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UK-Spec BMW 128ti Gets Out in the Open, Photo Shoot Follows

Back in the fall of last year, the still-new front-wheel-drive family of BMW 1 Series cars expanded with the addition of the 128ti. Described as a “sporty alternative of the BMW 1 Series,” the car is already on sale in Europe, going for €41,574 in Germany and £32,995 in the UK.
BMW 128ti 51 photos
Photo: BMW
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Since there are not that many such cars out on the roads yet, BMW decided a quick reminder of the model that will soon be turning heads in the open might be just what the doctor prescribed. The automaker released this week a chunky photo gallery (attached to this piece) showing the vehicle under the clear blue sky.

Meant to fill the gap between the 120i and M135i xDrive, the 128ti is the closest thing customers can get to a front-wheel-drive M car without going the full distance.

This variant of the 1 Series is powered by a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo engine, a version of the one already deployed on the M135i xDrive. In this particular configuration, it develops 265 PS (261 hp), with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission on deck to harness it and make the engine capable of pulling the car from a standstill to 62 mph (100 kph) in 6.1 seconds.

The 128ti makes use of other improvements as well compared to lesser 1 Series models, including M Sport suspension (the hatchback rides 10 mm/0.4 in lower than its siblings thanks to it), a Torsen limited-slip differential, and the firmer anti-roll bars and anti-roll bar mounts with high preload from the M135i xDrive.

Visually, the car stays true to the legacy of Turismo Internazionale models made by the Bavarians every now and then since the 1960s, and will be different from the rest of the range by boasting an appearance based on the M models.

You can have a taste of how that looks out in the open in the attached gallery.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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