BMWcarmag this month - 135i

[peppernick]

Can you imagine how is it to drive :eek: Doesn't look too bad either.

Piggy back ECU and it's a 370BHP, 380lb/ft pocket rocket, near 'supercar' performance status. Even the mightly E60 M5 will not see where the 135i has disappeared to in the horizon, especially when you throw in some corners.

Looks like BMW has finally succumbed to their nasty 'good enough' brakes and gone from Brembo 6-pot fronts and 4-pot rear as standard.


http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/images/article_images/BMW1-seriesOffic_1_560px.jpg

[adood84]

seriously BMW has fitted Brembos to the 135i ? what would the ///M division think of that ....

[Silver]

it doesnt look right...

only good thng about it...is the performace.

[Chaos]

Sorry Nick, but that's one of the few cars I've seen that actually make me want to be physically sick. If that was any uglier it would actually start to look better. That's like the ugly version of the dark side of the moon - any way from there is an improvement, and frankly the only thing that would improve the looks of that car is to close your eyes...On current form, I dread to think what horrendous craptrap is going be the next drives-quite-quick-but-looks-like-shit out of Munich, cos they're going from worse to omfgworse. :(

Performance will be insane, the 130M was very quick indeed and the brakes in that were awesome even as standard, so I'll bet that the 135M with big pots would be a mentalist (although bog-stock Brembos aren't 'all that', ask any Scooby driver, but they're an improvement for sure on previous stock useful-as-chocolate versions), but at what price to both wallet and aethetics? A big one, that's what, which is a shame cos I could maybe have lived with one out of two, at a push, to tap into that kind of performance.

[benny boy]

Not keen on the looks. Performance figures look good though.

[BigFas]

it looks like a turd. I don't give a monkey's how it drives. It looks like a turd.

[Raj]

Those performance figures are insane. The looks for BMW have always been a bit like marmite for quite a while now...either love it or hate it, but I think I could really live with the looks when it performs as well as that.

As you say Dan, standard Brembos may not be all that but from going from standard shite to 20 pots all round is gonna be serious night and day difference.

[peppernick]

Ugly is the new beautiful :p . Look at the C63 AMG, so wrongfully ugly that it has to be rightfully beautiful.

http://www.automanias.nl/foto%20van%20de%20week/AMG/2.jpg

http://www.automanias.nl/foto%20van%20de%20week/AMG/5.jpg


I don't mind either of one :D

[BigFas]

And if proof were needed that you can shoe-horn crazy steroid induced physique into a bespoke, saville row suit

http://special.dayoo.com/auto/node_2741/node_2746/img/2006/08/22/1156216723127499_2.jpg

[mysticm3]

C63 amg for the first time is similar to the new M3 money...50k something...very tempting! AMG has always been more expensive than M3 to buy when new

[Chaos]

Yeah, and it's much more powerful, and looks much more aggressive. Merc are back in with a shout again.

Raj, pots in brakes count for nothing if the caliper is pants or the material is budget. Ask any Imprezza owner what one of their first mods is with the 4x4pot Brembos they get - yep, take them off and put some proper ones on. Hopefully BMW haven't tried to save money and cut costs by buying the budg....oh dear, I think we know where this is going don't we... :rolleyes:

[peppernick]

Yeah, and it's much more powerful, and looks much more aggressive. Merc are back in with a shout again.


Reported that it drives like no other Merc present and past. AMG literally redesigned the entire car, very driver focussed. Also, trick LSD as standard and overideable DSC. Can't wait to try one out.

[Chaos]

Aye that traction logic sounds both clever and effective. And turning the toys off means turning them off, too. They're making all the right noises. ;)

[Chosun Wan]

http://www.automanias.nl/foto%20van%20de%20week/AMG/5.jpg

I quite like the front, but OMFG! the side profile is like a fookin orthopaedic shoe!

Ewwww!

[arkenphel]

Fas and Dan are right about the OMFG it fugly looks of the 135, performance figures not withstanding. If it came in the standard 1 series guise of 3/5 door, I might be tempted. They would be even more practical, with no noticeable loss in rigidity.

And ben is right about the ortho shoe look.

maybe I'll shoehorn the e92 M3 engine into my 330Ci engine bay.... nothing tops the looks of the E46 yet, IMHO

[330ci Assassin]

not feeling that car at all...
wot was BMW thinking.
performance mite be good, but Damn thats one ugly car

[mikem]

I actually quite like the looks. :o Looks like a retro E30 but too small for everyday use and not special enough for a second car.

If I was 21 and loaded, it would probably tick all the right boxes. :D

[Raj]

Raj, pots in brakes count for nothing if the caliper is pants or the material is budget. Ask any Imprezza owner what one of their first mods is with the 4x4pot Brembos they get - yep, take them off and put some proper ones on. Hopefully BMW haven't tried to save money and cut costs by buying the budg....oh dear, I think we know where this is going don't we... :rolleyes:

Fair point, but they have just gotta be better than the usual crap you get...

[Chaos]

Using your hands on the outside of the tyres would be better than the usual crap you get... :D

[MEGA]

I want one. Whats the price point? :D

[BigFas]

I want one. Whats the price point? :D

Circa £30k for the 135 which is ridiculous as that's squarely in 3 series territory

[MEGA]

43k for a fully specced M sport 335 and you'd get far more boot out of this little thing than that, so if its 30k for a good spec - thats not too bad at all.

GAH though, its going to be terrible in 4-5 years when boy racers get hold of them. Carnage on our streets, heh.

But tbh, I can't see myself getting this instead of an E92 really...