That's a proper petrolhead / amateur racedriver review... Love it ! Dan you are for me the Chris Harris of 7/8 years ago and best reviewer on youtube right now for me.
As a F87 M2 owner, I can confidently tell you that the M2's suspension and damper setting is fixed, it doesn't change with driving modes (like the big bro M3 or M4). However, the M2 is perfectly fine for daily driving (in Sydney road condition, in fact pretty comfortable to my taste). In addition, the F87 LCI does NOT change anything on suspension/damper or chassis (but the head lights/tail lights/interior/instrument cluster, etc.), so it cannot be better controlled over bumpy roads.
I drive M135iX with a KW V3 suspension, I dropped the bad EDC. Handling, performance and comfort on rough roads are outstanding. After the last M-Drive tour with M2, M3, M4, M5 I was still very happy to have so mutch more fun to drive a optimized little hothatch.
As the owner of a Motec Performance Modified M135i with similar upgrades (excluding the LSD) I have to agree with Autocar that for value for money an M135ii offers amazing values compared with its full fat M Rivals. It is also a unique package in the hyper hatch sector.
As the owner of a 2017 M2, I’m pretty sure the suspension is fixed rate dampers and toggling thru the comfort/sport settings does NOTHING to change the ride quality.....it’s my biggest complaint about the car, quite surprised to hear you thought it was an adaptive style suspension
yep you're right. a cost cutting measure for the baby M car. this guy is an idiot. how is the ride quality day to day anyway? do you commute to work in it?
Anthony depends on the day and the road, I live in the Midwest and sometimes when I am on a particularly rough road and don’t want to feel like I’m sitting on a paint shaker it’s annoying. I traded a 2016 Golf R for it and that car spoiled me with its super smooth ride and was a much much more pleasant car to commute in and IMO opinion every bit as fun to drive
My M2 is my daily driver. The suspension is firm, but not crashy. It will bounce you around on rough roads and you'll feel everything, but the only time the suspension has given up was doing 100mph and hitting a cattle grid. That was a brown alert for sure.
jameswillard1 My M135i is crap on rubbish roads, it bobs around but it isn't as bad as the M2 i believe. For the money you paid for the car the suspension should be fantastic.
As an owner of a 2016 Golf R, and someone who lusts after the M2 - I'm very pleased to see that you thought your former Golf R was every bit as fun to drive as your M2!
FYI there is no suspension changes on the M2. Comfort is the same as sport plus, it's a passive set up. Also there is no suspension changes between LCI and pre LCI M2s. All the changes are mildly cosmetic, and mainly on the interior amd idrive. The changes you are noticing are just a figment of your imagination. To be fair autocar are not the only one to make this error.
I really think the M135i is an underrated car. Even though its hideous, I'd look past its design and would love to own one. But would I pick one over the M2? No. The M2 is just a better car imo, it looks beautiful and being a coupe its more my style. Great video though! Made me like the 1 series more than I did before.
Great video !!! These are the performance car bargain of the century !!! Some tunes are safely getting around 420hp with air intake/exhaust/intercooler packages. Plus you also have the practicality of a 5 door hatch 👌 One question, what about the brakes ? That would probably be the one other thing I’d look at ...
@@AH-jv5zt correct i have the same year car and im positive you cant hit 390bhp with just a map. You would need at least one of these... charge pipe, downpipe and intercooler etc
@@TigsandToby all of those and it’s still a squeeze with the pwg I have all the bolt ons myself on this model. Had to get new bigger ps2 turbo and hpfp off the new supra to get decent power. 500+
I have an M135i LCI, stage 1, with Competition LSD diff, KW, M4 LCA, mperformance exaust, 245 tires front and 255 back, manual transmission, and this is a beast. So fun to drive and better than a M2 for much cheaper.
