BMW new 1 Series is the divine descendant to the company’s
iconic 2002 model. You recognize that one of course, don’t you? The
"1" is a rebirth of species, a compact, basic "three-box"
design that gets you back to the original sport sedan, BMW's 2002, which was
produced from the late 1960s to the mid-'70s has helped to put the small
Bavarian company on the worldwide map.
Certainly, the new 1 Series and its twin-turbocharged 135i
are light-years ahead of the old 2002 in terms of luxury features and raw
power, but the spirit of a relatively tiny, agile and extremely communicative
road car remains. For the 135i, power comes from the 300 hp twin-turbo engine
and offers that seductive BMW flavor that so many buyers yearn for.
Driving Impressions
I got into the car and the first thing I noticed was the
start button which had an inscription on the top of the silver rim around it,
“Year one of the 1.” Catchy, but more notably unique and that alone sets the
1-Series distant from any other BMW ever made. I was overwhelmed and amazed.
I’ve never seen BMW go out of their way like that to impress the driver.
A spirited blast down the Dubai-Abu Dhabi’s highway is
usually enough to make me forget about my worries. Like an old 2002tii, this
beauty came into sharp focus when you're behind the wheel. Why Abu Dhabi? Dubai
isn’t quite the place you would want to test the car at moderately high speeds,
thanks to the speed cameras that now litter the highway, making speeding in
Dubai a Kodak moment.
Driving on the return leg, I was inclined to take advantage
of every exit ramp and the twisty junctions that followed and blasting back
down highway on ramps. This is the only place in the UAE where a true driver in
a performance car, loves to test his ride’s handling limits. Am I any
different? In this case, I absolutely am not!
I downshifted to third gear; and entered the deserted
roundabout and progressively increased the gas, 80 kph was what I got, I felt
planted, DSTC remained inactive and this little rear-wheel drive, seemingly
overpowered little convertible remained composed through the long bends even
when extra power was applied.
Back into Dubai traffic, now being a little more manageable
with the credit crunch-unfortunately-and I could get a real feel of the car in
the environment it will most likely spend most of its time in. Despite its
compactness, the interior isn’t cramped; I felt a little bit smaller than the
cars around me, as the one series sits you low to the ground, but overall, the
interior is as welcoming as a past generation 3-series coupe.
Regardless of its petite dimensions, the 2009 BMW 135i
convertible tips the scales at a hefty 1,660 kg — nearly 136 kg more than the
135i coupe. But thanks to its twin-turbocharged, 300-horsepower inline-6; the
135i drop-top always feels light on its feet when you put metal to the metal.
On a side road, our 135 blasted out of the blocks in a manner reserved for
bullets, pouncing to 100 kph in just 5.5 seconds.
Braking feel and performance was remarkable as the 135i's
brakes are more than up to the duty; the pedal feels linear and inspires
confidence as well as involvement.
However a shaky steering wheel made me a little nervous
particularly at the 140kph barrier, it seemed like a wheel balancing weight had
been knocked off, nothing that can’t be fixed.
However the only downside to the driving experience is the
noise intrusion into the cabin. Knowing it is a soft top convertible car, wind
noise is inevitable, I had to raise the volume of the music pretty loud to
overcome the noise at highway cruising speeds, then when slowing down I got
annoyed cause of the loud sound system! This is standard for small soft top
cabriolets so no offense, but you’d expect a car that costs as much as this
135i convertible to be equipped with an advanced sound sensing system that can
keep the audio level constant despite ambient noise.
Stopping in Abu Dhabi for lunch time, I had the chance to
survey the interior. After all, automotive satisfaction isn’t all about driving
performance. The rear seats, about the same size as in the Mini Clubman, don’t
encourage long trips with two adults, but the trunk space and an opening
through the rear seats will allow a fishing journey’s equipment to be carried
with ease. My only real issue with the interior was the shiny embossed wood
trim accenting the console and dash which seems
out of place on a sporty car.
Overall, its interior is BMW good. I haven’t seen anything
else this beautiful in its class certainly. Since it's a convertible, the
concern of hot weather in the Middle-East does matter when the top is down. An
unusual and valued feature is the warmth-reflective seating, which apparently
reduces the seats' surface temperature by 20 degrees in direct sunlight and to
be honest it did feel better to sit on than other leather seated cars parked in
the sun.
Exterior
The designers had compressed all the BMW styling cues:
kidney grilles, purposeful front end, and edgy cut lines into an efficient
package. Without the aerodynamics styling, the convertible is smoother and good
looking in profile, more sensual in its appearance. Sharing many of the same
panels and hard points as the original hatchback and the coupe models, the
belt-line is slightly higher for a convertible, however, it doesn’t diminish
the pleasant appearance of the convertible, and with the soft-top up, the car
is pleasingly balanced. Looking at the car as a whole, it does have a somewhat
original exterior. It’s a little bit near to the ground, but that’s not strange
for a car of this size.
However if the 1’s design is not your thing, give it some
time as the next generation 1 series will most likely obtain the watered down
design language appearing throughout the BMW range recently.
Verdict
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