Road TestCar reviews - BMW - 1 Series - 135I CoupeBMW modelsOverviewBMW returns to its compact coupe roots with the quakingly quick and taut 135i Coupe12 Sep 2008 BMW makes sports cars, right? Well, of course, although its sprightly SUVs stretch that truth a little too much for real brand loyalists these days. Thankfully, then, there is the 135i Sport Coupe, here now to woo you with its striking style, wonderful twin-turbo in-line petrol six, outstanding safety and superb dynamics. In fact, the 1 Series coupe is a better all-round bet than the fab but flawed hatch. But the real beauty of this car is that it reconnects with BMW’s brilliant coupe heritage, making it one of the most enjoyable and accessible cars to come from the Bavarian marque in years. Model release date: 1 April 2008 to 1 January 2014 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelBMW’s second-generation 3 Series certainly captured the zeitgeist of the go-go 1980s, rapidly rising up the image tree quicker than a greedy New York stockbroker. With its crisp three-box styling, beautifully solid interior, agile steering and quick handling (too quick for some, as the simple rear suspension proved), the rear-wheel drive sedan in two or four-door guises soon became a keen driver’s favourite – especially models fitted with one of the smooth and revvy in-line six-cylinder engines. The flagship for Australia was the 325i from 1988, using a 126kW 2.5-litre unit mated to a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual gearbox. Equipment levels included ABS brakes, air-conditioning, alloy wheels and central locking. When released in January 1988, this car cost $70,100 new – or just $1300 under its 2008 135i Sport Coupe equivalent. |
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