Now that’s what I call a car video. The M2 is fabulous but out of most people’s price range, so that M135 is great value. I’m wondering what Birds could do with an M140i
Really enjoyed this video would like to see more everyday cars that we buy and tune ever so slightly being compared to the new models which can cost up to 30k more than the used car.
its great that Autocar makes the effort to show us this kind of build. Still Dan will have to take the tuning and prep of this M135i a lot further for to get anyway near the M2. Comparing new car price with built 2nd hand? Well you'll need to mention the pros and cons namely resale value (you loose all the worth of the upgrades), manufacturer warranty, reliability etc. Would be fab if you take it further with upgraded internal (engine and auxiliaries) and see how they match up!
Great review mate, i have just bought a m135I for that very reason. I love the M2 but will never afford one. i hope to do a review of my one soon. Well done, your narration and videography is great well done!
I have owned a 4 door M135i and a M140i xdrive. I now own a F80 M3. I can tell the following, From a standing start, the standard M140i xdrive will destroy the M3 completely for the first 100/200 meters even in dry conditions. The M3 is just more fun to drive, but even in comfort mode in the M3 is harder then the sport plus setting in a M140i. Also the steering is harsher in the M3. I would have no problem at all to go back to a M140i. A M2 is no option for me due the kids and back problems.
Jean-Daniel Duloir Thats the M135i that did that drag race. Awful tuning. Get an auto with a jb4 and destroy this thing. Way too expensive. This car channel is getting nearly as bad as carwow.
Awful tuning? What the hell are you on about? It's not all about power and straight line performance. Most of the money has been spent on the suspension, lsd, clutch, gear shift etc, resulting in and more focused drive like the M2.
David Cobb Its way too expensive the birds ecu upgrade is well over 2 grand which is absolutely absurd. The rest is also way way overpriced. Talk about the handling i could spend less money fit pure turbos and out drag an audi R8 V10. You dont even need to limit body roll because its so fast coming out of corners and for less money. Birds upgrade is too expensive IMO.
Jamie Edwards T33 i do but lately they seem to have lost their edge, he did a drag race the other day and just let the car spin up. A high powered rear wheel drive you just short shift it into 2nd. These people are supposed to be good drivers i don't know how they mess these things up. I hope its just a blip.
Great overview of your improvements- well done Autocar team. Interesting comparison with the M140I bang for your buck, as the deals on M40i are pretty good as stock.
Direct lie about the standard diff. It will never just spin the inside wheel as it has what BMW call e-differential. In DSC OFF it works rather well actually, less so in the rain. (M135i owner with Quaife diff)
Still the look of the M2, the LSD and stock exhaust... sure it's more expensive but i tihnk you get a great stock equiped car. And where I live the residual of the m140 makes it more expensive to finance than the M2 which retain much more guaranteed value.
currently got a 120d m sport 58 plate remapped dpf vgr valve blocked off great car love but I'm a few weeks away from pulling the trigger on a 14 reg 135i and gonna do the upgrades in this video can't wait
The credibility of the reviewer is somewhat diminished when he thinks that an M2 rides better in Comfort than in Sport. It's got fixed rate dampers FFS! The suspension hasn't changed in the LCI either...
well this video isn't very accurate because up until mid/late 2013 is when the actuator on the M135i switched from vacuum to electronic the vacuum one blows open under back pressure where as the electronic one can hold it which is when you will get 410-420 ish bhp
Loved my m135i Just a comment on how much!!! Over 6k a maps about 500 ,springs fitted and spacers about 500 and the diff around 1.5k even if its 2k fitted it isnt 3k for a short shift and a clutch adjusted! Wtf
I had a stage 2 tuned m135i and traction was always a problem when getting excited with tihe throttle. Fitting an LSD would have been amazing, and definitely a requirement in my mind. I'd love to test drive your car to feel the suspension difference. Makes me miss my car hah.
Lovely M135, tempting performance over the M2 but the looks of the M2 mates.. The background sound track you're playing at the beginning there mates, please share it's name.
zf8 all day, especially if you're planning to tune it. it'll handle big power and its super smooth and fast, new m5, aston martin and jag f type all use it
Brilliant cars and thanks, enjoyed the video! I guess my concern would be that if something went wrong on the M135i it would be a fortune and a pain to fix, whereas at least the M2 would have some kind of warranty. Of course that's assuming there's the funds to make a choice between them in the first place!
