Improved safety and enhanced confidence in temperatures of 7°C and lower.We drive the BMW M-tweaked 135i, the hottest yet in BMW’s new 1–series range So this is the replacement for the 1M, right? Not quite, it’s actually the latest installment in the rollout of BMW’s new M Performance programme. Cars like the M135i, X5 M50d and X6 M50d, bridge the gap between BMW’s regular cars and the super-quick stuff coming from BMW’s motorsport division, like the M3 and M5. The 1M was an M3 chassis dressed in 1-series clothes, the M135i is an uprated version of the standard, newly introduced three-door 1-series. So think of the M135i as a rival for Audi’s as yet unreleased S3, or Volkswagen’s Golf R. You can tell it from other 1-series models by the 18in double spoke wheels, aggressive bumper cutouts, shadow-line exterior trim and a smart set of four-pot alloy calipers. So what’s this M135i got in the armoury? Like the 1M, there’s a turbocharged 3.0 six under the bonnet, but the two are largely unrelated.
The M135i’s engine uses a single twin scroll turbocharger to produce 316bhp and 332lb ft, compared with 335bhp and, well, 332lb ft, in the old 1M. Unlike the manual-only 1M, the M135i comes with a choice of six-speed manual or eight-speed auto, but makes do with a standard open differential in place of the 1M’s M3-derived limited slip M diff. Adaptive dampers are optional. How close does it get on the road? Performance first: the M135 is manically quick, subjectively, even quicker than the the 4.9sec 0-62mph figure, which matches the 1M’s (the manual M135i arrives two tenths later). Although down on power compared with the 1M, the 1425kg M135i is 70kg lighter, so posts an almost identical 222bhp per tonne power to weight ratio. There’s no big wait for the power to arrive, the turbo is spooled up by 2500rpm, tugging your neck first, then wrenching it when the revs pass 4000rpm. Grab a paddle to engage the next gear and as drive is re-engaged, your head snaps back again as that torque does it’s thing.
It revs out, too, although really there’s nothing much to be gained from chasing the last 1000rpm to the 7k limiter. Even the soundtrack is great, a proper hard-edged BMW six snarl, 90% of which is real, say BMW’s engineers. The last 10% is synthetic, added to make up for the silencing effect of the turbo, though it’s so convicincing, you’d never know otherwise. The electric power steering is nicely weighted, if perhaps less communicative than the muscle-it-round 1M’s, and not everyone will warm to its variable gearing which makes switchbacks a wrist-flick affair, but occasionally seems a little overgeared. But the M135i feels taut, agile and easy to place. Even with its open diff, the fastest 1 has no problem putting its power down, meaning it’s perhaps not quite the lairy beast you imagined. Anything else worth knowing?The 1M cost over £40k, but the M135i weighs in at £29,995. That’s only a £1500 more than a new Astra VXR with Vauxhall’s popular optional big wheels and wing pack.
And while the BMW doesn’t look like a coupe, it does offer the other extreme: a five door option for an additional £530, though 75% of buyers are expected to stick with just three doors. Other concessions to practicality include 38mpg on the combined cycle for cars fitted with the eight-speed auto, great visibility and a useful 360 litre boot. The M135i is a different creature to the old 1M. It’s more cultured, not so extrovert in the way it looks or drives. But it’s massively cheaper and a seriously fun little hatch. It might not look as sexy as a Scirroco, or feel quite so single-minded as a Megane RS, but the BMW is faster, better built and just feels more special than any of them. We can’t think of a more desirable, more exciting top-drawer hot hatch on the planet than this M135i, and even the slighty dull styling can’t stop us reaching for that rarely used fifth star.Currently this site is offering full functionality as cookies are being accepted.► Updated 1-series range means there's a new M135i► A twin-turbo straight-six still provides the power► Now churns out 322bhp - same as the M235i coupe
Ooh, would you look at that: the second-generation BMW 1-series has been under the mid-life knife. It’s got new lights, new bumpers, the interior’s been given a chrome-look tickle and there’s a whole new range of ‘modular’ engines beneath that chiselled bonnet. All of which are so efficient Greenpeace has practically shut up shop and gone home. You want to know what this is? You surely wouldn’t be interested in this 1-series. It’s not one of the efficient ones, you know – it’s got something old fashioned called a 3.0-litre straight-six under the bonnet. Yes, it is quite surprising that such a thing still exists. And that it fits. No idea why they’ve painted it such a ridiculous shade of orange. Seems to clash slightly with the blue colour of brake calipers. Paint aside it would almost be subtle – if it wasn’t for the vents in the front bumper, which are even bigger here than they are on the regular M Sport trim package. What is ‘here’, exactly?
Well, it’s the new version of the M135i. Aside from all the overall nipping and tucking, the big news for the 2015 M135i is that it’s no longer the poor relation to the M235i – meaning that the hatchback now gets the full 322bhp of the coupé (and newly introduced convertible). That’s 7hp more than before. BMW has also shortened the action of the six-speed manual gearbox, so although the eight-speed auto option works very well with this engine, it was good to give stick-shift a go. Noticeably reduced notchiness is definitely a bonus, while the abridged movement makes it easier to keep that engine singing. Not that it needs much encouragement in this regard. While the Mercedes A45 AMG and forthcoming Audi RS3 offer more outright firepower, nobody else is even close to squeezing such a big engine into such a small car these days. 3.0-litres, six cylinders and two turbochargers make for an awful lot of muscle – utterly defining the M135i experience. Third gear is mighty, capable of taking the car from an uphill trickle to a full-bore overtake, seemingly without pausing for breath.
332lb ft from just 1300rpm will do that. Sounds magic every step of the way, too, each extra 1000rpm apparently adding another layer of sonic complexity; lungs, this car has certainly got ‘em. The raw figures are 0-62mph in 5.1sec – an xDrive auto version in other markets will do the same sprint in 4.7 – and the usual electronically restrained 155mph top speed. You won’t need much of a demonstration to be convinced that’s a maximum it is easily capable of meeting with plenty of effort to spare. That engine is enough to turn many an otherwise sensible head, but of course you’re going to want to know the full picture. Yes, there was rear-wheel drive, and lo, it was good. But bloody hell, BMW, did you have to remove all of the steering feel? Blame the variable ratio rack, and the super-fat squishy rim to the ‘special’ M135i steering wheel. Give us a solid, thin-rimmed Audi wheel any day. The optional M Adaptive Suspension works well, though; soft enough for comfort on the motorway, firmer but not back-breaking for better body control in Sport.
And traction from the open diff rear end is excellent – maybe too much so if you’re an oversteer extrovert, but reassuring for the rest of us mere mortals. The eight-speed auto can now pre-emptively select gear ratios based on GPS and mapping information – how far out, man, is that? Meanwhile, updates to said mapping information is now undertaken wirelessly via the BMW’s in-built 4G sim card. This also enables an automatic emergency call and response system, should you incapacitate yourself in one of those regretful ‘watch this!’ kind of moments. Coincidentally, safety kit is comprehensive, but that’s not to say it can’t be topped up with optional extras such as Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, ideal for when you really can’t be bothered to pay attention in traffic. Speaking of not being bothered, the self-parking system can now cope with transverse parking spaces, should you need it to. As before, the M135i gets plenty of logos on the inside, unique wheels and tyres, Ferric Grey door mirrors, and a bespoke standard suspension set-up.