BMW 135i Gets Best Performance Car Award

BMW has another reason for celebrating, as the 135i model won the Drive Best Performance Car over AU$60,000 for the second consecutive year at the 2009 awards, in Australia, despite the fact it had serious competition this year like: Nissan GTR, the Audi S4 and the HSV GTS.

“Poise and balance are two words that could have been invented to describe our winner in this category, the BMW 135i. With a silky but potent twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, the BMW has one of the most charismatic powerplants around at any money,” David Morley from Drive reported on the judges’ decision

“The conventional manual contains six forward ratios and a light, accurate clutch action and, for those who value the driving experience, there's really no substitute for this level of involvement. The same goes for the handling which is supple but beautifully controlled yet also sure and rewarding thanks to the 135i's rear-wheel drive,” he added.

“If it all sounds a bit old-fashioned, it shouldn't because the BMW is still very much an up-to-the-minute drive that just happens to ooze entertainment. There's really nothing that combines the BMW's generous abilities with its undeniable charms and at such a price.”

Since the Australian launch in May 2008, about 1,500 BMW 135i have been sold. The German automaker also reached the final of the Drive Car of the Year Award, the Green Innovation Award due to its BMW EfficientDynamics strategy.