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      07-06-2012, 03:34 AM   #147
Remonster
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Drives: E90 M3
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: San Diego

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I have an N55 and my brother just sold his E90 M3 so I feel qualified to offer an opinion here, when you drive the M3 after driving my 135i, it does feel like it has less power in the midrange and when we race each other, I can usually pull a half to a full car length in that first gear if we start at let's say 4,000 or 5,000RPM, but if you drive the M3 like it was meant to be driven (in the lowest possible gear) it will walk past my 135i.

You have to remember that, while the M3 is rated at 295lb/ft and the 135i is rated at 300 (or 306)lb/ft, the M3 has a higher redline which means they were able to use a very short final drive ratio. The quick ratios really improve the amount of torque that actually gets to the ground so the M3 isn't actually slow in its midrange, it's just such a smooth engine that it may feel like it's lacking compared to the turbo motors in that low-midrange area.
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