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BMW Blog went to Estoril, Portugal to test drive the new BMW 435i Coupe. After spending some time behind the wheel and carefully scrutinizing its characteristics and capabilities, the team says this car has earned their respect. Learn why on this excerpt below:
Sporty Ingredients
Compared to the F30 3 Series, the BMW 435i Coupe sits on a lower suspension which brings the car’s center of gravity down to below 20 inches (500 mm), giving it the lowest center of gravity of any car in the current BMW line-up. Now when comparing the 435i Coupe to its predecessor, the technical upgrades are even more impressive: 99 lbs lighter than the E92 335i Coupe and 60% more rigid in the front.
The engineers optimized the kinematics of the double-pivot suspension for agility and precision, while the extra-wide mounts and supports on the wheel carriers for track and camber enhance the dynamics of the car.
As one would expect these technical artifacts turn the 4 Series Coupe into a sportier car than its 3 Series counterpart.
Now combine the stiff and wide chassis (2.1 inches wider than current E92 M3), and suspensions with an award-winning engine, and the excitement grows to a new level. Under the hood, the BMW 435i Coupe sports a 3.0 liter inline-six TwinScroll turbocharged unit producing 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission (an optional six-speed manual is offered).
Ready To Rumble
After driving the 435i Coupe the previous day, the level of comfort with the car has increased and we were excited to see how it handles on the track. The Sport+ driving mode on the 435i Coupe tightness the chassis and suspensions, loosens the stability control and raises the rev limited to 7200rpm mark where now all the power arrives. With that in mind, we jumped behind the wheel, set the driving mode to Sport+ and calmly followed the pace car for a couple of laps to learn the track.
Next it’s us and the track with no one between us. Exited the paddocks, quickly shifted to second via the amazing wheel paddles and entered Turn 2, a fast corner where slight braking is applied, slowly turn in and slamming the gas pedal for that power delivery that years ago would have labeled the 435i Coupe as a supercar. The next two turns are slower, so braking hard gives us a chance to see how the non-racing brakes handle themselves and…they didn’t disappoint. The grip was good also, the tail oversteered a bit and we pushed hard through the apex to the elevated Turn 4. A few laps later and the standard four-pot brakes showed no sign of fade.
