BMW M135i Hatchback, now with xDrive!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Leonidae@MFT
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To be fair on Bangle, it was only the concept of most BMWs of that era that he came up with - as design director, much of the actual designing was left to his team of minions.

The Bangle-era stuff all grew on me though. Looked mad at the time, now all looks quite sane.

Of the modern stuff, I don't like the 5er, but the new 3-Series looks brilliant on the road, and the 1-Series looks a lot better than the pictures give it credit. I quite liked the old 1-Series too, but the new one succeeds in looking more modern, and it's certainly not as hard on the eyes as it is in pictures. Big wheels certainly don't harm the looks either.
 
It's a bit like watching Hitchcock's Psycho and comparing it to a modern horror movie. The original always seems tame when compared to its later derivatives.

/bad simile
 
hawkeye122
I thought the Z4M coupe was the successor...
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It bears more similarity in terms of shape to the Z3M than the Z4M Coupe personally, hence the idea of it being a 'spiritual successor'. The 1M is the E30 M3's spiritual successor (BMW themselves practically said so) but the E30 M3 was actually followed by the E36 M3...
 
Beeblebrox237
What an ugly car. Chris Bangle needs to up his game.
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Anything, you must knock on Adrian Van Hooydonk's door :lol:

All of Bangle's work has been a love it, or hate it. When everybody goes for the mainstream, he went for something a little different and radical. Much like the E63 6-Series being so radical that at first, I hated it so much for its awkward look. As time goes by, you started to understand the car slowly and eventually you'll fall in love with it. The same exact thing happened with the E60 5-Series too!

It's a shame that he left BMW for good. Adrian Van Hooydonk's path now is simple yet something. I actually love the way they're going now than they were.

One thing that I can see in the future, all of Bangle's car design will never look old. It's like it's been designed way ahead of its time and the E60 5-Series is one of the example.

But don't ask me anything about the design of this though, I admit it really is ugly and the rear is just so uninspired. However, the interior is so nice that you'll ignore the exterior totally! Whether this will change in the future? I don't know..

FifthApex
I know, I just don't think they will be able to pull it off, if they do, then great! But I just don't think it'll happen
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I think they've actually did ;)
 
FifthApex
Where has BMW gone? There trying to compete with Golfs and Focuses, they should stick to there big powerful executive sedans and coupes.
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BMW has been making hatchbacks for a long time, they just keep em in Europe :grumpy:

And do want!!!!
 
InvincibleM5
Anything, you must knock on Adrian Van Hooydonk's door :lol:

...

It's a shame that he left BMW for good. Adrian Van Hooydonk's path now is simple yet something. I actually love the way they're going now than they were.

...
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Karim Habib will be taking over as head of design in June, with van Hooydonk remaining as VP for BMW Group Design. Habib was responsible for the design teams that did the current F01 7 series and the BMW CS Concept from a few years ago. He's just comeback to BMW from a short stay at Mercedes.


edit: also

Leonidae@MFT
^Forgot the 3-series compact? E36 and E46 had it.
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Don't forget the old '02 3 door hatchbacks!

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MatskiMonk
Karim Habib will be taking over as head of design in June, with van Hooydonk remaining as VP for BMW Group Design. Habib was responsible for the design teams that did the current F01 7 series and the BMW CS Concept from a few years ago. He's just comeback to BMW from a short stay at Mercedes.
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Yeah, I read about that earlier today on BMWBLOG. One thing that has been around in my question list is that, why was it a short stay?
 
The MSport models look better than the non-MSport, but neither are what you'd call a good looking car, particularly form the front :lol:

But the M135i seems to be a bit of a hit with the motoring press... 0-60mph in well under 5s and 0-100mph in 11s. Pretty quick for a £30k hatch and the handling supposed to be good too.
 
Loved it since I've seen the Monkey's vid on it. I'd avoid the xdrive like the plague, though.
 
The M135i is great fun. Feels quicker than the figures suggest too.

Duffers917K
Loved it since I've seen the Monkey's vid on it. I'd avoid the xdrive like the plague, though.
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Normally I would too, but I could see it being awesome fun in the winter. Considering a Subaru WRX STI costs about the same (more than the RWD one in fact, but probably similar to the xDrive), I know which I'd rather have.
 
Maybe just US but 1 series start at 31, I doubt a m135 will be less than even a premium hatch with options (wrx sti) the infamous 40 sti. :lol:

That said, still a very cool car.

Does the 1 hatch have a premium over the coupe? I know the sti hatch has a 2k premium over the sedan.
 
If only they'd fix the headlights, then they would have a winner in my books.. As it is, it will only terrorize people for the short while it appears in their rear view mirrors before passing them.
 
What is up with them headlights? :lol: And the rear lights, is that a VW Polo? :scared: Why, oh why, are BMW getting so ugly? :ouch:
 
Leonidae@MFT
If only they'd fix the headlights, then they would have a winner in my books.. As it is, it will only terrorize people for the short while it appears in their rear view mirrors before passing them.
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I've honestly come to quite like the front of the car, at least in M-sport guise, but the tail-lamp treatment is horrible, makes the back of the car look like it's got a big butt, I can't lie! People say the rear looks like the VW Polo's.. it doesn't look anything like the Polo if you see them side by side, the Polo looks alright!
 
Kent
Maybe just US but 1 series start at 31, I doubt a m135 will be less than even a premium hatch with options (wrx sti) the infamous 40 sti. :lol:

That said, still a very cool car.

Does the 1 hatch have a premium over the coupe? I know the sti hatch has a 2k premium over the sedan.
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Over here it's excellent value. M135i starts sub-£30k, when you pay £32k to get a WRX STI. Top-end hot hatchbacks (Ford/Renault/Vauxhall) are £27k-28k at the moment, which makes the BMW seriously tempting for people in that market. I'm amazed that BMW has offered something at that price, frankly. 1M was £40k - a bit more bespoke perhaps, but no faster in the real world.

And no, hatch is generally cheaper than coupe over here, though they've not yet released a coupe of this generation 1-Series.

As for the looks, I've grown to quite like the 1er now. Same as happened with the last one. Yeah, it's a bit challenging from some angles, but far from ugly I'd say.
 
Do it Matsi, you know you want to.
 
^ Trust me, I'd like to... but... even the 320 is a stretch, which is why I decided to go for neither! To be honest at the moment I need the money more, my company car entitlement is fairly new, and I don't want to take the mick too much to begin with so that's why I've pretty much decided to personally buy an E24, or an E3, or an '02 instead... they'll satisfy my need for an interesting BMW, they'll cost me less personally and I can continue to claim motoring expenses for my 320d that I use for work at the moment. Don't get me wrong, if everything goes to plan this year the money side should be less of an issue... the boss got his A8, I want at least a 5-er... or maybe a 4GC :)
 
I think it'd be awesome if they did a M150d.
 
Right. So if it 4WD, the most important question is this: what is its 0-60 time?
 
C-ZETA
Right. So if it 4WD, the most important question is this: what is its 0-60 time?
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That isn't an important question at all :p

In all seriousness, I can't see it being much different from the RWD version. Extra traction will be negated by extra weight and extra ability to bog down.

The main reason they're releasing such a thing is for people who live in areas with poor weather. Clutch-frying standing starts probably aren't the motivation behind it.
 
Here's some specs

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With the added traction of xDrive all-wheel drive, BMW’s M135i M Performance, rated at 320 horsepower, will sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.7 seconds and go on to easily reach its electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
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1500kg. As much as an F30 3 series saloon.
 

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