Car Enthusiast - click here to access the home page


 



It's the One you've been waiting for. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

It's the One you've been waiting for
The third body style in the 1 Series range is potentially the best yet. Say hello to the new BMW Coupé.

   



<< earlier review     later review >>

Reviews homepage -> BMW reviews

| First Drive | Gotland, Sweden | BMW 1 Series Coupé |

Getting bored with the seemingly endless launch of new BMW models? We'd like to tell you that we are, but just when you think that BMW has expanded its range in every conceivable direction, it reveals yet another new car. So it was with the 1 Series Coupé. Our first impressions of the third body style in the 1 Series line-up were favourable, with some drawing comparison with the iconic BMW 2002 two-door.

In the cold and misty light of an early morning in Sweden, it's obvious that there is nothing retro about the 1 Series Coupé. There is some passing similarity between the new car and its illustrious predecessor around the shape of the rear window, but elsewhere it's a design in the here and now. That's no bad thing either, as the replacement of a hatch for a saloon-like boot has enhanced the appearance of the 1 Series no end. The three-door hatch carries off design features such as the swooping side swage line better than its five-door sibling, but that detail is hardly noticeable on the Coupé thanks to the stronger shoulder line running from front to back.

Towards the rear, this line curves inwards, creating the impression of muscular haunches. It complements the shape of the rear window nicely and gives the new Coupé a distinctly sporting stance when viewed from the front three quarters. It helps that all cars at the international launch are the range topping 135i M Sport model, complete with its own body kit. Beefier bumpers and a rear spoiler are balanced by more pronounced side sills and decently dimensioned alloys. This car may yet divide opinion, but less so than the hatchback and simply put; we love it.

Owners of the regular 1 Series models will be familiar with the Coupé's cockpit, though buyers of the new car will have more colour and trim options than before, in a move very MINI-like. It's no surprise that rear legroom is no better than in the hatchback models, but we don't think that practicality is a priority of many coupé buyers. Saying that, the Coupé's boot is bigger than the hatch's.

At hearing the news that BMW would sell a 135i model, we had mixed feelings. On the one hand, the idea of slotting the excellent twin-turbo straight-six into the compact 1 Series shape is an exciting one, but our experiences with the 130i - specifically the M Sport model - suggest that the chassis needs work to offer a decent blend of control and comfort. That car struggles to put its grip down satisfactorily exiting anything other than a perfectly smooth corner under duress. Even on smooth tarmac, driven with enthusiasm, the 130i often loses its power through spinning its inside wheel.

How then could the same fundamental chassis cope with the jump in power and torque? The most obvious change incorporated on the Coupé is a new electronic differential lock. Although it's not a mechanical system, this feature effectively channels power to the tyre with the most grip by applying braking to the spinning wheel. We found it to be very effective on track, allowing the Coupé to find tremendous traction and pretty much obviating the need for traction control. It will be interesting to see if this translates well onto a bumpy B-road, where the 130i frustrates with its lack of traction.

The second major difference should help with that, though it's not immediately obvious. It's no surprise that the Coupé shape is stiffer in torsion than either hatchback and what this means is that BMW could utilise softer springs and different damper characteristics on the 135i, theoretically improving the ride quality and bump absorption without any loss in body control and agility. First impressions were favourable, though the test route was not as much a challenge for the chassis as our own roads will be.

Like the sound of all this? Well, you won't have long to wait, as the 1 Series Coupé goes on sale on November 24th. The 135i M Sport model sits at the top of the range that will include 120d and 125i models, but we suspect that the gem of the line-up could well be the new 123d, featuring a twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel unit with 201bhp and 295lb.ft of torque. This model comes as standard with the same electronic differential lock as the 135i model, yet offers far superior fuel economy.

That's not the end of it either, as it's highly likely that the cool Concept 1 Series tii shown at the Tokyo Show will spawn a new sports version. Then there's the new 1 Series Convertible. It never ends, does it?

Shane O' Donoghue - 2 Nov 2007



  www.bmw.co.uk    - BMW road tests
- BMW news
- 1 Series images

2007 BMW 1 Series specifications: (135i M Sport)
Price: £29,745 on-the-road.
0-62mph: 5.3 seconds
Top speed: 155mph
Combined economy: 30.7mpg
Emissions: 220g/km
Kerb weight: 1560kg

2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.

2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.



2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 BMW 1 Series Coupé. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 






 

Internal links:   | Home | Privacy | Contact us | Archives | Old motor show reports | Follow Car Enthusiast on Twitter | Copyright 1999-2024 ©