BMW 1 Series Coupe: 135i Blasts Into Action Motoring
Channel Staff - 29/June/2007 | 
2008 BMW 1 Series Coupe
The BMW 135i is powered by turbo
6-cylinder petrol engine worth 225kW
The new 1 Series will challenge the Audi TT
BMW 135i: Best Beemer Ever?Packing
the same engine as the brawny BMW 335i, but lighter? And with a
shorter footprint?? Now this sounds like fun. The 135i Coupe has a
claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.3 seconds which is freakishly quick,
but we believe this figure may be a touch conservative. We
have a strong feeling here at the Motoring Channel office that the new
135i Coupe could be one of the best BMWs ever built. It'll certainly be
one of the lightest. It's bigger brother, the 335i Coupe, is deserving
of its praise and with the performance parameters hiked up a few
notches the new 135i could turn out to be the ultimate giant killer.
BMW has to be careful about pricing and positioning though, as a surge
in interest for this new model may eat into 3 Series Coupe sales. -
Feann Torr, Editor |
BMW has worked the engine and chassis,
but not everybody is going to like the look
The L-shaped brake lights are fitted with LEDs
The simple interior looks much the same
as the BMW 1 Series' hatchback cockpit
|
London, England —
Following a raft of spy photos from the 'Ring in Germany and endless
speculation about what could be
one of the best-handling Beemers to ever hit the asphalt, BMW has
released official information and photography for the promising 1
Series Coupe. Four
models will be built, two diesel and two petrol, and at this stage BMW
Australia has announced only one model will be coming Down Under, in
the form of the range-topping 135i. It has been given an 'early 2008'
release date. The Coupe
will be different to the 1 Series hatch in the same way that the 3
Series Coupe is a sportier model than the 3 Series sedan. Angled more
towards performance, the endless testing the compact coupe has
been subjected to at the Nürburgring in Germany will ensure the
vehicle is both rewarding
to drive and blistering quick. Featuring
a rear-wheel drive layout and 50:50
weight distribution, performance nuts and car enthusiasts will be
waiting with baited breath for the new vehicle's arrival. It made it's
first 'official' public appearance at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show
in Germany. BMW has outlined two petrol models in the new range, which will be launched in Europe in November
and North America in the second quarter of 2008:  128i - 3.0-litre 6-cylinder petrol engine
135i - 3.0-litre 6-cylinder twin turbo petrol engine
As mentioned only the 135i will be coming to Australia, but there will be
diesel models for some markets such as Europe, including the 120d and 123d, which
will provide improved fuel economy over their 3.0-litre
gasoline-powered cousins. Everyone in the office is very excited about the prospect of this short-wheel
based coupe and the performance potential it heralds - particularly
when it is powered by the new twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol engine from the
335i Coupe. The
new 135i Coupe will have bahn-storming performance for a car so small,
claimed to destroy the zero to 100km/h benchmark time in just 5.3
seconds, almost as quick as the highly lauded Porsche Cayman
S. The 135i Coupe is powered by a front-mounted
3.0-litre engine that gets a boost from a pair of turbochargers to
produce 225kW (306hp), which is transferred to the rear wheels in a
traditional sports car layout. The engine also features air-to-air
intercooling, and develops an impressive 400Nm @ 1400rpm, which will
give the diminutive car an incredible mid-range surge. Top
speed is electronically limited to 250km/h (155mph) as are all BMW
production cars and the premature press release also confirms that both
the 135i and 128i will get on-demand
engine coolant pumps. These improve fuel economy and "reduce parasitic
losses for increased output". The 128i model will
powered by a naturally aspirated version of the 3.0-litre straight six,
making 170kW (230hp) and 270Nm of torque. It is a slightly de-tuned
version of the engine powering the 130i hatch, which we road tested here. Two
diesel models will also be offered in the 1 Series Coupe line-up,
including the 123d. This is likely to be powered by a
twin-turbo 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder
diesel and develop a very handy 152kW (204hp) and will take
roughly 7.0
seconds to reach 100km/h. The base model 120d
will generate about 132kW (177hp) and will be the most fuel efficient 1
Series coupe in the range. Providing scorching
performance in a compact form is one thing, but to attract customers to
what will likely be pricey models will take more than just twin
turbochargers. As such, the new models are unmistakably BMW, but the
front end pales in comparison to the 3 Series Coupe, which benefitted
from an entirely new design when compared to the 3 Series saloon. It's
compact dimensions add intrigue, and it looks interesting from the side
and the rear, but the front end with its flowing headlight shape
may offend some people's sense of vehicular style. According
to the BMW press release, the 1 Series Coupe has a "powerful and
muscular body". Together with the trademark Hofmeister kink and
the bulging wheel arches, the small vehicle has very short front
overhangs like most BMWs giving it an aggressive stance. The 135i Coupe
models will also benefit from a standard 'M' aerodynamic kit, tying the
car closer to the ground. Xenon headlights with the adaptive headlight feature and cornering
lights are standard on the 135i model, and will optional on other
grades. Rear
end styling for the 1 Series Coupe begins with L-shaped brake light
clusters (which will include LEDs to boost visibility/coolness) above
which sits an integrated deck lid spoiler with a subtle curve. All of
the photos are of the 135i with the 'M' aerodynamic kit, which
also adds things like the grey section of the lower rear apron, and an
enlarged front air dam underneath the twin kidney grille at the front. Other
features that the 'M' sports package adds include M logo door sill
trims, an M
leather sport steering wheel and an M logo footrest for the driver's
left foot, and even things like new roof lining and aluminium
interior accents. With more aggressive throttle mapping for quicker
response, the M sports package also adds a high-performance brake
package, which brings 6-piston
fixed calipers at the front and twin-piston fixed calipers at the
rear to the table.
The 135i model will come
standard with attractive 18-inch alloy wheels, no doubt shod with
grippy tyres, and other models will get 17-inch rims. The suspension
consists of independent suspension at all four corners, with a
lightweight aluminium double-joint axle at
the front and a five-link steel axle at the rear. The 135i
model with its M aero package will get upgraded sports suspension to
suit its performance bent. Driving
aids will be included, such as dynamic stability control
and dynamic traction control - both of which can be completely
disabled. In addition, ABS, automatic stability control and cornering
brake control make the cut and active steering with be an option, which
counter steers the car to prevent
it from losing control on low friction or wet roads. Typical
BMW levels of luxury will be found inside the new 1 Series Coupe,
including leatherette (pleather?) or rich Boston leather. The iDrive
control system is an option, as are sports seats with pronounced
side bolsters, and the compact coupe also features useful extras like
an auxiliary input jack and a USB port for direct control of
an PC or Mac based MP3 player. BMW also mentions that twinsub woofers
are located in the vehicle floor, but it's not clear if these are
optional or standard equipment. We
do know that all 1 Series Coupes will come standard with "no less than
six airbags" and "crash-optimised seats with specially padded headrests
and
backrests significantly reducing the risk of injury in an impact from
the rear". ISOFIX fastenings for child seats will also be standard
features. The
new BMW 1 Series Coupe was launched at the 2007 Frankfurt
Motor Show, and BMW drew comparisons with the
1960s BMW 2002 to add a bit of historic meaning to the new model. Related articles:
- BMW M3 (2008)
- BMW 6 Series Update (2007)
- BMW Concept CS (2007)
- BMW 130i M Sport (Road Test)
- BMW 120i (Road Test)
- BMW 3 Series Coupe (2007)
- BMW Hydrogen 7 (2007)
- BMW 3 Series Convertible (2007)
- BMW M6 Edition Race by Hamann (2006)
- BMW X5 (2007) |
