The BMW M135i brings M car thrills to the hot hatch segment. Does it feel all the more desirable in 2015 facelift guise.
Considering the level of performance, usability and engagement you
really do get a lot of car for your money with the M135i. The powertrain
and rear-drive chassis combination make it unique in the sector and one
of the best to drive. However, with such a rich pool of talent in the
hot-hatch class, the M135i isn’t quite the perfect proposition it once
was.
If driver involvement and excitement is what you value above anything else in a hot hatch, then the BMW
M135i has been the go to option since it was launched in 2012. This
moderately updated version has received minor mechanical tweaks and a
well overdue exterior makeover, but is it enough to keep the likes of
the VW Golf R and Audi S3 at bay?
Against such rivals, the BMW is able to
play a number of trump cards. Firstly, its more direct rear-wheel drive
chassis means it keep its USP in the hot hatch arena and whereas the Audi and VW both use 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines, the BMW comes with a sonorous 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine up front.
For the revised model, BMW has transplanted
the uprated 322bhp engine from the drop-top M235i, so there’s 6bhp more
than before without any affect on the claimed 35.3mpg economy figure.'
The engine remains turbocharged, but
you wouldn’t know it. Pile on the revs and it spins progressively all
the way to 7,000rpm with ever-increasing shove towards the top end. The
maximum torque of 450Nm is available from only 1,300rpm, so a boot of
throttle at crawling pace in third gear will see you pick up pace
without breaking a sweat. And it sounds fantastic. There is some exhaust
trickery going on, with noise pumped into the cabin via the speakers
but its very well executed.
As standard, BMW will fit three pedals and a six-speed manual gearbox
and we see little reason to change that. Okay, so the auto is marginally
quicker from 0-62mph at 4.9 seconds – a 0.2 second advantage over the
manual – but there’s a far greater sense of connection with a gearlever
in your left hand. The shift may be a little springy and a touch too
light but on the whole it’s accurate and works beautifully with the
rear-wheel drive chassis.
And the faultless setup extends beyond rear-wheel drive and a manual
gearbox. Weight distribution is perfect 50:50 front to rear, so no
matter how enthusiastic you are with the throttle the M135i never feels
uncontrollable or out of its depth. It hits an absolute sweet spot with
the amount of power, adjustability and balance, enabling you to really
use all it can offer without fear of the back end breaking away.
We could do with some more feel through the steering wheel – a common
complaint with modern cars - but the chunky leather clad rim sits
perfectly in your hands. On longer drives its forgiving and placid
nature when you’re just sailing along with the adaptive dampers set to
comfort is a real plus, too.
Key specs
- Price: £31,725
- Engine: 3.0-litre 6cyl turbo
- Power: 322bhp
- 0-62mph/top speed: 5.1s/155mph
- Economy/CO2: 35.3mpg/188g/km
- On sale: Now
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