BMW 1-Series Interior Review
Anyone familiar with the interior layout of the current 3 Series would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the BMW 135i and the much larger, more expensive 335i. Just about everything inside is in the same location and looks and operates the same way.
The front bucket seats are very comfortable and supportive, with big side bolsters. The 135i steering wheel tilts and telescopes, helping drivers of different shapes and sizes to find the ideal driving position.
The iDrive system features a pop-up screen on the dashtop for managing the entertainment, optional navigation, vehicle, and telephone systems.
All 135i coupes come with a 60/40 split folding rear seat than can provide almost triple the trunk room of 13 cubic feet. A storage package for the trunk area includes some tie-downs and straps and a 12-volt power point for external accessories.
The convertibles feature a soft top that can be raised or lowered in 22 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 25 mph so you don't need to worry whether that stoplight will be long enough to finish the roof operation. The soft top takes up less trunk space than a convertible hard top would, which is partly why the design uses a soft top. They are expected to be high-quality, three-layer insulated soft tops.
BMW 1-Series Road Test
Simple mathematics will tell you that driving a 306-hp, 3400-pound rear-drive coupe built on a short-wheelbase chassis adds up to a great deal of driving enjoyment, especially when the engine's torque curve is absolutely flat from 1300 to 5000 rpm and the engine redlines at 7000 rpm.
This 24-valve inline-6 packs two turbochargers and makes more than 102 hp per liter, which is considered engineering magic. BMW says the 135i will accelerate from rest to 62 mph or 100 kmh in a mere 5.3 seconds, and top out at 155 mph, which is not something that most cars in this projected price category can do.
Because the BMW 135i is essentially a scaled-down 335i, its ride, steering, and handling carry the same exemplary qualities as the larger car. Its smaller front steering tires are matched to the job of pointing the car while the fatter rear tires lay the power down in wonderfully linear fashion, and the car's weight is distributed just about 50/50 on the front and rear tires.
Electronic driving aids abound in the 1 Series, including antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and cornering brake control, dynamic traction control, dynamic stability control, and a switch that can disable the DSC system for track days or generally more involving driving through the woods. That's ABS with EBD, CBC, DSC and traction control, for those who prefer acronyms.
The brakes use massive six-piston calipers at the front and twin-piston calipers at the rear, with 13.3-inch front discs and 12.75-inch rear discs and a built-in brake drying and anti-fade feature.
We found the steering, cornering, and braking performance of the BMW 135i to be exemplary, perfectly matched to the huge acceleration power of the engine.
BMW 1-Series Lineup
Initially, the BMW 1 Series lineup is limited to the 135i coupe, but it will soon be followed by a less-expensive, lower-performing 128i coupe. Both the BMW 128i and BMW 135i will be offered in convertible versions, but these will not be available initially.
The BMW 135i comes with a high-performance 3.0-liter inline-6 with twin turbochargers, with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission with conventional floor shifter and wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
An AM/FM/CD changer will be standard. An AUX input for MP3 and iPod players will be standard, with a USB port a likely option.
Options include bi-xenon headlamps, cornering lamps, premium sound systems, a demountable rear rack, and a choice of three interior and upholstery schemes, cloth, leather and cloth, and leather.
Safety features that come standard on the 135i include six air bags, ABS, electronic stability control, traction control, cornering brake control, and launch control for getting started on slippery surfaces. The 135i comes with run-flat high-performance tires. The brake lights include a panic-braking mode that lights up the entire lens extra bright whenever the brake pedal is stomped hard.