BMW 135i beats Cayman

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It's cute, for the lack of a better word. And I'm sure it's a hoot to drive. But lookswise, I think I'd still give a nod to the 3-series coupe. The 0.2s difference in 0-60 time is not very significant on the streets.
 
I wish BMW would put a small diesel in that car and sell it in the US. A 118d or something along those lines would be beautiful to drive and get excellent mileage and probably be more fun in a lot of types of driving than 300hp.

One disappointment about the 1-series is that all the reviews mention understeer. BMWs used to be about balance.

Not disagreeing overall though: definitely a great car.
 
There's a 120d and a 123d available in Europe. The 123d does 0-62 mph in 7 seconds. Plenty fast for most people. The 123d has the same amount of torque (400Nm) as the 135i.

However, out here in the US, I think a lot of time has to pass before a change in the general perception that a diesel-powered car cannot be sporty. Maybe the improving quality of diesel fuel and the rising fuel prices will help.

The 135i is rated at 9.5l/100km mixed fuel consumption. The 123d is rated at 5.2l/100km. But rather unrealistic, IMO, but the difference is still quite significant.
 
You're absolutely right, Pete, they won't do it, largely because they are deathly afraid of giving up their top-of-the-market image here in the US. They would never want to be seen as a maker of "economy" cars, even though they have a strong corporate commitment to efficiency.

I would think those economy figures would be pretty reasonable, by the way. BMW has long published those figures for its cars, and I don't know whether their test has changed but the official rating for my '89 325i was 12.5l/100km (19mpg) and for its contemporary diesel equivalent (E30 324td) it was 10.0l/100km (23.75mpg). Incidentally I average around 30mpg so at least at that time their spec was pretty conservative.
 
BMW and M-B customers in the US mostly stayed away from the hatchbacks (318ti and C230?) they were offered, making BMW and M-B very leery of making the same mistake again. But I think times have changed now. The weak dollar will make them expensive though...
 
In comparing this car to the 335i, keep in mind that it is about $4k cheaper than the sedan and $6k cheaper than the coupe.

Yes, it understeers stock. I'd be shocked if it were otherwise. There are very simple ways to fix that...

That said, I just saw the post on the 135d possibly coming to the US. I really hope so, as this will give about the same performance, with much better economy.

The 128i starts at $28600

The 135i starts at $34900
 
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