more 'raw' and involving and you know you're going fast in that car. The 135 totally sneaks up on you because it's so quiet and smooth. I can't imagine the Dinan package...
Dan: Even with getting three in the garage that is a great set up. Nice touch with the rear door and pad! That Dinan 135i has got to be awsome. I have driven a 135i already, unfortunately it did not have the sport package. It was still a great car though!
I said the same thing, and I got the Dinan Stage 2 flash last fall, ordered the exhaust last friday, and currently have a set of Koni Yellows sitting in my living room awaiting a set of springs. I...can't...help...it...
Steve Dinan is going to be at our local dealership this Thursday, giving a presentation. I have a horrible feeling this is going to be a really expensive Thursday....
That would be a cool experience! Remember, Dan, BMW stands for "Bring Money With". You'll be walking out with something, I'm sure.
That's exactly what I'm afraid of! Hey, maybe he'll ask for a donor 135 to test his latest software! (I can always dream...) I will definitely ask him and report back on Friday.
I went to the Dinan presentation last night and it was great! Steve Dinan is travelling across the country, visiting dealerships and giving talks so if you get the chance, you should definitely go! While he's out doing his road show, he's offering a 15% rebate on all things Dinan and the local dealership (at least this one) is offering a 10% discount on top of that. Makes for a deal that's too good to pass up. Looks like there will be a stage 2 software upgrade in my future... So about the presentation... I've been a club member for 20 years and I've attended about every tech clinic and tuner presentation that's ever come along but I probably learned more last night about what's involved in engine building & testing, suspension tuning and exhaust systems than in all the other clinics and presentations combined. It's pretty clear that Steve Dinan really knows his stuff!! I asked about the limited slip and it led to a fairly lengthy explanation. In a nutshell, he said they had tried to develop their own but the cost became prohibitive (that's scary when Dinan says it's cost prohibitive!!). He said an in house unit would have run about $3500 (without installation) and he didn't think a lot of 135 owners would have been willing to spend that. What they have done instead is sourced a 3rd party supplier that builds a unit that meets their requirements and their standards for well less than half that price. It "should" be available in less than 2 months. He played some great videos of his DP cars as well as his street cars. He also had a video of his commute to work in his 628HP M5. Zero to 200MPH back to zero inside of one mile...!!!! (Just fyi...it's a closed course with no traffic...must be nice to have THAT for a daily commute...) Anyway, if you get the chance...go!!
WOW! I hope he comes to Eastern Penna! My local dealer is a Dinan Dealer as well. I can hope can't I. I wonder if he does that 0-200-0 everyday? Not many people could say that they do that everyday could they!
Great write-up, Dan! I hope he can make it out here to the MW. I'll definitely be following the diff. Did he mention any changes to the final drive, perhaps to what the auto is using? I believe the LSD would prevent the wheel spin needed to make the e-diff kick in, so there should be no interference. At least, that's what those with an LSD have reported so far.
