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Hot 2023 BMW X1 Spotted as a Jacked Up Alternative to the M135i

BMW has been spied testing a hot variant of the new generation X1 at the Nurburgring. In all likelihood, it’s not a full-blown M car, but an M Performance model, which is understood to have been christened the X1 M35i xDrive.
2023 BMW X1 M35i Prototype 26 photos
Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
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Right off the bat, we can see that it looks pretty much like the previous scooped prototypes, save for one thing: the quad exhaust pipes, incorporated into the more aggressively looking rear diffuser. It also has bigger wheels, a different front bumper, and not much else, apparently.

The ground clearance seems to be pretty much on par with other spied testers, and even the brake discs look the same. Nonetheless, the front rotors do appear to be chunkier, a necessary asset in order to bring the hot variant of the 2023 X1 to a full stop, as this will be the most agile member of the family.

Power is expected to be supplied by the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine found in the M135i xDrive. The output and torque are obviously unknown, but in the hot hatch, it pushes out 302 hp (306 ps / 225 kW) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm), directing it to the front-biased all-wheel drive system through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Our spies believe that it might get in excess of 350 hp, though that seems like a rather long stretch.

Since the X1 M35i xDrive is bigger and therefore heavier, the 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) should take over 5 seconds, considering that the hatchback can do it in 4.8 seconds, with a 155 mph (250 kph) electronically limited top speed. It is very likely that the sporty crossover will take on the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GLA 35, which also has a 302 hp (306 ps / 225 kW) 2.0-liter four-pot, and does the 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in 5.1 seconds.

Expected to be built around an evolved version of the UKL2 platform, shared with the upcoming X2, 2 Series Active Tourer MPV, and every other front-wheel drive model made by the BMW Group, the next-gen X1 should premiere in 2022. It will be available with the usual internal combustion engines, with front- and all-wheel drive, in addition to a few electrified assemblies and a battery-electric model, named the iX1.
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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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