Bartek Sikorski

For all the BMW haters out there, consider this fair warning. Starting next spring there are going to be a lot more roundels on the road, just to piss you off. That's when BMW's new 1-series coupes will start to hit the streets, and they'll be driven by a new generation of young, fashionable, and utterly despicable upwardly mobile types. The rest of you, dust off your Ronald Reagan lunchbox and rent a copy of Wall Street, because small Bimmers are gonna be back in style like it's 1987 all over again.

The 1-series is not entirely new, having been around since 2004 in Europe and most of the rest of the world. But until now it has only been offered in hatchback form, and based on the fart-in-church popularity of the last BMW hatchback in America, the 1995-99 318ti, there was no way we were ever getting another one. Now midway through its current model cycle, the 1-series range is being extended, first with a proper coupe and later next year by a ragtop, finally offering Americans a taste of a truly smaller BMW for the first time in about sixteen years.

The new coupe will be offered in two forms, 128i and 135i. If you've paid attention to BMW's naming schemes lately you'll know there is neither a 2.8- nor 3.5-liter engine to be had, but rather a pair of 3.0-liter engines. The 128i will use the naturally aspirated version rated at 230 horsepower, while the 135i will get the twin-turbo version making 300 horses. BMW is guessing the 135i will be the more popular of the two, accounting for slightly more than half the sales, and they recently lured us to Sweden and tempted us with an early taste of the good things to come.

On the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea lies perhaps the most remote racing circuit in the western world. This is the Gotland Ring, nestled deep within a limestone quarry, half a mile off the main road that circles the island. It's odd for sure, but with 1.9 miles of hilly, sweeping, and nearly virgin asphalt, it's the perfect place to experience a car like 135i.


My drive to the track is rather tame, as the Swedish roads are meticulously maintained and the speed limits never exceed 90 km/h, or about 55 mph. In these conditions (and with a police force eager to write out €200+ speeding tickets for the smallest infractions) I can only say the 135i drives like any other BMW. The ride is firm but compliant in a way that only BMW seems capable of mastering, despite riding on a standard sport suspension and 18-inch wheels that will be optional on the 128i. As per usual, body control is excellent. The six-piston front brakes were hardly of use on this short drive, but offered a firm pedal and predictable performance without the dramatic initial bite or obnoxious grating of the new M3's brakes. The optional active steering feels somewhat synthetically weighted and has a brief lag between input and response.

Acceleration is as brisk as you would expect from a 3400-pound car with 300-horsepower, and I was able to pull a handful of 5.3-second 0-to-60 mph pulls with a passenger and a trunkful of camera gear, making the factory's quoted time of 5.1 seconds seem believable under better conditions. The standard six-speed-manual transmission is lifted from the 3-series and inherits all of its traits: Its action is mechanical but light to the touch, it's slightly rubbery in the neutral zone, and reverse is a treasure hunt for newcomers. Power flows to the rear axles only, and electronics, rather than a mechanical limited-slip differential, control the traction. Despite noise from hardcore enthusiasts over the absence of a proper diff, the 135i still laid a pair of stripes when the traction control was defeated.

Unlike the 318ti, the 135i looks as nice as a 3-series inside, thanks in part to an across-the-board refresh of the 1-series earlier this year. The dashboard and instrument panel are clean and uncluttered. Rather than cheaping out on painted plastic dash trim, charcoal-stained wood will be standard, with aluminum or piano black trim optional. Combined with padded door inserts stitched in the same materials as the seats (standard leatherette or optional leather), the overall ambience is classy and expensive looking.

BMW's excellent sport seats will be a stand-alone option that shouldn't be skipped. The pragmatic rear seat is built for just two since pinching three people in back would be a violation of international torture laws. Two fit just fine though, as long as they're shorter than six feet. The roofline could have been sexier were it not for the practical concern of carrying rear passengers in some semblance of comfort.


The trunk of the 135i is compact, but because the coupe's body is longer than the hatchback's, there is actually more cargo space in the two door with the folding rear seats in their upright position. In addition to the split folding seats, there is a standard ski bag and pass-through in the rear armrest. A couple of large suitcases or a pair of golf bags fit easily, and smaller cargo can be strapped down to the floor with the standard rubber straps. Clearly, BMW built the 1-series coupe with practicality in mind.

Which is nice, but not our chief concern. Laps at the Ring would reveal the true nature of 135i and answer the question of whether it is truly a successor to the giant-killing 2002. After a couple of familiarization laps behind a pace car, we're turned loose to do our own damage. Out of the grid lane and hard on the throttle, the twin-turbo growls like a junkyard dog, the exhaust obviously tuned for emotional effect as well as efficiency. We're winding out second before the first turn, a hard right-hander, greets us and we stab at the brakes. No drama so far. Back on the gas for the next combination, a double-apex lefty uphill, we max out second and reach for third at the exit, charging for the acute right at the other end. We tiptoe through in third initially, but eventually we elect second gear for this turn, a move that allows for a controlled drift out of the corner. We're nearing redline in third as we charge to the next corner, a wide, banked left-hander that flattens out then segues into another broad sweeper. The front tires are starting to protest now, deviating slightly from the intended course; more throttle really can't help at this point and there is no choice but to back off the fast pedal to correct the line. On course once again, we squeeze the brakes to scrub off just enough speed for the wide right-hand corner ahead. Immediately after that, we're greeted by a tighter decreasing-radius right that exits uphill; the front tires fight once again for grip but are helpless. Things get interesting for the next combination, which starts with an uphill left that apexes at the crest and descends into a quick right followed by yet another left jog. The 135i sticks like bubble gum to the sidewalk through this sweet set, which is reminiscent of the winding canyon roads of coastal California. The exit to these curves is a wide right-hander that straightens uphill, and the front tires are scrubbing again. At the top of the hill we're winding out third but jump on the brakes just after the crest for a quick left-right chicane that marks the end of our lap.

Rolling back to the grid for another round, the brake pedal is still firm, despite the obvious smell of exercised pads and rotors. Through a dozen laps like this, the middle pedal holds up just fine, never losing its effectiveness. The front tires, however, are another story. By the end of our session they are feathered on the edges and the tread blocks are cupped. Before you chalk it up to the selection of standard run-flat tires, consider that the rears looked no worse than when we started. Despite its combination of high horsepower and rear-wheel drive, the 135i's suspension is tuned for safety. As disappointing as that may sound to some enthusiasts, it's probably a smart move considering how many new 135i owners will probably find themselves behind the wheel of a powerful rear-drive car for the first time ever.

The tendency to understeer at the limit doesn't take away from the thrill of driving the small BMW on the street. The engine is still lighting-quick, and the chassis is otherwise nimble and responsive. Drivers who are comfortable with a more tail-happy experience will no doubt massage the chassis into a more neutral attitude with the addition of some rear roll stiffness, albeit at the expense of ride quality.

With the 3-series now residing in the luxury GT space once reserved for cars like the 6-series, there's certainly room in BMW's lineup for a smaller, more engaging, and more attainable sport coupe. They've nailed the 135i on size, which falls somewhere between the upright '80s icon E30 and the sleek E36 generation that dominated the '90s. Driving dynamics are lively and will no doubt encourage a new crop of serious drivers to hone their skills. As for attainability, well, with an anticipated price in the mid-$30s it won't be cheap, but will still be within a stone's throw of cars like the Evo, STI, and G37. The formula sounds like a recipe for success, and you just know someone is going to be pissed about that.

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