What's Wrong on Wikipedia: Part One

The only thing automakers hate more than engineering flaws is having them revealed, along with cost cutting measures they tout as "improvements." While these were once easy to conceal, the advent of social media, and mass access to information has allowed a forum (or literally millions of forums online) for these findings to be discussed and analyzed. It's no surprise, then, that when you turn to one of the most widely used sources of fast information, Wikipedia, discrepancies arise. It seems that the closer you get to big auto industry names, and their related Wikipedia pages, the more "sanitized" the posts seem to get.

Take, for example, the post regarding the N55 motor, previously mentioned in my 335i review. As you scroll through, each section reads as a very dry, thoroughly Teutonic review of a fine piece of German engineering. Relatively short, there seems to be little of note, until you reach this last couple of paragraphs:

"The N55 is mated to ZF's 8-speed automatic transmission in most applications such as the 2011 535i and 2013 BMW 740i, and a 6-speed manual is usually available for sedans (excluding the 7-Series, and dropped for the 5 and 6 series for 2015), but not crossovers such as the X3, X5 and X6. The N55 engines in the 2011 BMW 135i and 2013 BMW 135is are mated to Getrag 7-speed Dual-clutch transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission. 

While having the same displacement and peak power output as the N54, the N55 is 15% more fuel efficient, has lower emissions, less turbo lag and better low-rev torque."

You can almost hear Hanz typing the article muttering "Ve did notzing wrong here unt ze motor is absolutely flawless unt zat is all." Sorry, Hanz, but that's not the case, and the world knows it. BMW, in developing this motor, did in fact improve on several elements which beget smoother operation, cleaner emissions, and better torque, but it did so while saving costs elsewhere. These latter changes ultimately limited what could be done with the motor; not of extreme concern to the everyday driver, but an issue with those that customize their cars. The new motor also failed to remedy many of the reliability issues found on the older motor, and introduced a new one of its own. New direct injection systems, while great for efficiency, create a carbon buildup in intake tracks that harms operation over time and must be cleaned.

Even simpler to spot is the opening regarding transmissions, in which they completely overlook that it wasn't until halfway through the N55's life that BMW started mating it to the superior and newer ZF 8-speed. Up to that point it was the same old ZF 6-speed they put in most cars, in one form or another, back since the early 2000s. Not the end of the world, the older trans is still great, but let's not open saying "The N55 is...most applications..." when the truth is more along the lines of "The N55 has been dropped in about everything we can afford to place it in, and we mate it to whatever we have a lot of at the time; recently it's been that great 8-speed." Also, don't you tell me that 6-speed manual is available in just about everything. Not here it's sure not, they don't offer it in the vast majority of models outside of specific configurations. Even then, good luck finding one at a dealer.

Hanz's conclusion should read more l like this:

"The N55 is mated to ZF's 8-speed automatic transmission in later applications such as the 2011 535i and 2013 BMW 740i, retaining the previous ZF 6-speed automatic transmission in earlier models. A 6-speed manual is usually available for sedans (excluding the 7-Series, and dropped for the 5 and 6 series for 2015), but not crossovers such as the X3, X5 and X6, and is of limited availability within the United States. The N55 engines in the 2011 BMW 135i and 2013 BMW 135is are mated to a Getrag 7-speed Dual-clutch transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission.

While having the same displacement and peak power output as the N54, the N55 is 15% more fuel efficient, has lower emissions, less turbo lag and better low-rev torque. That said, these changes are made at the sacrifice of the N54's higher power potential, forged internals and greater aftermarket support. Issues such as high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures have also carried over into the new model, as have problematic water pumps. Also of note is the new prevalence of issues stemming from carbon fouling from the direct injection used in N55 motors."

Ahh, the truth... MUCH better! Now you're probably wondering what you can do about updating the information online. Well, I'm such a good guy, I've gone ahead and done it for you! What you read above is exactly what I have since edited on Wikipedia itself. What we need to see is if it lasts, for how long, and if all of the changes are discarded. My guess is they'll take it back to the sunshine and rainbows that was there in the first place. Moral of the story is... don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia. There are far better sources out there, including the car community itself and the plethora of forums and blogs within it. You already know that though, you're one of the smart ones, because you're here.

See you on the road,

Alexander

Review: E92 BMW 335i Xdrive M-Sport (2011+)

Key to creating any half-decent car review is spending enough time driving it to form an educated opinion. In this particular case, I can personally guarantee I have done so, as I own this car at the moment. My daily driver is a 2011 (E92) BMW 335i Xdrive M-Sport, with a good amount of work done to it. I honestly can't hate this car, though I sure try to.

Exterior Aesthetics:

I'll say this; I always found BMW coupes sexy. They've always exhibited a sportiness and style to them that catches my eye, now still noticing other E92s on the road while I own one. They balance the rounder contours of their fenders and roofline with sharp angular cuts running the length of the car and, especially in the case of the M-Sport, the front end. Elements further enhanced by the M-Sport package are the contrasting grey rear diffuser, black "shadowline" window trim, and aggressive side skirts which I have swapped out for an even racier pair off of the M3. Let's face it, she's a looker, and the design has held up through half a decade and even against the all new BMW 4-Series coupes. I find myself taking the same five pictures every time I detail the car, and can be caught looking back to steal another glance after parking.