Man I just bought an M2 after years of research knowing it had fixed rate suspension but actually now am so glad comfort mode adjusts the suspension! Great journalism!
I thought the pneumatic wastegates from pre July 2013 Build M135i's were limited to 369bhp from a map because the wastegate, it cant handle the back pressure generated near the top end, and as a result bleeds some of the boost off uncontrollably. The electronic wastegate cars are capable of well over 400bhp. So Im quite sure your claims of 390bhp are incorrect sadly.
First of all you shouldn't use as an argument against the M2 the price since you compare a new with a used car. The difference in price for both used cars would make sense. Moreover the worst thing about the M2 is that you cannot opt for EDC that you can on 135 or 140, which is the current model, and its much better for everyday use. The huge issue with all non M cars from E39 and on is the lack of a proper LSD. Quaife and the other brands provide a solution to the dreadful open diff but are not even close to the M one! Birds obviously did a great job but the comparison with the M2 is pointless which raises some questions and makes me wonder if this is just a Birds ad.
Defo. But mods will be approx same price, but about £10k difference in base car price. If you haven't got the budgets for an M2, a M135/140i if you can get one at a good base price still an extremely good value drivers cars with. Think you can get that birds chassis set up for about £3.5k now, and can get the power down for a lot less than Birds.
Seriously, you can never compare a stock car to a modded car, the modded one always comes up more superior. Remember the episode of Top gear which the hosts drive 3 super cars and got destroyed by modded cars on the drag strip?
What I fine interesting is tht u had to make improvements on an M car. Well what's the point of the M ? Isnt tht the reason of tht division is to do the mods u did
I just heard the next 1-Series will be FWD and have only 4 cylinder engines available :-( Say goodbye to the last proper small BMW. We won't see a small hatch like this ever again.
The main problem with the M135i are the looks, and the LCI doesn't necessarily address that problem either. I know this comes down to personal opinion but look how awful it looks next to that M2, or even look at it next to it's Mercedes and Audi rivals. The M135i is a ballistic car without any modifications I just wished it was nicer to look at and I would of bought one along with a lot of other people.
I don't mind the looks but perhaps the issue with it its quite close to other 1-series. It isn't a 1M. It is clearly the best of all the 1-series though and a great hatch. I owned a 116i and then drove the 135i. Based on that test drive I knew the 135i left me cold because it was too similar in how it felt cabin wise, look wise, input wise. I've also driven the entire M range at a BMW track day (launch event for the M2) and every single M car simply was more special. Both the 135i and the M2 are worth the money, there is no wrong choice
Sorry it’s not an M2 I own a M240i which I purchased because I was told they couldn’t get any more M2’s only to be asked 3 months later if I wanted one. 😕 The M lites are great however the M cars are another league
I will keep my M2 thank you very little. It looks mean and nasty and sounds like a beast with the M Perf exhaust. Across the pond, enjoy your station wagons.
Mate, if you’ve employed the suspension gurus that Bird’s have, and had your own spring rates commissioned then I definitely would. One minor grammar nazi point, there’s no apostrophe required for ‘prices’.
Where in the video does the M135 take on the M2. Thanks for telling us about the car though, "the body is much better controlled" "the suspension works well" "the tires are pressed into the road so you get better grip" "the car is very usable but faster then a standard M135".. This video is a bunch of obvious nonsense.
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My best mate has a tuned 3 door m135i and I have to say it's so progressively fast it's insane. I'm impressed every time I'm in that car
That's a proper petrolhead / amateur racedriver review... Love it ! Dan you are for me the Chris Harris of 7/8 years ago and best reviewer on youtube right now for me.
As a F87 M2 owner, I can confidently tell you that the M2's suspension and damper setting is fixed, it doesn't change with driving modes (like the big bro M3 or M4). However, the M2 is perfectly fine for daily driving (in Sydney road condition, in fact pretty comfortable to my taste).
