BMW’s latest little bundle of joy is part of the 2 Series range and is wearing the M badge on the boot (and 13 other places) but it’s not a proper M car. Confused? You should be.
The Bavarians created a new ‘breed’ of cars that they are selling under the M Performance Automobile badge. Namely, all the cars that have an alphanumeric number that starts with an “M” and has more than 2 characters are part of this range. For example, the M135i, M50d and M550d Touring xDrive are all part of this division, that aims at taking down Audi’s S range.
The M235i might very well be the best of them yet, offering plenty of bang for the buck and a sexy, sleek look to go with it. Unlike the M135i with which it shares almost all underpinnings, the 2er looks 10 times better and offers less practicality, exactly what you’d want, right?
There’s also another essential difference. The engine under the bonnet has the same design, with a 3-liter 6-cylinder architecture and a turbocharger attached to it but it makes 6 HP more in this application (320 HP vs 326 HP).
Maybe that, maybe the difference in weight makes the M235i a bit faster than the M135i but you don’t really feel that difference on the road, as we found in our testdrives.
For the Coupe, German exhaust specialists from Remus just launched a new system that is bound to make your car louder and more powerful with only one modification.
Their system adds 13 HP and 19 Nm (14 lb-ft) of torque to the stats, raising the total to 339 HP and 469 Nm (346 lb-ft) of torque, plenty for a small car like this one. Furthermore, it sheds 3.7 kg (8.1 lbs) of weight of the total, not much, but it’s good to have it.
The sound is the most important thing though, when buying an aftermarket system. In that department, the custom alternative really makes a difference and stands out while also keeping it quiet enough to be comfortable on long roads. Check it out, in the video below.
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