[LakeSurfer]

Originally Posted by gurusan

e93 335is owner with 7spd dct here. I also wanted 6mt but did not find one in time, the dct is still a blast. I fit 2 kid seats in the back no problem... just yell at them not to put their feet on the seat backs because yes, there's not a ton of legroom. Way easy to get the seats in with the top down.

yes the car weighs 4000+ lb but it still handles extremely well, and the exhaust note with the top down is intoxicating.

I'm only mhd stage 1 with dci and charge pipe at the moment but it pulls very nicely... and I have a vrsf 7" HD fmic and coated catless downpipes in the garage. Once I put those on and go stage 2+ I think I'll have a very fun daily driver.

convertible 335s are rarely as fast as coupes or sedans in terms of power/ weight, but at least the 335is has a dct going for it.

I'd rather have my car than an e93 m3 due to gas mileage and lower torque.... but I do have envy in regards to the m parts like lsd and brakes.

its a vicious cycle being in a position like mine. I have found several E93 335i's for sale with low mileage and a manual trans but..... i've only seen 2 335is E93 Manual trans cars with low miles. the 335is price goes up with due to the rarity i guess? but now I could pay the same for a modded 335is vs a stock M3, well if im gonna go that route then why not look at the 4 series 435i? 435i i could start getting into CPO cars but I also have never seen a manual convertible 435i and they do not have the DCT from what Ive seen.

I have the pleasure of driving a friends Italian paddle shirt, automatic car this weekend and actually enjoyed it but i was also working with 570 HP so that probably helps. would the paddle experience be the same in a 335is with far less HP? im not sure. but if im ok with paddle shift and skip the manual then my options are wide open and I could look at the Audi S5 and a couple lexus models and well as infinity. thats the other problem is I have no brand loyalty. I landed on the BMW because at first the 6 speed MT's seem to be prevalent. at least they are way more common than the other manufactures.

Yes these first world problems are ripping me apart.

-Mark

[Liquid_Arthur]

From one Floridian BMW convertible driver to a soon to be one...

Do it! It's not about weight! Here in FL, cruising around with the top down is an experience to behold. You'll forget about the weight real quick.

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by gurusan

I'd rather have my car than an e93 m3 due to gas mileage and lower torque.... but I do have envy in regards to the m parts like lsd and brakes.

Yes, the M3 brakes are much, much better both from a standpoint of absolute stopping power (assuming tires are up to the task) and pedal modulation/feedback. You wouldn't think there'd be such a difference just looking at the specs but there is. Other suspension components probably factor into this.

Yes, LSD is not really optional if you have stupid power. AWD provides the best traction but if you are sticking with RWD, the LSD makes the car so much easier to drive fast. The MHD tune provides options to limit boost in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears because, without LSD, the rear breaks loose far too easily.

About a lack of E93 M3 torque. Keep in mind the S65 revs to 8300rpm and pulls all the way to redline while the N54 runs out of steam at 6000-6500K where it sounds like it is about to explode. These engines require different driving styles to extract the most out of them. There is no lack of torque in the V8, you just have to keep the revs up. That's what your stick shift is for (BTW both my 335xi and M3 have manual transmissions).

Gas mileage could be an issue but I don't think it's major. I get about 23-24 highway mpg from my FBO 335xi and about 21-22 from the M3. In both cases at 80 mph typically.

OP - Each car, M3 and 335, has its pros and its cons. But have you made back-to-back drives of M3 and 335 convertibles? Even if you cannot find 6MT examples of both locally, I believe this is the best way to inform the decision.

[gurusan]

I know the m3 is geared differently and has a greater rev range, lets just say after being a ricer in the early 2000s I may have a torque complex after owning a b16a civic...

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by LakeSurfer

its a vicious cycle being in a position like mine. I have found several E93 335i's for sale with low mileage and a manual trans but..... i've only seen 2 335is E93 Manual trans cars with low miles. the 335is price goes up with due to the rarity i guess? but now I could pay the same for a modded 335is vs a stock M3, well if im gonna go that route then why not look at the 4 series 435i? 435i i could start getting into CPO cars but I also have never seen a manual convertible 435i and they do not have the DCT from what Ive seen.

I have the pleasure of driving a friends Italian paddle shirt, automatic car this weekend and actually enjoyed it but i was also working with 570 HP so that probably helps. would the paddle experience be the same in a 335is with far less HP? im not sure. but if im ok with paddle shift and skip the manual then my options are wide open and I could look at the Audi S5 and a couple lexus models and well as infinity. thats the other problem is I have no brand loyalty. I landed on the BMW because at first the 6 speed MT's seem to be prevalent. at least they are way more common than the other manufactures.

Yes these first world problems are ripping me apart.

-Mark

Well here is a problem for you... if you are set on the "is" model, a 6mt e93 is gonna be nearly impossible. I don't know the numbers off hand but I think there may have been less than a hundred 6mt 335is e93's in the entire model run for the US. The number could be as high as 400 units over the model years offered but I doubt its that high. This is why they bring M3 money... I think they made more e93 m3's for the US than they made 335is.

Now a e93 335i 6mt is going to be easier, but still the total number of 6mt e93's in the US is very low.