Car blogs

Here’s a pop quiz to tell if you’re a dyed-in-the-strudel BMW 335i geek: 1. Have you followed with rapt attention the evolution of the E90/E91/E92/E93 generation of BMW’s 3-series engines? 2. Do you refer to the dual front grilles as “kidneys” (because of their shape)? 3. Have you ever described the engine sound to someone as “velvety”? If you...




Here’s a pop quiz to tell if you’re a dyed-in-the-strudel BMW 335i geek:

Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

1. Have you followed with rapt attention the evolution of the E90/E91/E92/E93 generation of BMW’s 3-series engines?



2. Do you refer to the dual front grilles as “kidneys” (because of their shape)?



3. Have you ever described the engine sound to someone as “velvety”?



If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you probably own BMW logo-emblazoned spa towels. Just kidding — no such animal exists. But come to think of it, wouldn’t a set look handsome on the sink counter beside a bottle of BMW aftershave?



Cosmetic nip/tucks

Even if you’re not a Bimmer devotee much less own one of the German automaker’s legendary 3-series luxury sports cars, you’re bound to do a double-take when you first spy the 2011 335i convertible on the road and note the streamlined up-do given to its front and rear ends. But if it takes more than an only-slightly-more tapered trunk and sleek new headlamp “eyebrows” to woo your heart, you’re in luck. Like all models in BMW’s 3-series lineup, the 2011 335i continues to embody among the best examples of a top-of-the-food-chain luxury car, one sufficiently intimidating to keep most wannabe big-doggy contenders on the porch where they belong.



Woof, yourself.

Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

It seems that in an imperfect world BMW knows how to stay out of its own way. For example, unchanged for 2011 is the lionhearted 3.0-liter, inline V6 road thumper, with the notable exception of the twin turbocharger that has been replaced by a single twin-coil turbo. Will this make a difference to any one but gearheads? Absolutely not when considering BMW pulled this off without sacrificing any of the engine’s 300 horsepower and 300 ft.-lb. of ferocious torque that still takes the 335i convertible from 0-60 in 5.3 seconds, all the while empowering this two-door, four-passenger road thrill with slightly better fuel efficiency. Yes, this year’s model is slightly greener — with emphasis on “slightly.” The 2011 335i convertible gets 19/28 city/highway miles per gallon, respectively, according to EPA fuel economy estimates, as compared to the 2010 model, which gets 17/26 city/highway miles per gallon.



A few other minimal tweaks and cosmetic nip/tucks here and there can be found throughout the car. According to specs, the 2011 335i is a lederhosen-snapping 1.3 inches longer than the previous year’s model. Finally there’s extra room for my cherished pink eraser. I could ooh-and-aah over the reshaped intake ducts but that would be way too dorky even for me.



What is palpable in the 2011 is how the upgraded double-pivot front and five-link rear suspensions now give the 335i unbelievable road sturdiness and grip as though the car is glued to the road.

Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

All of which makes it annoyingly difficult for auto writers trying to do their journalist duty to find at least some flaws — no matter how minor — in every car. But with the 335i this can be like trying to find the fault line in Chopin’s “Fantasie Impromptu” or that classic episode of “The Honeymooners,” where Ralph calls Alice’s mother a blabbermouth.



Perfection is perfection.



All the more so when it has withstood the test of time. Consider: This captured lightening in a bottle known as the 335i has made Car and Driver’s 10Best list for the past — ready for this? — 19 years.



No other car can make that claim.



How one automaker managed to evolve and change a model over generations and nearly two decade

Tags: BMW, is-featured

---

CLUTCH CARGO: Can a manual-shift purist learn to love BMW's 335i automatic? was originally published by New Orleans Auto Reviews: BMW. Read the full story by clicking here.