RE: BMW M135i showcases three-door 1 Series

[Clivey]

HedgehogFromHell said:

Dilution of the M Branding... BMW are now in the league of Vauxhall with their VXR Styling packs making the lines even more blurred between poverty spec and property spec eating cars...

So the M cars look like repmobiles? Maybe they're simply reinventing the 'Q' car...

[JonRB]

HedgehogFromHell said:

Dilution of the M Branding... BMW are now in the league of Vauxhall with their VXR Styling packs making the lines even more blurred between poverty spec and property spec eating cars...

That happened ages ago. We had an E46 330i a few years back that had been specified with the "M pack" by the original owner from new and had the ///M badge on the steering wheel and the hubs of the alloy wheels. And this was a 2001 car. So it's hardly a new thing.

[aeropilot]

JJMatrixx said:

Soooo ugly!

Had a 135i Coupe (N55) for about 8 months and sold it last winter due not not being able to drive it for about 2 months due to the snow. Traded it in for a TT RS due to the Quattro, which begs the question....why do they not bring these 4WD versions to the UK. Sure, there are further RHD conversion/development costs but surely there is enough demand for this to eat into the Audi Quattro market and make it commercially viable?

BMW probably don't believe there is enough RHD demand, on the basis that, no RHD market has bad enough weather to warrant people 'needing' awd versions.

After all, Germany has more snow that we do and they manage perfectly well in it with rwd

[rickyquicky]

I like the sound of the M-division sub brand, at least it isnt just some stickers/badges like 'M-sport' spec, theres actually some substance.

Plus it makes business sense when competing with the likes of the Audi S-line/S/RS, the 'S' Audis make sense...the S line is nothing but some styling tweaks and stupidly hard suspension that serves no benefit other than to make the ride st.

BMW seem to have made a good move with this new 'brand', but then they deliver one of the ugliest cars I have ever seen. How THAT makes business sense I dont know!

Edited by rickyquicky on Tuesday 28th February 01:34

[s m]

aeropilot said:

BMW probably don't believe there is enough RHD demand, on the basis that, no RHD market has bad enough weather to warrant people 'needing' awd versions.

After all, Germany has more snow that we do and they manage perfectly well in it with rwd

When I went to visit my friend in Germany, the majority of BMWs I saw had winter tyres on at the beginning of winter. I think it was law in the area he lived

[JJMatrixx]

aeropilot said:

JJMatrixx said:

Soooo ugly!

Had a 135i Coupe (N55) for about 8 months and sold it last winter due not not being able to drive it for about 2 months due to the snow. Traded it in for a TT RS due to the Quattro, which begs the question....why do they not bring these 4WD versions to the UK. Sure, there are further RHD conversion/development costs but surely there is enough demand for this to eat into the Audi Quattro market and make it commercially viable?

BMW probably don't believe there is enough RHD demand, on the basis that, no RHD market has bad enough weather to warrant people 'needing' awd versions.

After all, Germany has more snow that we do and they manage perfectly well in it with rwd

You don't live in Scotland then? I'm not just talking about snow. Any damp greasy road does not allow you to get the power down off the line and you just end up lighting up the wheels with that kind of power going through 2 wheels.

And you forgot to mention that in Germany it's a legal requirement to fit your car with winter tyres through the winter months....guessing that would help.

[ZeeTacoe]

I wonder if they get special analogue throttles too

[Clivey]

JJMatrixx said:

You don't live in Scotland then? I'm not just talking about snow. Any damp greasy road does not allow you to get the power down off the line and you just end up lighting up the wheels with that kind of power going through 2 wheels.

And you forgot to mention that in Germany it's a legal requirement to fit your car with winter tyres through the winter months....guessing that would help.

Whilst I'd also like to see more choice, what's cheaper: A set of winter tyres or the extra cost & complications of AWD (purchase price, weight, thirst, reduced steering feel, reliability etc.)? You don't NEED AWD in 99% of cases as long as you've got the right tyres on the car.

[aeropilot]

JJMatrixx said:

Any damp greasy road does not allow you to get the power down off the line and you just end up lighting up the wheels with that kind of power going through 2 wheels.

I was taught to drive to the road conditions, so if the roads are damp and greasy, I don't try and be a hero an try and get the power down off the line.....funnily enough, because I know what will happen
Sure, if I'm feeling like being a bit of a hooligan, and am deliberately provoking such antics for fun, then that's different.... but then, that's the whole point of having something such as a 135i
And with winter tyres it's less of an issue anyway. I've even got winter tyres for my 135i, and I live in London FFS.

JJMatrixx said:

And you forgot to mention that in Germany it's a legal requirement to fit your car with winter tyres through the winter months....guessing that would help.

Actually I didn't forget, as you'll find it's not actually a legal requirement to fit winter tyres in Germany
However, you can be fined/prosecuted for not having suitable tyres for the conditions, which is subtley different.

[JJMatrixx]

aeropilot said:

JJMatrixx said:

Any damp greasy road does not allow you to get the power down off the line and you just end up lighting up the wheels with that kind of power going through 2 wheels.

I was taught to drive to the road conditions, so if the roads are damp and greasy, I don't try and be a hero an try and get the power down off the line.....funnily enough, because I know what will happen
Sure, if I'm feeling like being a bit of a hooligan, and am deliberately provoking such antics for fun, then that's different.... but then, that's the whole point of having something such as a 135i
And with winter tyres it's less of an issue anyway. I've even got winter tyres for my 135i, and I live in London FFS.

JJMatrixx said:

And you forgot to mention that in Germany it's a legal requirement to fit your car with winter tyres through the winter months....guessing that would help.

Actually I didn't forget, as you'll find it's not actually a legal requirement to fit winter tyres in Germany
However, you can be fined/prosecuted for not having suitable tyres for the conditions, which is subtley different.

This is what we call a 'limitation' and that's my point. The 135's ability to perform is greatly limited by the surface it's sitting on due to traction issues. Since when was someone deemed to be trying to be a hero by accelerating hard off the line?...very strange.

[fishman]

That's one ugly car what are you thinking BMW?? does it come with a vomit bag too. They could have done alot better imo.