2011 BMW 335is First Impressions

2011 BMW 335is First Impressions
by Marc Bouchard / Auto123.com

(Estoril, Portugal) – Just a few short laps on the old F1 track, seven or eight at most, was all it took for me to realize two things: A), I have no idea how drivers manage to sustain this kind of effort hours on end, and B) the BMW 335is set to hit North American streets in the spring, is a great little toy featuring flawless power and handling. Well almost, anyways.

The BMW 335is set to hit North American streets in the spring, is a great little toy featuring flawless power and handling.

Let’s get this out of the way first: after a maximum of 10 laps pushing the car to its limits without interruption, I have to admit, my concentration was starting to wane, and the sweat was pouring down my face. The technical Estoril track contains a few traps and some difficult corners, especially when testing in wet conditions like I did.

But once I’d established and acknowledged my limits, I was able to explore those of the car, which are admittedly fairly hard to reach.

High Performance Version
In concrete terms, the BMW 335is isn’t all that new. It presents some slightly different physical features, namely a black chrome grille that’s a tad lower, a more elegant front fascia, new head lamps and larger, shiny black and more aerodynamic mirrors.

Note that while the convertible version will receive fog lights, they will be replaced by air intakes to improve the ventilation of the turbo engine.

The rear light clusters have also been redesigned and now include LED lights and a series of three distinct slashes. Black chrome exhaust tips are also standard.

The cabin has been touched up and now includes new vivid black materials and sportier instruments. And of course, interior and exterior badges clearly identify it as the 335is.

However, the most important changes concern the accessories. Gone is the old and complicated iDrive system, replaced by a new generation that now features independent buttons for each control and a more intuitive menu. Although it still isn’t exactly easy to use, let’s just say the manufacturer greatly improved the ergonomics of its multimedia system.

The first versions will appear in March in the convertible and in June in the coupe.

The cabin has been touched up and now includes new vivid black materials and sportier instruments.

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