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Why the BMW 1 Series tii Didn't Make It

Now that the 1 Series M Coupe has entered our world (you can check you a gallery of live NAIAS photos by following this link), it’s time to talk about another interesting 1 Series Coupe development.

Remember the 1 Series tii Concept that was introduced back in 2007? Yes, we are talking about a car that promised to offer four cylinder turbocharging madness, or “a young interpretation of classic BMW brand values”. The automotive producer recently told Autocar that the project has been canceled, due to the performance issues.

BMW M product manager Christoph Smieskol explained that the tii coupe wouldn’t have managed to reach the performance status of the six-pot 135i, as the turbocharged four-cylinder engine wouldn’t have been able to deliver enough grunt.

Thus, the 1 Series “nutter” development took a different road, with the M division’s specialist choosing to take the six-cylinder engine further into the performance woods instead.

We’ll take a few moments to remind you the result of the aforementioned power play. The vehicle’s 2,979cc in-line six-pot, which uses direct injection and double VANOS variable valve timing, allowing the driver to play with 340 hp, bringing a 40 hp premium over what the 135i has to offer.

We have to agree that this is a engine that seems just right for the 1 Series coupe. For those of you who wonder why a well-engineered four-pot wouldn’t have provided enough juice, we’ll leave the BMW engine range and enter the hot hatch world to receive our answer: the most powerful series four-cylinder turbocharged units develop between 250 and 300 hp, which would’ve only been enough to match the 135i’s performance.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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