This is the real fun part. Even after having this car for two days, I'm still so excited about its performance that I don't know where to start. The manual tranny comes to mind first. Shifting gears in this car is a near-orgasmic experience. The clutch is perfectly weighted and it engages gracefully. The short-throw shifter is precise and it fits in my palm perfectly. And the handling, oh the handling. The SP drives very firm but definitely not harsh. All of my passengers have found it to be very comfortable. You can abruptly switch three lanes at a time at 95 mph and the 325i would feel totally composed and balanced. Judging by the engine growl, I'd be guessing it's asking for more of the same maneuvers. The car drives, feels and sounds like a wild cat. Maneuvers that would look totally reckless in most other cars seem totally natural and graceful with this car. You can take any off-ramp about 30 mph faster than the rest of the traffic and that's not even beginning to push the car yet. There's room for another 20-30 mph at least. The 325i SP is absolutely composed, balanced, and predictable at any speed. Acceleration in the 325i, however, is just adequate even with manual tranny. We ran it head to head with my old '97 Jetta VR6 on the way back from the dealership and the VR6 pulls away at any speed and any gear. I am used to knowing that I can launch my car off the start like a rocket and have an advantageous power-to-weight ratio over most cars out there and I feel that I'm giving up some of that acceleration advantages due to the added 300 lbs. of the 325i. However, it's very encouraging that I started noticing a marked improvement in acceleration after the first 200 miles. I suspect the car will keep getting quicker as it is being broken-in. I've heard on multiple occasions that a 3-er with 20K miles on it would typically run faster than a newer one. In addition, putting in a high performance K&N air filter should improve horse power by 5 to 10 horses. Now don't get me wrong - this car is still reasonably fast - it's just a matter of what you are used to. Also, I've noticed that most of the exciting stuff is happening above 3,000 rpms where you are in max torque curve territory. I am trying very hard not to push it over 4,500 rpms during the break-in period. Having the full torque band available after the break-in should improve acceleration dramatically. Honestly, if you do care about acceleration, the 325i manual is just adequate. Anything like auto tranny and esp. AWD (another 250 lbs.) would significantly hinder acceleration in the 325. The steering is incredibly precise and has that WYSIWYG (where you steer is where you go) credibility. I never felt like I had to adjust the steering during aggressive cornering. The steering wheel gives you a good road feel but it is incredibly light (more on that in my next post). The ContiSports that came with the SP are quieter than I had expected and grip very well. Braking is incredible - I ran some numbers on stopping 70 to 0 mph: at 167 feet, the 325i SP is only two feet behind the $300,000 Lamborghini Diablo. The brakes are not overly sensitive and have a nice progressive feel. The only thing I have yet to get used to is the fact that the three pedals are a bit too close. It's great to have the gas and brakes very close for heel-and-toe fans but it takes some getting used to. Every once in a while I'd tap on the wrong pedal with my large feet. Again, it's great for aggressive driving and I wouldn't mind it once I get used to it. Well, the key thing about the 325i SP is that you will LOOK and FEEL like a great driver. The only thing you gotta watch out for is other drivers who can't focus on the road from staring at your car :O)
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