BMW BLOG

I know I’m throwing myself to the wolves here, but let’s speculate a little bit. In the photo below, you can see a very speculative rendering of what the the BMW 135i SuperSport might look like. The computer generated image was created by the famous Huckfeldt, at Auto Bild. He is one of the most reliable source for getting information on how vehicles will look like many years in advance.

With that being said, I am pretty sure that his sources gave him some details on which direction BMW will go with their new design, so even thought the final product will not be identical, I wouldn’t be surprised if many design elements from his rendering will be reflected onto the production vehicle.

What do we know about the 135i SuperSport?

We know that BMW will be more adventurous with their new 1 Series, moving away from the “safe design” we see right now. We know that BMW needs to offer a new car for its enthusiasts, something that will replace the so-missed M1. With them moving towards smaller, more efficient cars, it is only wise to develop a super sporty car based on a 1 Series platform.

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Once I received these photos in the email, I knew that I have to share them with you. The black BMW 135i Coupe along with a great Nikon camera make together a nice desktop wallpaper or even…a BMW ad.

If you have been a long time reader on our blog, you might remember that I was and still am a big fan of the new BMW 135i Coupe model, that was launched earlier this year.

The BMW 135i Coupe was one of the most anticipated bimmers in the past few years and the buzz before the launch reached impressive levels. As soon as the car came out, we took it for a test drive, ignoring the not so friendly Chicago weather.

Josh, our editor, decided to test the 135i Coupe in the beautiful sunny North Carolina and he put the car to some intensive testing. Read the rest of this entry »

Today Hartge announced a new tuning program for the 135i, increasing hp to 345hp and torque to 354lb-ft. They claim 0-62mph is 0.5s faster.

They also have a new aerokit complete with front spoiler lip, roof spoiler, lip for boot lid, rear diffuser and side sills. Interior offerings include 3-spoke leather steering wheel with silver (or black) carbon inserts, illuminated gear knob, alcantara gater and handbrake handle in combinations of leather and aluminium.

Article By Jason from Porsche-Report.

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According to Consumer Reports, BMW’s 1 Series most important model, the 135i Coupe, has taken the crown in a tough competition against the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Volkswagen R32, and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

The strongest 135i’s points were the always amazing BMW handling, the impressive 5.2 seconds straight line and of course, the sporty exterior design.

I remember back in September ‘07, that one of your most popular articles was about a comparison between the 135i and Subaru’s WRX STI. Several advantages were listed but since the 135i Coupe was not released at that time, everything was based on rumors and initial tests. I have also always wanted to put the 135i head-to-head against the Lancer Evo, but I didn’t feel that they belong in the same class. Well, apprently Consumer Reports thouhgt they do, so we will let them have at it in just a few moments.

But before I will let you read the quite long report, which btw, gives out some detailed technical information, I would love to hear your opinion on this. Would you rather take one of the other cars before the 135i?

Consumer Reports Press Release via MarketWatch

Erin Riches, a Senior Editor with Edmunds, had an interesting experience with a BMW 135i this past weekend. Despite the raving reviews that the 135i received over the course of the last several months, including Edmunds’ own review, she came up with a different conclusion from another angle: the 135i might not be the most fun car for just a regular daily boring driver.

While I do agree with him on several points, I also feel the need to mention that the BMW 135i can be as fun as you make it to be. The car has potential, but it “follows” your driving style.

Anyway, it’s a great short review and I had fun reading it.

I keep hearing from others how good our 2008 BMW 135i is, so this weekend I did my best to ignore its red-orange paint, eternally stunned expression and squishy seats. For the first 30 miles of errand-running, this was pretty easy: This car is quick. Not in an explosive, must-go-to-redline sort of way, but in an I-can’t-believe-I’m-going-that-fast-because-it’s-just-so-smooth kind of way.

But after I realized how easily I could make myself into the most beloved motorist on the freeway in the 135i, I got bored with it.

It doesn’t ride well and feels much less refined than a 3 Series: When it hits an expansion joint, the 1 feels kind of squooshy as its springs compress, but then it rebounds more harshly than I think it should. The steering disappoints me, too. The ratio doesn’t seem quick enough for the small, elfin BMW, and there’s not much feel. I realize my observations contradict earlier things we’ve written about this car, so you should feel free to disagree with me on all points.

Full review here

It’s an odd comparison that to me actually makes more sense than most that I have been writing about lately (ie: BMW 550i/Pontiac G8 GT). Even though the Mini and the BMW are cousins they have a lot of similarities, and probably just as many differences. As I tend to say, beauty is in the eye of the buyer. I personally love both cars, and have driven each to great lengths, and would defend them to the death. Which one is better? Which one is more usable? Well, that there lies within you as the reader and the buyer. So for right now let’s just compare them the best way we know how.

I start with the Mini because technically it has been around longer. When I worked as a car salesman, we had a beautiful cream colored 2004 Mini Cooper S with black racing stripes. It even had the rather nice 6-speed manual tranny too. Any time that I had to go and do something for the dealership, the Cooper S was the car I immediately got the keys for. I loved it. If you know me I’m not much on front-wheel drive cars, but Mini’s I love, I love them more than many rear-wheel drive cars. A Cooper to me holds so true to the value of less is more, while at the same time being a true BMW. Drive one; you will understand then what I’ve been saying to you.

The Mini Cooper S has a semi-wallet caring price of $21,200. Be careful though, because the options list is long and can get rather pricey in the end. Outside of Porsche’s, I have never ever built another car online that has more options and accessories to make the car individually yours. They might as well add in a free logo on the roof of the car that says “this car is mine and made by me!” The one I just happened to build landed me in hot water at $37,746. Forego some of the radical options –I pretty much fully loaded the car- and you have a reasonable $25-32K car.

