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BMW Bids Farewell To M140i With Finale Edition In Australia

Introduced in 2004, the 1 Series made BMW more mainstream than the Bavarian automaker was back in the 1990s. Then the second generation entered the scene in 2011, soldiering with a rear- and all-wheel-drive platform. Two years ago, the 1 Series Sedan manufactured in collaboration with Brilliance in China changed the recipe to front-wheel drive, coming courtesy of the vehicle architecture used by the X1 and MINI.
BMW Bids Farewell To M140i With Finale Edition In Australia 8 photos
Photo: BMW
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The European 1 Series will make the switch to front-/all-wheel-drive in the nearest of futures as BMW tries to maximize group synergies while cutting costs. Codenamed F40, the third generation has all the qualities of a front-driven hatchback based on spy shots of pre-production prototypes and test mules.

BMW knows that some people aren’t fond of this change of direction, and adding insult to injury, BMW of Australia decided to bring the point home with the M140i Finale Edition. Speaking to Go Auto, chief executive officer Vikram Pawah highlights the celebration of “the last six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive 1 Series hot hatchback.”

An F40-based successor is in the pipeline, but BMW can’t do better than a four-cylinder and in the ballpark of 300 horsepower. In the case of the X2 M35i xDrive, the engine makes do with 306 PS (302 horsepower) and 450 Nm (332 pound-feet) of torque, and an eight-speed Steptronic transmission with go-faster tuning from M Performance.

By comparison, the M140i develops 340 PS (335 horsepower) and 500 Nm (368 pound-feet), enough for 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds and 250 km/h (155 mph) in terms of top speed. The Finale Edition can’t be specified with a three-pedal setup, only the ZF 8HP transmission.

AUD 3,000 costlier than the M140i, the Finale Edition starts at AUD 62,990 in the Land Down Under. For that kind of money, BMW throws in visual trickery such as the dark-chromed exhaust tips, black kidney grille, and no fewer than three designs for the 18-inch alloy wheels.

The list of standard equipment continues with 8.8-inch infotainment, Harman Kardon sound system, all-around parking sensors, LED headlights, keyless entry, push-button start, and wireless smartphone charging. Of course, M Suspension and M Sport braking system are both standard on the range-topping model.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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