In this department, I give the car an 8.5/10

Interior:

Representing my first BMW, I was initially surprised by a couple of elements when I first purchased this car. Coming from the jeweled and polished interior of a mid-size Mercedes Benz, this interior at first felt rather sparse. Yes, the rare "Dark Glacier Aluminum" trim dressed up the door sills and center console, and the materials were quality, but aside from the multimedia screen, a shifter, and an I-Drive knob, there wasn't much going on. After owning the car for some time, it dawned on me that this interior was not as much spartan as it was purpose-built. BMWs, especially the smaller sportier models, are built to be driven. Whereas brands like Mercedes emphasize lavish luxury and comfort, BMW is about the drive. As such, their interiors are built for drivers, which I quickly came to appreciate. Thanks, again, to the M-Sport package the car also comes equipped with thickly bolstered and surprisingly supportive sport seats and a chunky perforated leather steering wheel, which you come to appreciate when you start pushing the car's limits. Build quality is solid, and has a more expensive feel than some of the newer models, only developing one rattle that was easily fixed.

Who needs chrome and walnut? 8/10 for me.

Performance:

Ah, the fun part! When you're done staring at the car, and you locate the handful of controls inside, it's time to depress the ignition button and feel the motor fire to life. In this case, that motor is the sugar sweet 3.0L turbocharged inline six-cylinder BMW codes the N55. Replacing the infinitely tunable N54, equipped with twin-turbos, the switch to the single twin-scroll unit on the N55 had many concerned of less power. While there is some validity to that fear, the newer motor not yet capable of quite the output of the old motor when modified, there is enough good to say about this new power plant not to think twice about owning one. This motor is an absolute gem, turbine smooth, with gobs of low end torque that pulls you through toward redline as a deceptively quick rate, turbo hissing away under the hood.

Stock, in this car, that's good for around 4.8 seconds to 60, which is respectable. I might have been comfortable with this number, if not for the fact that these turbo BMW motors also have enormous aftermarket support. For the same price I paid for exhaust alone on my Corvette, you can turn these smooth highway slingshots into compact rocket ships. Case in point, this car, my car, that once made a respectable 300 horsepower now generates around 440 horsepower, with a torque figure sitting well north of 500lb-ft. Take a moment for those numbers to settle in while I listen for the wailing of Mustang owners. This car, in its current iteration, is a terror on the streets and extremely capable on the track. This car now runs around a 3.9 second 0-60, which brings it from moderately quick to decidedly fast. As fun as that is, you can only go in a straight line for so long. When the turns hit, the purpose and capability of a particular car becomes apparent, and boy was I surprised by this one.

BMWs can handle, period. I had heard it, but I never paid much mind to it since I place most BMW fanatics somewhere between Jim Jones followers, and anyone that follows Kim Kardashian in their blind and ignorant loyalty. That was until I got in mine, barreled toward a corner, and turned the wheel. What followed was something surprising for a 3800lb luxury coupe. Like a seasoned greyhound, the car tucked, leaned in gently, and rotated through the turn with amazing neutrality and poise. With all wheel drive, and an incredible amount of road feel, the latter sadly numbed in more modern cars, this coupe is phenomenal fun to wring out on windy roads. Never satisfied, I equipped my particular car with a full coil-over suspension, lighter and wider wheels, and a set of stupidly expensive tires I still hate my friend for talking me into buying. If he's reading this, yes, they are still the absolute best tire I have ever driven, but damn they cost too much! These parts installed, plus the aforementioned modifications to the drivetrain, this car is a true sleeper, an animal, and has gone head to head with vehicles far out of its class. Needless to say, overall, I'm impressed.

I just want to say 440hp and 525lb-ft again, because it makes me smile. 9/10

Maintenance:

Everyone has heard, as did I, that BMWs are a bear to maintain. Almost any person I spoke to about my BMW has some horror story about maintaining one; from the time their heater core broke, to the time their cousin's left them stranded, and so on. Like the overblown reports of BMW's nimble handling, I casually shrugged these tales off and continued on. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far down the road, as they were all correct. This car has been, without a doubt, the most maintenance intensive vehicle I have ever owned. In just a year it cracked a coolant tank, fried an electronic water pump, killed two fuel pressure sensors, ate a surprising volume of oil, and so on. All said, the bit that was overblown was the cost of these maintenance items, most running no more than any other car I've owned (aside from that damn water pump). Rather it's the frequency with which some maintenance issue occurs that becomes frustrating. Generally I joke with my friend about feeling nervous any time the car is running too well, as it generally means something is about to break.

At least my mechanics love me! 6/10


Conclusion:

In all, this car has been a thrill, and I'm consistently surprised how much I find myself enjoying it. Over time, I've grown to love the little coupe, from it's sharp handling, to rollercoaster acceleration, and of course the handsome styling. I can't say I've become a BMW convert, but I can genuinely say that I now "get it." I can see the allure, I feel some of the magic in this engineering, and I would recommend you drive one.

See you on the road,

Alexander