RAJ27

BMW 1-Series Coupé (2007 onwards model) - First Drives | Reviews | MSN Cars UK

For a 'normal' off the shelf car with 'subtle' looks and under 30k, 0-62mph in 5.3 secs is bloody good. Coupled with 30MPG and good residuals it certainly gets my vote.

Brun

Got to admit - it does seem to push all the buttons

Janspeed

iTrader: (1)

Seems like a rocket!

ScoobyDoo555

Quite liking this BM, despite its relation to the BUTT-ugly 1 series.....

Nice

DAn

Petem95

How common do BM's want to get?!! The brand is already suffering from every other car being a BMW - and this one is pretty damn ugly too IMO!

Resale values of beemers are not what they used to be either.

DesR

... needs a remap and bigger turbos...

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

And no badges or any other clue, in fact badge it 116i.

It is tiny and has 306 bhp, how fast do you really need to go ?

Without the electronics, even standard it would end up parked in hedgerows.

dpb

almost as gay as a Direhatsu copen

billythekid

I had a 130i and that was quick enough, but an extra 40bhp should make it a serious car!

Steve vRS

Nice

Price

Steve

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Looks great, but I'd have to question the point of it. If its refined, then you are just going to end up going really really quickly without actually feeling that speed.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Wouldnt say a 135i is Gay, by that I assume you mean a bit effete as cars cant actually be homosexual, perhaps a little female middle manager/aspiring business bitch but not gay.

Steve vRS

I like this more.

PistonHeads Headlines

Steve

Janspeed

iTrader: (1)

LMAO!!

MJW

It's amazing how they made such a small car weigh 1560kgs !!! The 335i only weighs 40kgs more

£30k is a lot to ask though, there's a lot of other options for that money

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

What a great looking car! M3 engine pls

TX.

v8voodoo

I'm not sure I agree that there are many 4 seat coupes around with that sort of performance, refinement and mpg for that kind of money...?

I couldn't find any when I was looking

Tart Man

And the 3 series is a heavy car to start with: A 530 is 1605kg, which really puts things into perspective.

Its a shame really, as I am sorely tempted to have one, but just can't get my head round the price and the weight. I mean whats the point in having a small car weighing 1560kg, I mean the only thing being saved over a 335i is the space in the garage and a few grand.

Especially when the Z4 coupe is not much more money and weighs much less (1,395kg ).

Think its time BMW started investing in Aluminium and carbon fibre

MJW

You could get a 2nd hand Porsche Cayman for that money. Ok, there's only two seats, but the rear seats in the 1-series aren't exactly accommodating.

Matteeboy

Rare and refreshing to hear people actually mentioning how heavy BMWs are.
They seem to get away with it most of the time!

Flatcapdriver

Eh? Get away with what? All cars are getting heavier but at least BMW publish their weights to include a driver and full tank of fuel unlike Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes to name a few.

Matteeboy

Jag, Merc, Audi don't call themselves the "Ultimate Driving Machines" though.
BMWs are suprisingly heavy, be they a boggo spec 318i or an M6.

Flatcapdriver

I still don't see what your point is? Taking two similar spec models from Mercedes shows its weight to be 1485kg...


Manufacturer Data - Autocar.co.uk

whilst the Beemer is 1435kg...

Manufacturer Data - Autocar.co.uk

So not only are the Beemers lighter, like for like, but what the hell that has to do with being the 'ulitmate driving machines' is beyond me.

Matteeboy

Flatcap - it's very complicated.
Light cars are better to drive. Heavy cars are not.
BMW make almost no effort to save weight in their cars.

Mercedes don't make such bold driving claims and are aimed more at the luxury market. Even Audi make efforts to save weight with the extensive use of aluminium used in various cars they make.

A very small coupe weighing not far off 1500kgs is ludicrous. BMWs are heavy.

Sorry to dare to question your mighty marque.

