The 2008 1-Series slots below the 3-Series in BMW's lineup and comes in coupe and convertible form. Both are available in 128i and 135i trims.
Ever since the 320i appeared in 1977 to replace BMW's legendary 2002--a car many credit as being the original "sport sedan"--each new generation of the company's entry-level model has grown larger and more expensive. The former was largely due to buyer preferences; the latter somewhat less so. But the increase in both size and price has vacated a fair-sized hole at the bottom of the company's lineup, one that BMW has chosen to fill with what it terms "the spiritual successor to the 2002."
That was going to be a hard sell. You see, it was a 2002 owned during my late teens in which I executed my first four-wheel drift (entirely unintentionally) followed by a few more (entirely intentionally), and it easily ranks among the best cars I've ever driven. So it was with no small amount of skepticism that I approached the first tester presented, a 128i convertible with the optional six-speed automatic.
128i
One of the wonders of BMW is how company engineers manage to balance the ride/handling tradeoff in favor of both. Even more impressive is that they do it with a simple MacPherson strut front suspension rather than the race-inspired double wishbone design used in most high-end cars. Their efforts manifest themselves in fairly supple responses to bumps along with crisp steering and confidence-inspiring handling.
Those attributes come in varying degrees, however, based on intent. The base 128i convertible is clearly aimed more at back-road cruising than racetrack charging, being all the better for it over patchy pavement. Aiding that cause are the standard 16-inch wheels with all-season run-flat 55-series tires, which have relatively tall sidewalls that aid in absorbing road irregularities. The optional Sport Package brings a stiffer suspension and 17-inch wheels shod with 50-series performance tires. Furthermore, a stiff structure produced minimal cowl shake over coarse pavement, and there's something to be said for a car--especially a convertible--that provides a relaxing ride while feeling entirely competent.
The 128i convertible rides on standard 16-inch or optional 17-inch wheels.
Truthfully, this is all the power any rational person needs, and would make my beloved 2002 feel as though it was accelerating through wet cement. But since true car nuts constantly yearn to extend their toes over the beckoning brink of automotive sanity (in no review of the 1000-horsepower Bugatti Veyron have I ever read the words "too much power"), BMW also offers the 135i.
135i
With twin turbochargers and 300 overachieving horses, the 135i is the unquestioned enthusiast's choice. The coupe's power-to-weight ratio of 11.2 pounds per pony is impressive but not entirely indicative, as the turbos incite a 300-lb-ft riot of torque more befitting a very healthy small V8. BMW quotes a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds with the six-speed manual, but our west-coast editor timed a 150-pound-heavier 335i with automatic at just 4.6, so this estimate may be conservative. Furthermore, all that twist arrives at a mere 1400 rpm, and a lofty 10.2:1 compression ratio (most turbos make due with about a 7.5:1 squeeze) means the engine puts out a fair amount of power even before the boost kicks in, a transition that's seamless and virtually devoid of lag. This results in impressive around-town response, as rare on turbocharged cars as a lonely night at the Playboy mansion.
Tester number two was a 135i coupe with 6-speed manual and the optional Sport Package, meaning it was at the opposite end of the 1-Series performance spectrum from the convertible.
Standard on 135i coupes are 18-inch wheels carrying mixed-size run-flat performance tires: 215/40s in front, 245/35s in back. All-season 17s are a no-cost option. But since a sport suspension is also standard, the Sport Package contains only heavily bolstered front seats, special steering wheel, unique trim, and, with the optional automatic, steering-wheel paddle shifters.
The 135i is powered by a turbocharged 300-horsepower 6-cylinder engine.
South of Monterey lies a labyrinth of roads that twist their way up and over the Santa Lucia Mountains like arteries branching off from the Route 1 vein. Most are made up of short straights followed by tight turns with a granite wall on one side and a sheer cliff on the other. Construction costs evidently ran over budget on these stretches, leaving the outside of some turns inexplicably devoid of guardrails, multiplying the danger of miscalculation in a game of road-going Russian Roulette.
Once into the mountains the roads become switchbacks that were carved through the dense forest with an obvious order to "save the trees." This was no doubt appreciated by the indigenous wildlife, but it left these roads with virtually no shoulder. Scarred trunks are constant reminders of the perils of poor judgment, as are the pockets of bicyclists who evidently feel these smooth, hilly surfaces are perfect for building stamina while enjoying the sights and smells of Mother nature ... at one-third the posted speed limit ... on roads with completely blind corners.
