An intriguing offer has appeared on the market — the BMW 335 Coupe. Under the hood of this coupe is a three-liter engine boosted by turbocharging. The result exceeded bold expectations: the hundred on the speedometer appears in five seconds.
When we first got acquainted with the third-series coupe, the emotions were purely positive, but then under the hood was a 2.5-liter engine. Now, the index "335" proudly adorns the trunk lid. Externally, the car has hardly changed, except for the chrome pipes of the dual exhaust system peeking out from under the rear bumper, and the silver paint of the front air intake grille. That's where the differences end.
In the interior, light gray leather perfectly combines with the black panel and wooden inserts, which, by the way, turned out to be unexpectedly dark gray. With the onset of darkness, the cabin is filled with a pleasant amber-yellow light, and the LEDs are hidden under plastic trims on the doors.
In the center of the panel is a liquid crystal display. You can navigate its menu using the familiar iDrive joystick.
Starting the engine with the Start/Stop button immediately makes it clear that the car's character is not simple. A slight shudder of the body at start and a smooth but resonant voice of the tuned exhaust hint at a whole herd of horses under the hood — 306 horsepower.
The six-cylinder Twin Turbo engine is a fresh development by engineers. Previously, the last digit in the index indicated engine displacement, now it signals the presence of a turbo. The actual displacement is three liters. There's no need to be upset: the dual-boost system raises torque to 400 Nm, available already at 1300 rpm.
A curious detail: the turbocharged engine does not outpace the regular 2.5-liter BMW unit in appetite. Fuel consumption stays at 16 liters per hundred. The credit here goes not only to the Valvetronic system, which controls valve timing. Thanks to the huge torque at low revs, there's no need to constantly rev the engine to maintain decent dynamics.
Acceleration to a hundred takes only 5.5 seconds. And it's not just about the powerful engine — the refined six-speed automatic transmission also contributed. The torque converter was replaced, and now shifts take only 100 milliseconds.
The automatic has three modes. In "Drive," you can enjoy calm, measured driving — gears shift in the range of 3000–4000 rpm. In "Sport," the shift point moves to 6500 rpm, and when you release the throttle, high revs are maintained forcibly for a few more seconds. During hard braking, the engine's braking effect comes into play. There's also a manual mode, but it's useless — the effective "Sport" saves you from unnecessary movements.
Driving the 335th is a true pleasure. At any speed, the steering remains extremely informative. As speed increases, the car seems to stick to the asphalt — that's the refined aerodynamics. No complaints about the suspension: moderately firm, it perfectly dampens body roll and pitching, not forgetting passenger comfort.
Such a powerful car simply must have modern dynamic control systems — stability (DSC) and traction (DTC). The first monitors wheel speed and lateral acceleration, preventing skidding. The second allows driving at the limit, maximizing engine traction on any surface. DTC even allows slight wheelspin and a little slide in corners, constantly controlling the trajectory. Both systems can be turned off, but then you'll have to be more careful. The powerful engine and rear-wheel drive open up space for maneuvers of any complexity — from sideways sliding to spinning in place.
Driving
The informative steering allows precise trajectory holding.
Interior
Light leather and dark wood create a sense of luxury. True, the light trim gets dirty quickly.
Comfort
The firm suspension doesn't bother much. Four passengers will fit with relative comfort.
Safety
Many airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, a rigid body with programmed deformation zones — a standard set for any BMW.
Price
You have to overpay for a well-known brand, and you need to accept that.
Advantages and disadvantages
+ Predictable handling, effective brakes, comfortable interior, moderate fuel consumption.
− Low ground clearance, lack of sports seats.
Our opinion
A car with excellent dynamics and amazing handling. The suspension handles bumps well and confidently holds the car in corners. In short, BMW remains BMW. But for the pleasure of owning such a car, you'll have to shell out a tidy sum — about 60 thousand euros.