一仔 has a new sound

BMW performance exhaust has been installed for a week now. Here are my thoughts:

In pure sound terms, it has better lower rev rumbling that the stock exhaust lacks. Stock exhaust has a silencer which makes street driving not as satisfying. It feels like there is something restricting the air flow at low speed. It feels like the 1er has asthma. :D.

The performance exhaust sounds the best when it is low speed, cold and is close to wide open throttle. In cruising, there is a low tone rumble and may annoy someone. I used to own a stock Honda Integra DC2 Type R. The Honda does 4000rpm @ 110kph on 5th gear. That is way more annoying I tell you.

How should I describe the noise. Let see the video below. It is hard to pick it up with the video camera and I had to enhance the recording to reflect as best and as truthful as I can.

I would describe it as a very dry low tone noise. “Dry” as if you have a very sore throat without any mucus on your throat. Sorry for the medical analogy here but at least this is more familiar with me.

The only disappointing thing is when the car is FOT in high rev, the new exhaust is not that much different from stocky. However, after 100km. It opens up one time today when I press hard at low rev, the pop comes in when changing gear.

It is certainly a different exhaust. I never have a tubro car before so the character is totally different from an NA car. You see NA car exhaust will make enormous sounds in high rev, making you wanting to rev the car more. Tubro exhaust like this one is totally opposite, wanting you to press on low rev and low speed – so I want to make someone heard when I pass you on the street!!!

Racing Dash LED light installed

I went to a local BMW “cosmetic” shop today call Carware @ Keysborough for this kit. As I told many others, from my reading the RDash does not give the brightest light but it is white. Really white that it is whiter than the D1S Xenon. Since I hate the yellow ring so much, I am prepare to sacrifice the brightness for some whiteness. If you want brightness, go for GT Thunder or MTEC bulbs.

This is the ballast and the bulb, the bulb will spray open when it lights up. I guess if it does not return back, it will get damage when I remove it. So when you install it, make sure you are surely secure and fitted properly before lighting it up. Otherwise you may not be able to fit it in!
 

Taken from Carware, this is the before and after photos. See how white it is but it is not as eye catching in day light. Even with Xenon on at the left. It is still brighter.

This is the photo of one light being installed (on the right)
 
You can still see the reflection from the door of the ring.
 
Colour matching the Xenon very nice though.
 

135i accessories wish list

Here is some in house BMW performance goodies for the 135i. Me want!

Something I already have from the cooperate package:

 

Left: iPod cable; Right: Portable Satnav.

This is major in the wish list (Please buy me this!)

This is the carbon fibre diffuser at the front.

Matches well with the black grill and the diffuser at the rear. Cool!

Something I will definitely pay for!

  
Left: Performance steering wheel, a pump kit when I change the tyres to RE11.

Something I may not even get:

   

   

I think the orginal M kit looks heaps better.

(well the CF strut does not fit the 135i because of the engine?)

First mod of the car will be tyres!

I have been commenting on the lack of performance of the Potenza run flat tyres. Although when they are heated up on the track, they are actually not bad. But I am willing to give the RE-11 a go. Watch the video. Lots of Japanese racers uses them over S-tyres.

These are the sizes I am thinking: 225/40 R18 front and 255/35 R18 rear.

The table on the left demonstrate the circumference difference between the stock tyres to the RE11 available sizes. To tell you the truth, I copied the sizes of a Japanese tuner do to his car. :)