In addition, the F87 LCI does NOT change anything on suspension/damper or chassis (but the head lights/tail lights/interior/instrument cluster, etc.), so it cannot be better controlled over bumpy roads.
I was thinking the same! I’m not an owner, but I’m fairly sure it’s the M3/4 that have the adjustable suspension.
I drive M135iX with a KW V3 suspension, I dropped the bad EDC. Handling, performance and comfort on rough roads are outstanding. After the last M-Drive tour with M2, M3, M4, M5 I was still very happy to have so mutch more fun to drive a optimized little hothatch.
As the owner of a Motec Performance Modified M135i with similar upgrades (excluding the LSD) I have to agree with Autocar that for value for money an M135ii offers amazing values compared with its full fat M Rivals. It is also a unique package in the hyper hatch sector.
As the owner of a 2017 M2, I’m pretty sure the suspension is fixed rate dampers and toggling thru the comfort/sport settings does NOTHING to change the ride quality.....it’s my biggest complaint about the car, quite surprised to hear you thought it was an adaptive style suspension
yep you're right. a cost cutting measure for the baby M car. this guy is an idiot. how is the ride quality day to day anyway? do you commute to work in it?
Anthony depends on the day and the road, I live in the Midwest and sometimes when I am on a particularly rough road and don’t want to feel like I’m sitting on a paint shaker it’s annoying. I traded a 2016 Golf R for it and that car spoiled me with its super smooth ride and was a much much more pleasant car to commute in and IMO opinion every bit as fun to drive
My M2 is my daily driver. The suspension is firm, but not crashy. It will bounce you around on rough roads and you'll feel everything, but the only time the suspension has given up was doing 100mph and hitting a cattle grid. That was a brown alert for sure.
jameswillard1 My M135i is crap on rubbish roads, it bobs around but it isn't as bad as the M2 i believe. For the money you paid for the car the suspension should be fantastic.
As an owner of a 2016 Golf R, and someone who lusts after the M2 - I'm very pleased to see that you thought your former Golf R was every bit as fun to drive as your M2!
Great car the M135. So underrated. I own a 2016 model and you don’t see many.
For real? I see them all the time! Or do you mean specifically 2016 models? That's probably down to people waiting for the M140i.
They are everywhere lol
staggabob,i think he means the 2016 m135 indeed
I own one to and jeah a couple months later the m140 was launched....
FYI there is no suspension changes on the M2. Comfort is the same as sport plus, it's a passive set up. Also there is no suspension changes between LCI and pre LCI M2s. All the changes are mildly cosmetic, and mainly on the interior amd idrive. The changes you are noticing are just a figment of your imagination. To be fair autocar are not the only one to make this error.
Excellent explanation of all the modifications and how they improve the car.
so where's the part where it takes on m2?
I really think the M135i is an underrated car. Even though its hideous, I'd look past its design and would love to own one. But would I pick one over the M2? No. The M2 is just a better car imo, it looks beautiful and being a coupe its more my style. Great video though! Made me like the 1 series more than I did before.
Initially, I thought the M135i wasn’t as good looking as the LCI or the M140i, but over time it grew on me so much I prefer it to the LCI.
Great video !!! These are the performance car bargain of the century !!! Some tunes are safely getting around 420hp with air intake/exhaust/intercooler packages. Plus you also have the practicality of a 5 door hatch 👌
One question, what about the brakes ? That would probably be the one other thing I’d look at ...
You have encouraged me to get back into an M135i! Unfortunately my last one was written off and very hard to find manual replacement in Australia.
