2008 BMW 128i - 1-series coupe
135i BMW

2008 BMW 128i - 1-series coupe

Yea! Hooray! It’s officially official! BMW will be selling the 1-series coupe in the U.S.! Okay, so we realize it wasn’t the best-kept secret, but now that the company has issued a press release and we figure there’s no taking it back, we’re really beginning to get excited. After all, who can argue with what could potentially turn out to be a modern BMW 2002, the lightweight, pure, tossable Bimmer that started the company in the late 1960s on its way to sports-sedan supremacy?

The line, as expected, is that there will be two 1-series coupe models making it to the States, the 128i and the 135i. (Still no hatchback love for us three- and five-door aficionados, but a 1-series droptop remains a good possibility.) The 128i gets the same engine as its larger 328i and 528i siblings—the familiar 230-hp, 3.0-liter inline-six with 200 pound-feet of torque. The 135i will house the beastly twin-turbo, direct-injection 3.0-liter six, good for 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. Either choice comes with a six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission.

 

2008 BMW 128i

Those 300 ponies should catapult the 135i from 0 to 62 mph in 5.3 seconds, according to BMW, but we expect the fastest 1er to be much quicker, owing in part to BMW’s famously conservative estimates and the fact that we rang up a 0-to-60 time of 4.9 seconds for a 335i coupe.

 

The lighter 135i should be able to at least match that figure, and we’ll go ahead and venture an estimate in the high fives or better for the 128i while we’re at it. (A 328i sedan we recently tested for a comparo clocked 6.1 seconds to 60.)
 
2008 BMW 128i
Although it appears the 128i will be a blank canvas for 1-series buyers regarding options and appearance, the 135i will include a ton of stuff right off the bat. Beyond the thrilling powerplant, of primary interest to enthusiasts is that 135i buyers will also receive the M Sport package as standard. No mere appearance upgrade—that would be the M aerodynamic kit, also standard on the 135i, which includes new front and rear fascias and side sills—the M Sport gear is all about performance.

128 i BMW - Unofficial - Fan - Site.
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