[dopper99]

Interesting read on the M135i.
Seems a performance bargain - 0-62 in 4.9 and £30K. 1M performance (same power to weight ratio) for £10K less. You could even put up with the clownage.

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...12-CAR-review/

[sheps]

The standard open diff in lieu of a proper LSD would discount this, for me, from comparing it with the 1M. Undoubtedly it's a performance bargain, but I think running the two side by side, you'd be left wanting with the M135i.

They missed a big trick not giving it a decent diff and it makes somewhat a mockery of the 'performance' branding.

[CarAbuser]

I would have to wait for the coupé version, I don't think I could live with a car that ugly.

[rogerxp]

Originally Posted by sheps

They missed a big trick not giving it a decent diff and it makes somewhat a mockery of the 'performance' branding.

...but couldn't you just stick an LSD onto it for under £2k?? I know the majority of buyers won't do this but, for those in the know, wouldn't it make the 'performance bargain' title relevant again??

I'm really liking the M Sport shod 1er.

[AlanYoro35i]

so.....is this so called M135i would be the equivalent to the old model..135i M sport??

these new names are very confusing

[xs2man]

Originally Posted by CarAbuser

I would have to wait for the coupé version, I don't think I could live with a car that ugly.

Yep, she is one fugly motor right enough...

[G82Dude]

Originally Posted by CarAbuser

I would have to wait for the coupé version, I don't think I could live with a car that ugly.

Yea, new M235i looks like it could be really nice.

[sheps]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

...but couldn't you just stick an LSD onto it for under £2k?? I know the majority of buyers won't do this but, for those in the know, wouldn't it make the 'performance bargain' title relevant again??

I'm really liking the M Sport shod 1er.

Very true Rog, but in the same vein that a 335i with a Birds diff doesn't make an M3, I don't think an M135i with the diff would automatically make an M1, albeit the engines are much closer related than 335i/M3

My sister took delivery of her new 1 M Sport a couple of months ago, and its a great drive and a decent place to site but, by God, it's no oil painting. I think the 1M with its flared arches, vents and CSL's looks the absolute business. Unique bodywork on a production run that small brings with it inherent (large) costs per unit and its rarity would/will protect its RV long after the M135i has depreciated as quick as a standard 1er M sport. That £10k diff is only on initial purchase value, I think a large chunk of it would still be intact after 3 years.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by xs2man

Yep, she is one fugly motor right enough...

I think your been kind....

Alfa comes up with these..


Even Hyundai is coming out with decent lookers...


and BMW gives the world this....


it's almost as if BMW spent hours developing the chassie and than at the last minute realised it needed a outter body, went to the wind tunnel, found the most aerodynamic shape whilst retaining interior safe and than sent if off to the production line...cannot believe in this day and age they couldn't come up with something more pleasing to the eye...

Now if you get the designers of Alfa to work with the engineers at BMW...

[dopper99]

Its only history repeating itself. Remember when this came out? What did everybody say at the time?
The F20 will no doubt grow on people (as will the F30).

[xs2man]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

I think your been kind....



Even Hyundai is coming out with decent lookers...

Funny you should say that. Even Kia are producing not bad looking motors now...



BMW have lost the plot in my opinion, which is one of the reasons I didn't buy the new 3 series. To me, its an ugly looking brute. So went for an E91 instead. And thats not a particularly pretty looking car either in my opinion. My 2012 Audi A4 won hands down in the looks department.

[dxb335d]

Sheps is correct.

[SteveC]

Another desirable car hits the market. High performance, great handling, lots of low down torque and top end power, reasonable fuel consumption and plenty of space in a sporting package (pity about the looks though). Its great to be so spoiled for choice.

On the other hand, I've absolutely no doubt that based on my experience with other models, the very first spirited drive will tell you this is no BMW Motorsport 'M' car.The £10K difference that goes into chassis, suspension, brakes, transmission and drivetrain goes almost exclusively into raising the 'M' car's limits, and it comes through every time as confidence inspiring feedback and on-limit security that by comparison is entirely missing from M-Sport models. In an M-sport, fear of the unknown is its limiting factor, an 'M-car' gives you that knowledge of exactly how close to, at or above the limit you are.

Buy an M135i if every jouney has a purpose and you want to enjoy each one.
Buy a 1M if the reason for many journeys is nothing more than the joy of the journey itself

[CarAbuser]

I personally think that it has a place in the lineup. It's just the same as Audi with the S3.

A lot of people will never push their M to its limits, some just don't have the skill and others don't want to joyride around country lanes so it seems a waste to kit all these cars out with track grade equipment when all the majority of buyers want is a good noise, fast 0-60 time and a bit of individual styling.

[Bungle009]

I quite like it.

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by CarAbuser

I personally think that it has a place in the lineup. It's just the same as Audi with the S3.

A lot of people will never push their M to its limits, some just don't have the skill and others don't want to joyride around country lanes so it seems a waste to kit all these cars out with track grade equipment when all the majority if buyers want is a good noise, fast 0-60 time and a bit of individual styling.

Absolutely true. S3 is a perfect parallel

[Vtec Abuser]

Originally Posted by sheps

The standard open diff in lieu of a proper LSD would discount this, for me, from comparing it with the 1M. Undoubtedly it's a performance bargain, but I think running the two side by side, you'd be left wanting with the M135i.

They missed a big trick not giving it a decent diff and it makes somewhat a mockery of the 'performance' branding.

Is this not the same active diff technology that has been used in the F10 M5 though? If so, surely it can't be that bad? From what I read, it's not the same crap system that's used in the current 135i (ie using the brakes), it's a new design....

An active diff works just like a traditional limited slip diff, except it's proactive in a sense rather than reactive. For instance, the current M Diff needs to sense slippage before it adjust the torque split between the two halfshafts, whereas an active diff will consider the steering input, yaw rate, vehicle speed, individual wheel speed, etc to proactively adjust the torque split in anticipation of what what the car will be doing. It's exactly what Ferrari's eDiff does. Same thing basically.