The manuals are difficult to find everywhere. Sad day in age. Manual for life
Thanks and please do more videos featuring tuned variants like this!
a remap of the ECU these days can see over 400 bhp
Not as easy on this early pwg turbo model
@@AH-jv5zt correct i have the same year car and im positive you cant hit 390bhp with just a map. You would need at least one of these... charge pipe, downpipe and intercooler etc
@@TigsandToby all of those and it’s still a squeeze with the pwg I have all the bolt ons myself on this model. Had to get new bigger ps2 turbo and hpfp off the new supra to get decent power. 500+
Finally a real Petrol head friendly video
new M140I is faster than the M2 in a straight , because m140i has 500nm torque standard and light weight.. oh well the new m2 comp is here
And if you do what I did, and remap your M140i, it has 576nm torque lol !
I have an M135i LCI, stage 1, with Competition LSD diff, KW, M4 LCA, mperformance exaust, 245 tires front and 255 back, manual transmission, and this is a beast. So fun to drive and better than a M2 for much cheaper.
I will buy an M135i now after watching your video! Great video, very neutral view and comparison.
Now that’s what I call a car video. The M2 is fabulous but out of most people’s price range, so that M135 is great value. I’m wondering what Birds could do with an M140i
It's a faster car? maybe drag racing
LivingLifeFast Hey Ricky 🙋
LivingLifeFast the mods of the m135 are overpriced. Could do with a proper remap from dms for much less
Sukhjinder singh do dms also offer a software lsd upgrade as well
Good call llf
I’d say with those modifications it would be close. They didn’t do any timed laps on a track, which I was hoping they would do.
More like an 'Alpina Hatch' than an 'M1'.
Come on guys... the M2 rides better in Comfort mode? Really?! It takes like 5 minutes of research to find out the M2 doesn't have adaptive dampers...
Wish that 1 Series hatchback was available here.
Really enjoyed this video would like to see more everyday cars that we buy and tune ever so slightly being compared to the new models which can cost up to 30k more than the used car.
Have the M2 if you can stand those big bills, have the m135i and enjoy and still eat next month
its great that Autocar makes the effort to show us this kind of build. Still Dan will have to take the tuning and prep of this M135i a lot further for to get anyway near the M2. Comparing new car price with built 2nd hand? Well you'll need to mention the pros and cons namely resale value (you loose all the worth of the upgrades), manufacturer warranty, reliability etc. Would be fab if you take it further with upgraded internal (engine and auxiliaries) and see how they match up!
Great review mate, i have just bought a m135I for that very reason. I love the M2 but will never afford one. i hope to do a review of my one soon. Well done, your narration and videography is great well done!
I have owned a 4 door M135i and a M140i xdrive.
I now own a F80 M3.
I can tell the following,
From a standing start, the standard M140i xdrive will destroy the M3 completely for the first 100/200 meters even in dry conditions.
The M3 is just more fun to drive, but even in comfort mode in the M3 is harder then the sport plus setting in a M140i.
Also the steering is harsher in the M3.
I would have no problem at all to go back to a M140i.
A M2 is no option for me due the kids and back problems.
Do you have adaptive suspension in your M140 ?
@@vollcare4076 yes
no drag test? no lap time? just a point of view... NAAaAH -1
Jean-Daniel Duloir Thats the M135i that did that drag race. Awful tuning. Get an auto with a jb4 and destroy this thing. Way too expensive. This car channel is getting nearly as bad as carwow.
Awful tuning? What the hell are you on about? It's not all about power and straight line performance. Most of the money has been spent on the suspension, lsd, clutch, gear shift etc, resulting in and more focused drive like the M2.
David Cobb Its way too expensive the birds ecu upgrade is well over 2 grand which is absolutely absurd. The rest is also way way overpriced. Talk about the handling i could spend less money fit pure turbos and out drag an audi R8 V10. You dont even need to limit body roll because its so fast coming out of corners and for less money. Birds upgrade is too expensive IMO.
TeacherToolkitDemo what's wrong with carwow I rather like them
Jamie Edwards T33 i do but lately they seem to have lost their edge, he did a drag race the other day and just let the car spin up. A high powered rear wheel drive you just short shift it into 2nd. These people are supposed to be good drivers i don't know how they mess these things up. I hope its just a blip.
