Review: BMW 1-Series Coupé
Posted in General on 25. May, 2011
The entry level BWM is the 1-series, but the Coupe version can be so much more than that.
The first thing you will notice about this car, apart from its styling which some might consider to be a little quirky but others will love, is its zipping performance, which is not too surprising considering that the most powerful version, the 135i, has a six cylinder twin turbocharged power unit which delivers 306 bhp. There is no car in this class which is faster or more powerful and you can get from rest to 62 mph in just 5.3 seconds. What is more, even with all that power you can expect to average 31 mph.
If that is just a little too much for you to handle, then you can opt for the somewhat tamer 125i version. This has a 3 litre engine and delivers 218 bhp giving a 0 to 62 acceleration time of 6.4 seconds. There is also a 120i engine with a 0 to 62 time of 7.8 seconds and a fuel consumption of 48 mpg.
There is also a number of a diesel powered versions. The 123d which is also twin turbocharged, delivers incredible torque at low revs and as a result you can reach 62 mph from rest in only seven seconds and with a top speed of 148 mph; pretty good for a diesel that has a fuel economy of 54 mpg.
You can elect to go for a single turbocharger which will reduce your 0 to 62 time to 7.6 seconds but will also reduce your fuel consumption to 59 mpg, or the 118d which delivers 63 mpg.
Thanks to the rear wheel drive and excellent front/rear weight balance the BWM 1-series Coupé handles extremely well. It sticks to the road like glue and corners as if it was on rails. This car really is the ultimate small coupe.
The more advanced versions of this car come at a price, in fact the top of the range model costs almost twice as much as the entry version, however if you can afford it then you will be driving the most powerful production car in this class. You could always try your luck and look for a used car too.
