We’ve obsessively covered the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, but there was one car we nearly missed. Sure, the 1 Series isn’t exactly headline material, but this isn’t your typical F70. BMW brought one of the most expensive versions money can buy. Not only is it the M Performance variant, but it also packs several options that quickly drive up the price.
By far the most eye-catching upgrade is the Individual paint job. Codenamed P93, Shakir Orange III Metallic is the latest evolution of a bold color BMW has offered for years. You might remember it from the F10 M5 or the F13 M6 of the previous decade. We also recently saw it on the G99 M5 Touring, and in every case, it instantly makes the car pop.
As you’d expect, Shakir Orange doesn’t come cheap. It costs an extra £3,425 on this UK-spec M135, while at home in Germany it’s priced at €3,900. Complementing the vibrant hue is a black roof and rear spoiler combo, which BMW, naturally, charges extra for. The Goodwood show car also featured optional 19-inch forged wheels (style 1085 M) and M Compound brakes.
Now that the M135 sports quad exhaust tips and an M badge on the kidney grille, it’s flashier than any 1 Series before it. The same goes for the interior, where body-hugging front seats with integrated headrests feature an illuminated M logo. M-themed stitching on the dashboard completes the look. It’s easy to mistake it for a real M car if you’re not a diehard BMW fan. Even the badge on the tailgate has enlarged “M” and “1” characters relative to the rest. But this isn’t an M1, not by a long shot.
Although the United Kingdom left the European Union in 2020, the UK-spec M135 uses the same detuned B48 engine as its EU counterpart. The turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline unit makes 296 hp, whereas in non-EU markets it produces 312 hp. Why the difference? As you probably guessed, stricter emissions regulations in Europe. This power gap also affects other M Performance compact models, including the X1 M35i, X2 M35i, and M235 Gran Coupe.
BMW hasn’t said anything about reviving the 128ti front-wheel-drive sporty hatch to fight the Volkswagen Golf GTI. For now, the M135 remains the only performance-oriented version of the fourth-generation 1 Series.
Photos: Bimmer Today