On your way from near sea level to the mile-high summit, the 135i's turbocharged engine allows it to conquer the grade as though driving through Nebraska. The wide torque band means the slick shifter and smooth clutch needn't get much use, but you exercise them anyway; partly because instinct says you should, partly because it just feels good. Steering is razor sharp, body lean almost non-existent, and the car tracks around corners as if on the proverbial rails. Crest the peak and the powerful four-wheel discs with dinner-plate rotors (a whopping 13.3 inches in front, 12.8 in back, perfect companions at a one-trip salad bar) become appreciated counterpoints to the power that got you there.
1 Versus 3
Without going into excruciating detail, suffice it to say that 135i's power and driving dynamics are about as good as they get for this class. And with the same engines, less weight, and a substantial price advantage over their 3-Series counterparts, one might wonder why anyone would buy the larger car.
Well, for precisely that reason: it's larger. While an average-size male could fit behind another average-size male in the 1-Series, anyone much taller in the front seat will restrict the position behind them to folks answering to the nickname "chicken legs." BMW puts the rear legroom figure at 32.0 in the coupe, 31.3 in the convertible--1.7 and .6 inches less, respectively, than in comparable 3-Series models. But those figures are measured with the front seats all the way back, and those in the 3-Series go back a half-inch farther. Thus, for the same-size person in front, there's a good one or two inches more knee room for a back-seater in the 3-Series. That may not sound like much, but it means a lot when the space is so restricted to start with.
The 2008 BMW 1-Series convertible features a folding fabric top instead of 3-Series clamshell hardtop.
In its latest generation introduced for 2007, the 3-Series convertible adopted a folding hard top instead of a conventional soft top. This added some security and sound deadening to the typical open-air formula, and greatly improved rear-corner visibility, as the top has thin back pillars. What it sacrificed, however, was top-down trunk room, as the folded roof takes up a large portion of the cargo area and leaves just a narrow slit below it for loading.
By contrast, the 1-Series convertible has a regular soft top. When lowered (a process that's completed in 22 seconds at the push of a button and can be initiated at speeds up to 25 mph), it takes up only a 1.6-cubic-foot slab at the top rear of the trunk. Total cargo area is listed as 8.0 cubic feet, which is quite good for a small convertible, and BMW says it's enough to hold two golf bags. However, the trunk opening isn't very large and narrows considerably at the bottom. Also, the rear seatbacks don't fold down, though there is a convenient pass-through for long items such as skis.
Coupe versions of the 1-Series lose about 1.1 cubic feet to their 3-Series counterparts, with measurements of 10.0 and 11.1, respectively. But unlike the convertible, the rear seatbacks fold to expand the space.
Interior Appointments
Overall, the 1-Series office is a great place to conduct the business of driving. Comfortable seats come standard with vinyl upholstery, which except for the smell--or more precisely, lack there of--most would mistake for leather; real leather is optional, but cloth isn't offered. There's adequate room (though broader folks may feel a bit confined), and the standard tilt and telescopic steering column offers plenty of adjustment. Visibility is unusually good in the coupe thanks to thin rear pillars, but the convertible suffers the usual--and expansive--top-up blind spots to the back corners.
In most respects, the interior is laid out much like that of the 3-Series. Gauges and controls are similar if not identical, with alterations to trim design the most notable difference.
The 2008 1-Series features a retooled version of BMW's often frustrating iDrive system.
Dollars and Sense
Mention was made previously of the 1-Series' lower prices, but let's get down to dollars and sense. The 128i coupe starts at $28,600, the 135i version at $34,900. Both figures are roughly $6000 less than those of their 3-Series counterparts. The gap on convertibles is even wider, mostly due to the cost difference between 1's soft top and 3's hard top: the 128i starts at $33,100, the 135i at $39,100, or about $10,000 less than comparable 3-Series models. For many folks, that's a no-brainer.
One other price comparison seems relevant here. BMW's Z4 two-seat sports car has--at the moment at least--less-powerful engines in its standard models, so even though the Z4 coupe and roadster weigh less than their four-seat 1-Series counterparts, for the most part, their power-to-weight ratios aren't as good. They also cost more: an additional $3300 in base 3.0i convertible form, $5500 in the case of the step-up 3.0si coupe.
For most people, then, the 1-Series models are performance bargains from a brand more known for performance than bargains. A company executive described them as being "BMW power and style distilled to its purist form," and not only does it ring true, but it exactly expresses how I felt about my old 2002. So perhaps the opening comparison--initially viewed with doubt--was a fair one after all.
03.26.2008