Im going to show this vid to my dad who's got an m135i. might find it useful & inspiring
Great overview of your improvements- well done Autocar team. Interesting comparison with the M140I bang for your buck, as the deals on M40i are pretty good as stock.
Great video!!! M135 just needs and exhaust added to the package 👍
Direct lie about the standard diff. It will never just spin the inside wheel as it has what BMW call e-differential. In DSC OFF it works rather well actually, less so in the rain. (M135i owner with Quaife diff)
Do a part 2 on track please.
Still the look of the M2, the LSD and stock exhaust... sure it's more expensive but i tihnk you get a great stock equiped car. And where I live the residual of the m140 makes it more expensive to finance than the M2 which retain much more guaranteed value.
currently got a 120d m sport 58 plate remapped dpf vgr valve blocked off great car love but I'm a few weeks away from pulling the trigger on a 14 reg 135i and gonna do the upgrades in this video can't wait
The credibility of the reviewer is somewhat diminished when he thinks that an M2 rides better in Comfort than in Sport. It's got fixed rate dampers FFS! The suspension hasn't changed in the LCI either...
Yea I know. He has no idea what he's talking about. So much misinformation in this video.
Brilliant video. One of the best on tuned M135i
well this video isn't very accurate because up until mid/late 2013 is when the actuator on the M135i switched from vacuum to electronic the vacuum one blows open under back pressure where as the electronic one can hold it which is when you will get 410-420 ish bhp
😂😂 2:48 Borat voice "More durect!"
135i coupe is the man
Good video Dan, has me thinking about going down this route for my next car.
I thought they will give some drag race or a lap time..
Better off putting on a good set of tires & better breaks. Haven’t even made it to the end of the video yet
The M135i did even better, when you see it had an almost flat front left tyre.
Loved my m135i Just a comment on how much!!! Over 6k a maps about 500 ,springs fitted and spacers about 500 and the diff around 1.5k even if its 2k fitted it isnt 3k for a short shift and a clutch adjusted! Wtf
Great review.
I had a stage 2 tuned m135i and traction was always a problem when getting excited with tihe throttle. Fitting an LSD would have been amazing, and definitely a requirement in my mind. I'd love to test drive your car to feel the suspension difference. Makes me miss my car hah.
Lovely M135, tempting performance over the M2 but the looks of the M2 mates.. The background sound track you're playing at the beginning there mates, please share it's name.
Louis Neo Phetla darude- sandstorm
Use Shazam
The M2 doesn’t have adaptive dampers ? So suspension is the same no matter what.
So the stock internals are able to handle that increase in power?
Easily
why would BMW go with an open diff is the close one is so much better?
Dan, any thoughts on opting for the ZF auto over the manual?
The ZF 8 speed box is epic, it all depends on your preference and if you are not in the manual is best camp.
zf8 all day, especially if you're planning to tune it. it'll handle big power and its super smooth and fast, new m5, aston martin and jag f type all use it
Brilliant cars and thanks, enjoyed the video!
I guess my concern would be that if something went wrong on the M135i it would be a fortune and a pain to fix, whereas at least the M2 would have some kind of warranty. Of course that's assuming there's the funds to make a choice between them in the first place!
Excellent review, really enjoyed it!
Man I just bought an M2 after years of research knowing it had fixed rate suspension but actually now am so glad comfort mode adjusts the suspension! Great journalism!
Brilliantly described in all. Love the video.
I thought the pneumatic wastegates from pre July 2013 Build M135i's were limited to 369bhp from a map because the wastegate, it cant handle the back pressure generated near the top end, and as a result bleeds some of the boost off uncontrollably.
The electronic wastegate cars are capable of well over 400bhp. So Im quite sure your claims of 390bhp are incorrect sadly.
whats going on with the center arm rest??? it looks seriously wonky...
Excellent video. Good idea to pick your own car.
What are the specific model of springs and dampers you used? Bilstein B6's and Eibach Sportlines?
Who mods the literal clutch pedal to make it heavier?!
Does the M2 get adaptive dampers now then? As pre LCI didn't
Great review... love them both.