Remember though, while you are building the Mini, that it can handle more than most. If you are into the performance abilities of your car, and not just straight line speed, you have one of the best all-round performers in the world. When equipped with the optional limited slip differential you can toss the Cooper S around like it’s a go-kart that is geared more towards adults. Let me put it this way to you. A friend of mine who has a beautiful Z3 M Roadster with about 360hp and 360lb-ft of torque rated at the rear wheels, is an Autocross guy. He wins quite a bit and knows how to drive his ride. He told me once that if a stock Mini Cooper S shows up at an Auto-X, he is taking second. That is pretty epic in my book. Epic in the sense that a small turbocharged car making all of 172hp and 177lb-ft of torque can take a Z3 M Roadster weighing similar weights around short courses like Autocrosses.

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Ever wondered which closely matched BMW would fair to be the king of the ultimate driving machine? Many have compared the new BMW 135i against the E46 M3 and then up against the 335i.

Edmunds has an interesting test video of the close competition of the E46 BMW M3 against the new 135i and 335i. The 135i and 335i share the same engine which is an all new 3.0-liter inline 6 cylinder twin turbo producing 300 horsepower. Although the 0-60 times were totally off for Edmund’s M3 test, it is apparent that the M3 has an edge over both the 135i and 335i. Many times the test drivers get it all wrong and sometimes the get it right such as where the Automotive Addicts Blog posted the 135i running a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds. The test goes on to show that the M3 had the better track time while the 135i and 335i are still decent performers that deserve a serious look by all serious automotive enthusiasts.

This topic has been discussed many times. We all know by now that the BMW released the Performance Parts Catalog for the 1 Series and we also know that some of these parts can be found on the tii. The truth is that beside the official photos of the tii, we have not really see any other photos. Ok, maybe just one.

Advevo, a member of 1addicts.com has posted some photos of his new BMW 135i modified with some parts from the Performance catalog. The 135i model in the picture has received the aero kit parts along with a different set of wheels. 

The owner was probably set back about $3000-$4000, but in my opinion, it was well worth it.

Btw, did I tell you how much I love the White Alpine on the 1 Series?

Dinan, the BMW tuner that features a full line of performance parts sold and installed by dealers, has just released a Performance Engine Software/Boost Upgrade for the all new BMW 135i. I'm sure most of the bimmer fans have heard of Dinan, but in case you are new to the BMW world, you can always check out their website: www.dinancars.com

Here is a summary of their BMW 135i Performance Engine Software:

The Dinan Performance Engine Software safely increases turbo-boost pressure from the stock 8.8 to 13.2 psi, along with properly retuned fuel mixtures, ignition timing and full map rescaling.The Dinan Performance Engine Software safely increases turbo-boost pressure from the stock 8.8 to 13.2 psi, along with properly retuned fuel mixtures, ignition timing and full map rescaling. In fact, over 2000 engine management functions have been recalibrated, offering substantial increases in power output while maintaining the civility and reliability expected of a Dinan performance product.

Remapped Water Pump Speeds. In an effort to more effectively control oil and water temperatures, the Dinan software actually increases water pump speeds as boost pressure increases.

Boost Pressure Control. Increased boost pressure exceeds the turbochargers’ design limitations at higher rpm, potentially shortening their lifespan. Dinan addresses this issue by tapering the boost gradually at higher engine speeds. This approach also addresses the fact that with increased boost at higher rpm the turbocharger temperatures would exceed the intercooler’s ability to cool the intake charge, resulting in a loss of power and compromising the long-term durability of the engine. The tapered boost keeps temperatures within the design limitations so as to optimize output and ensure engine reliability with the added boost pressure.

The results of Dinan’s tuning are nothing short of breathtaking, with the added boost and related recalibration producing maximum output of 384 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 421 lb-ft torque at 4300 rpm. All of this additional power is available from Dinan’s software alone, which is easily downloaded by your Authorized Dinan Dealer in about an hour. 

You can read more on their website: BMW 135i Performance Engine Software

A week ago, we had the opportunity to test drive the all new BMW 135i. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time and we were very excited to have this opportunity. As some of you might know, back in January, I picked up a brand new 335i through the BMW European Delivery program. Ever since I started to drive my 335i/twin-turbo engine, I have always wondered how much faster would the 135i be. The 335i and the 135i coupe share the same twin-turbo engine, outputting 300 horsepower, but the 1-series top model is lighter than the 335i. Weighting less, I would definitely expect the 135i to be slightly faster, but would it handle better?

Us, the folks in the States, really don't have many places where we can speed, therefore, I am always more interested on how a car handles in compare to others and how fun of a drive it actually is. 

Well, let me just say this: the BMW 135i has NOT let me down. Now let's go over some details.

Our dear friend Irv Robinson, from edBMW.com and Motorwerks BMW, has allowed us to take the 135i for a spin. The car we drove was an automatic Black Saphire 135i, fairly loaded, Premium Package, Sport Package and with the beautiful Coral Red Boston leather. The MSRP was $42,325, slightly more expensive that my 335i. 

Interior 

Even though, I have seen the 1-series interior many times, including at the Chicago Auto Show back in February,  I was still surprised how simple and classy the finishes are. As I have mentioned before, with small exceptions, the dashboard and the sound unit are the same as the ones found in the 3-series. The extra little things that make the 135i stand out, are the M elements that add something unique to the car. 

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