For Our Consumption: BMW 128i and 135i Coupe

The 1-Series is finally here! After months and months of “it’s coming soon”announcements, BMW officially confirmed, with pages of glorious detail, that the vehicle heading our way. As it stands, the 1-Series will only be available as a two-door coupe even though the car is offered in three- and five-door hatchback designs in other markets.

Spiritually, at least, the 1-Series is the modern day successor to the popular 2002 model of the ’60s and ’70s, plus early-generations of the 3-Series. Overall, the little Coupe is 5.2 inches longer than its hatchback siblings, and wider by 0.04 inches in order to incorporate its notchback trunk design, and in some ways looks like a scaled down version of the new 3-Series Coupe, complete with L-shaped tail lamps and the trademark Hofmeister kink in the rear quarter window. Total trunk space is 13.0 cu-ft, which makes it ideal for weekend getaways. BMW has already created the M-Sport package for the car, which will include a more aggressive air dam, a body kit, plus the usual assortment of suspension upgrades for better roadholding.

Two versions of the 1-Series Coupe will be available to North Americans,the 128i and the 135i, using powerplants that are found in the 3-Series and 5-Series range. The 128i is powered by a 3.0-liter straight six that makes 230 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque, which is plenty for a compact-sized car. The step up to the 135i involves the incredibly powerful 300-hp twin-turbocharged direct injection straight six with 300 lb-ft of torque. BMW says that the 135i will take about 5.1 seconds to reach 60 mph from stop, but those numbers seem a little on the conservative side given that magazines have found that the heavier 335i can achieve that very goal in the mid four second range. In any case, the fact that BMW is serious about dropping this motor in the smallest car it makes shows how serious it is about dominating the premium luxury compact marketplace.

Indeed, the performance of the 135i is stunning, but insome ways the Europeans are saving the best 1-Series for themselves, the 123d. This 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine makes 204 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, which is enough to rocket the little coupe to 60 mph in about 7.0 seconds. Oh, and it’s capable of an average of 45 mpg too. The less powerful 120d (same motor, less power) is geared towards even greater efficiency; equipped with Stop and Start idle stop technology, plus other Efficient Dynamics technologies, the car is capable of 50 mpg. Unfortunately, our 1-Series won’t have this particular feature, but it will still have regenerative braking.

The interior of the 1-Series Coupe is identical to that of the regular 1-Series hatchbacks, with an uncluttered, somewhat minimalist look that mimics the 3-Series, accented by a single swooping convex piece of trim. On cars equipped with navigation, the screen folds up from the dash-top like the X3 and Z4, though it features iDrive. Besides leather sport seats, the 1-Series will also have a push-button start, and available xenon headlamps. Pricing of the 1-Series and more information will be available closer to its on-sale date, which is spring 2008.