Light, affordable, agile, sublime. The attributes that made BMW's 2002 an instant classic from its European premier in 1966 will do the same for the 128i and 135i models of the 2008 BMW 1 Series Coupe if they're as good by the seat of the pants as they are on paper.
Designed to fill the price space between two icons, the Mini Cooper and the 3 Series, the 1 Series features a lightweight aluminum front suspension and five-link rear axle, frameless doors, new L-shaped taillamps with LED highlights and corona daytime running lights ... the type of features that make more expensive Bimmers such magic.
The 128i comes with the 230-horsepower, 200 pound-foot 3.0-liter with Valvetronic, and the 135i gets the twin-turbo 3.0 of course, good for 300 horses, 300 pound-feet from 1400 rpm, and BMW says, a 5.3-second 0-62 mph time and electronically limited 155 mph top speed.
The 135i gets a slew of M-inspired components, including an aero kit, sports suspension, 18-inch rims shod with 215/40 (front) and 245/35 (rear) performance rubber. Various M touches also grace the cabin, including sport buckets and pedals. Stopping the 135i is a high-performance brake system with six-piston fixed calipers out front and two-piston fixed calipers at the rear, with enhanced brake cooling ducts.
BMW says the 1 Series features a 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution, with the aforementioned, aluminum MacPherson setup at the front and five-link configuration out back. Speed sensitive electro-hydraulic steering is also part of the mix thanks to BMW's optional Active Steer system.
On the inside, the interior comes in leather or faux leather trim with multiple pearl gloss surfaces serving as accents. A slew of other standard and optional interior features are available (including Sirius satellite radio, a standard iPod/MP3 jack, USB port) with iDrive (thankfully) an option along with a navigation system, although BMW has been hyping improvements to the much-maligned interface. A 60/40 split rear comes standard, as do six airbags for the four-seater.
The 1 Series will bow at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with North American sales planned in the spring of 2008. Pricing is still a ways off, but expect the 128i to come in somewhere around $26,000 or so, with the 135i some $5,000 more.
Call it the new tii. Could the 20 ... er, 1 Series coupe do for BMW what the Mini Cooper has done for BMW?