This March sees the introduction of a new engine to the 1 Series range, with the flagship 135i Coupé and Convertible getting the new TwinPower turbocharged petrol straight-six unit - as introduced in the 535i GT. It means, unsurprisingly, more emissions and less performance.
No, hang on; it's the other way around. The new engine means the 135i Coupé develops the same 306bhp and 295lb.ft as the current car, except now it's capable of 33.2mpg combined with the new auto 'box attached (that's a 2.5mpg gain, by the way) and the 0-62mph sprint drops by 0.2 seconds - as compared to the current auto version - to 5.2 seconds.
The dual-clutch automatic, called DKG in BMW's case, allows manual shifting via a pair of paddles on the wheel, but if you prefer to shift with a traditional stick, the six-speed manual version offers a 5.1-second 0-62mph sprint and combined economy exactly the same as the auto.
EfficientDynamics measures have contributed to the new found parsimony (relative, that is), because the 135i gets brake energy recuperation, a shift point indicator (in the manual), and on-demand control of the systems driven by electricity, like the power steering, fuel pump and oil pump. There's no word on by how much CO
2 emissions are reduced, but expect a few grams per kilometre less - probably nothing tax band changing.
That the 135i has got even hotter is fanning the flames of the rumour there's an M1 Coupé on the horizon. BMW's M Division has received criticism in some quarters because the X5 and
X6 M variants broke its hitherto unbroken penchant for naturally aspirated engines and rear-wheel drive. Nothing would abate purist M Division fans like an M-badged One with those qualities intact.
That said, the engine is likely to be turbocharged to meet emissions regulations, but a lightweight M1 would, for some, be the true successor to the original E30 M3. Fingers crossed. In the meantime there might also be a mildly massaged version of the car you've just read about, in the same vein as the
new Z4 sDrive35is, but probably with a name that's easier to say; 135is is our guess.
Mark Nichol - 19 Jan 2010