Flatcapdriver

All modern cars are heavy, I agree, and the 135i proves that, however, I've just shown you that Beemers are generally lighter than their counterparts but you can't seem to accept that. So as they're 'the ultimate driving machines' by your definition - they're correct in saying that because generally they're lighter than the opposition such as Mercedes and Audi who in your opinion are luxury brands. Audi have made use of aluminium as have Jaguar because they're cars are so overweight they've been forced to.

If lighter cars are (in your opinion) so much better, then why are you considering the purchase of a Defender which in its current guise, is at least 100kg heavier than my old Range Rover? Surely, you should be looking at a lighter car?

Matteeboy

A Defender is nowhere near a driver's car. In fact, it's crap on the road.
But it's the best off roader by miles and will last forever.
The Astra will remain our mile muncher.

If I wanted a fast car, I'd be looking at something very different.
But I'm over fast cars. Just can't be bothered with them any more.

But I'll always like many of them.

Tart Man

Quite alot. Weight is the biggest problem on modern production cars. Manufacturers spend billions making more powerful and resposnsive engines. But then put them in increasingly heavier chassis, reducing engine response, braking, and severly hampering a car's handling and comfort- epecially on the UK's roads. One really does notice when you start chucking many modern cars about on some bumpy backroads where the suspension starts struggling to control the body weight and imperfections in the road surface.

Lets not forget emissons and fuel consumption (my green bit for the debate ).

BMW by no means are the only exception, but when they produce a compact coupe, one instantly thinks this maybe something a bit more feather weight to a lardy 3 series (Which I don't get on with - nervous, jiggly and wallowy at the same time - without the run flats either).

I feel there is only so much a manufacturer can do to a car's chassis and suspension to counter-act the laws of physics, and even then its a compromise between ride quality, handling and comfort. Generally ending up with something that is either too extreme in one area (too stiff, too soft etc) or something that doesn't really excel in any area comfort/handling wise (cough 3-series M-sport ).


Myself being a person who wants a semi-practical smallish RWD car, the car's weight is an important factor for me. The weight of the 135ci kind of makes me wonder what is the point of even bothering making it (from a driving point of view) when its as compromised as a 335 They may as well saved the development money and just put the 3.0 turbo unit into a Z4 coupe (which i hope they will anyway ).

Flatcapdriver

The same principle applies off road as it does on road which is why people spend so much time stripping the weight off them - Defenders are way too heavy.

Suggest you don't follow too many modern Range Rovers off road if you think the Defender is as good as it gets, otherwise you'll find yourself up to your axles in trouble.

Matteeboy

Bloody hell you really so GO ON don't you?
Yes, I'd love to reverse a RR into the sea to pick up my boat.
Yes I'd love to sling a load of wet gear into an RR.
Yes I can really see myself slinging mucky horse kit into an RR.
Yes I would love to try and change after a February surf in the back of an RR.
Yes I'd really love to break off the front and rear bumpers as they caught on a steep slope.
Yes I'd love to trash those low profile RR alloys off road.

Defender 90 SWs weight 1.8 tonnes with a driver and fuel. RR weight well over 2 tonnes (in fact about 2.5).

Now Flatcap, go and leech onto someone else.
You're boring me to death now with your utterly pointless and ill informed attempts at being a smart **** - which have all failed.

Flatcapdriver

You see, this is your problem when confronted by facts, you simply resort to your inner child and throw your toys out of the pram. If you didn't confuse your own opinions with facts, then I wouldn't attempt to educate you so just to review:

You've tried to pin the blame for overweight cars at BMW's door and when I pointed out that they generally manufactured cars that were lighter than their competitors you couldn't accept this and instead of admitting this in an adult fashion, you simply twisted your argument round to suit your own agenda.

When I pointed out to you that your own choice of vehicle was hardly a lightweight, instead of simply admitting it you yet again attempted to wriggle out of it by saying that it wasn't a road vehicle anyway so it didn't matter. I then pointed out that weight matters as much off road as it does on road but again you couldn't admit I had a point and just to cap it off instead of being honest about the Landy's capabilities against the Range Rover you go off on some rant to justify your opinion.

I think there's quite a lot of growing up that needs to be done by you, not least of which is to admit that you're not always right and that others often have far more experience than you do.