Photo: Stefan Baldauf / Guido ten Brink
It’s true, ladies and gents, and BMW doesn’t care about your opinion. The 1 Series will henceforth be front- and all-wheel drive thanks to the platform that underpins the F40, which means that we won’t be treated to a full-fat M car such as the 1M Coupe from days long gone.
The most performance-oriented 1 Series from the F40 family is the M135i xDrive, which will set you back 48,900 euros in Germany before options. A handful of M Performance Parts will get you closer to 55,000 euros, as BMW demonstrated at the IAA 2019 with this fellow here.
Storm Bay Metallic is the color that BMW specified for the show car, first seen on the mid-cycle refresh of the X1. Even the kidney grille features a model-specific finish in the guise of Cerium Grey while the mirror caps, rear apron, and other trim are finished in High-Gloss Black.
The Shadow Line package and body-color rear spoiler further set this M135i xDrive apart from the 1 Series hatchback, and the interior is similarly attractive thanks to lots of sporty visual improvements. And now, let’s take into consideration the elephant in the room. From 2.0 liters of displacement and a single turbo, the engine in this baby makes do with 306 PS (302 horsepower) and 450 Nm (332 pound-feet) of torque from 1,750 to 4,500 rpm.
Those figures are disappointing in the day and age of the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S with more than 400 horsepower, let alone when compared to the previous generation of the Ford Focus in RS flavor. Without further beating around the bush, BMW knew from the get-go that switching to front- and all-wheel drive would penalize the performance of the 1er.
Opting for the M Performance package cuts a tenth of a second off the zero-to-100-km/h acceleration (4.7 seconds), and top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) whether you’re pleased with it or not. Only available with an automatic transmission, the M135i xDrive can be upgraded from 18- to 19-inch alloy wheels as long as you’re prepared to pay extra.
If it were your money, would you take this BMW over something else in the segment? The Volkswagen Golf R comes to mind as an alternative.
Storm Bay Metallic is the color that BMW specified for the show car, first seen on the mid-cycle refresh of the X1. Even the kidney grille features a model-specific finish in the guise of Cerium Grey while the mirror caps, rear apron, and other trim are finished in High-Gloss Black.
The Shadow Line package and body-color rear spoiler further set this M135i xDrive apart from the 1 Series hatchback, and the interior is similarly attractive thanks to lots of sporty visual improvements. And now, let’s take into consideration the elephant in the room. From 2.0 liters of displacement and a single turbo, the engine in this baby makes do with 306 PS (302 horsepower) and 450 Nm (332 pound-feet) of torque from 1,750 to 4,500 rpm.
Those figures are disappointing in the day and age of the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S with more than 400 horsepower, let alone when compared to the previous generation of the Ford Focus in RS flavor. Without further beating around the bush, BMW knew from the get-go that switching to front- and all-wheel drive would penalize the performance of the 1er.
Opting for the M Performance package cuts a tenth of a second off the zero-to-100-km/h acceleration (4.7 seconds), and top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) whether you’re pleased with it or not. Only available with an automatic transmission, the M135i xDrive can be upgraded from 18- to 19-inch alloy wheels as long as you’re prepared to pay extra.
If it were your money, would you take this BMW over something else in the segment? The Volkswagen Golf R comes to mind as an alternative.
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