Official: BMW wheels out 1 Series Coupé
Newswheel staff :: 09 July 2007 :: Filed under Coupe, BMW, BMW 1 Series, Europe & UK
[Click on an image to view]
Pint-sized 302bhp powerhouse gets electric slippy diff
Creeping gargantuanism. It’s the ever present plague of the modern motor car. So, with each new model BMW’s painfully popular 3 Series coupé gets a little portlier. Take the flagship of the current (non M3) range, the 335i. It clocks in at 1,600kg and is a massive 350mm wider than a mid ‘90s E36 3 Series. But what if you’re after something a little smaller, more driver focused and, hell, maybe a bit cheaper, too? Well, BMW has just delivered. The new 1 Series Coupé has been unveiled and it will be available with BMW’s mega 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six…
At launch, the UK 1 Series range will be limited to the flagship twin-turbo 135i and a pair of 2.0-litre diesels, the 120d and 123d.
In 123d trim, BMW’s oil-burning four banger receives sequential dual-turbo induction. The result is the most powerful engine of its type on the planet. Peak output jumps to 201bhp, enough to crack the hollowed 100bhp-per-litre barrier and frankly ludicrous for a 2.0-litre diesel lump. But the new unit’s torque is even more impressive. At 295lb/ft it actually matches the 3.0-litre twin turbo petrol unit (the latter is probably a function of tranny limitations).
Overall, that’s enough for a seven-second-flat sprint to 60mph and a top whack of 148mph.
Stateside, in the land where diesel is a dirty word, buyers will instead be offered a 128i which is confusingly powered by a 231-pony 3.0-litre (presumably the older M54 straight-six unit from the E46 3 Series).
Needless to say, however, back in Blighty it’s the 302bhp twin-turbo 135i that will grab all the headlines. With a kerb weight of around 1,450kg and a power-to-weight ratio just north of 200bhp per tonne, we suspect BMW’s official 5.3 second zero-to-62mph stat will prove rather conservative – there’s a good chance the 135i will show Porsche’s Cayman S a clean pair of heels. The 135i’s top speed is limited to 155mph.
Intriguingly, the 135i will become one of the very few modern day non-M BMWs to receive a limited slip differential. With BMW denying that an M1 will ever be produced. Factor in the 135i’s six-piston front brake callipers and it all looks like great news for drift merchants and track day enthusiasts alike.
Oh, and BMW is claiming perfect 50:50 weight distribution, to boot.
But despite the impressive performance, BMW claims some extremely nifty fuel consumption figures. Courtesy of BMW’s Efficient Dynamics technology, including regenerative braking and engine start-stop, the 135i tables a combined consumption figure of 30.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 220g/km.
The 120d, by the way, is capable of a slightly silly 58.9mpg on the combined cycle. Who needs a Prius?
We don’t object to the 1’s basic rear-drive proportions. Just a shame it’s not a bit prettier…
All of which makes the 1 Series’ fishy styling a bit of a shame. The on-paper package is awfully attractive. Just imagine if it had threads to match… Likewise, we hope that BMW fleshes out the range with a more affordable, naturally aspirated six-pot petrol model. Prices have yet to be released, but we’ve a feeling the 135i won’t be cheap.
The 1 Series coupe goes on sale in November.