Increasing spring rate reduces rebound goes it?...
First of all you shouldn't use as an argument against the M2 the price since you compare a new with a used car. The difference in price for both used cars would make sense.
Moreover the worst thing about the M2 is that you cannot opt for EDC that you can on 135 or 140, which is the current model, and its much better for everyday use.
The huge issue with all non M cars from E39 and on is the lack of a proper LSD. Quaife and the other brands provide a solution to the dreadful open diff but are not even close to the M one!
Birds obviously did a great job but the comparison with the M2 is pointless which raises some questions and makes me wonder if this is just a Birds ad.
great presenter 👍 gonna buy myself one of these pocket money supercar
Really good review
Very informative
Thanks
So, similar mods to the M2 = perfect car?
Defo. But mods will be approx same price, but about £10k difference in base car price. If you haven't got the budgets for an M2, a M135/140i if you can get one at a good base price still an extremely good value drivers cars with. Think you can get that birds chassis set up for about £3.5k now, and can get the power down for a lot less than Birds.
If there were just one thing I could change on my m140i its that lack off diff
id like to know where this was filmed, any info please???
What is the name of the model of the quaiffe lsd and the dampers? Great comparison
Has Bird's stopped doing Hartge conversions then?
Drag race?
very very excellent video... I'm fed up with VBLOG'rs trends when they try to modify kind of no meaning stupid stuffs... nice job.
How much did birds pay you for this infomercial ? 🤣🤔
Seriously, you can never compare a stock car to a modded car, the modded one always comes up more superior. Remember the episode of Top gear which the hosts drive 3 super cars and got destroyed by modded cars on the drag strip?
What I fine interesting is tht u had to make improvements on an M car. Well what's the point of the M ?
Isnt tht the reason of tht division is to do the mods u did
I just heard the next 1-Series will be FWD and have only 4 cylinder engines available :-( Say goodbye to the last proper small BMW. We won't see a small hatch like this ever again.
The main problem with the M135i are the looks, and the LCI doesn't necessarily address that problem either. I know this comes down to personal opinion but look how awful it looks next to that M2, or even look at it next to it's Mercedes and Audi rivals.
The M135i is a ballistic car without any modifications I just wished it was nicer to look at and I would of bought one along with a lot of other people.
I don't mind the looks but perhaps the issue with it its quite close to other 1-series. It isn't a 1M. It is clearly the best of all the 1-series though and a great hatch. I owned a 116i and then drove the 135i. Based on that test drive I knew the 135i left me cold because it was too similar in how it felt cabin wise, look wise, input wise. I've also driven the entire M range at a BMW track day (launch event for the M2) and every single M car simply was more special. Both the 135i and the M2 are worth the money, there is no wrong choice
you should have done the new m140i instead
Over £6K to modify a 135i....a bit pointless. Just get an M2 and mod that.
M2 is the best looking Beemmer after the I8.
very good review !
7:10 the M2 does not have adjustable dampers.
Sorry it’s not an M2
I own a M240i which I purchased because I was told they couldn’t get any more M2’s only to be asked 3 months later if I wanted one. 😕
The M lites are great however the M cars are another league
No track or drag race?!!
"Takes on " bit misleading don't you think ?
I will keep my M2 thank you very little. It looks mean and nasty and sounds like a beast with the M Perf exhaust. Across the pond, enjoy your station wagons.
The m2 doesn't have adjustable suspension btw
I'll wait till the m2 is priced for 17k (used) and do what you did to the m135i
Gerasimos Rico ...M2 will never go that low
That is such a good idea. I wonder what it did to your insurance? They tend not to like modifying
Nerd
That’s a really naff gear lever Cover, it looks SO cheap, surely a Leather item would have looked better?
Is it still a BMW?, does it still feel like a BMW?, if I was considering buying one I’d go used from Birds.....😎
Hw much is a 135 without any modification?
It was as a new starting at 40k €, after discount maybe 33-36k € new
You get 2013 cars now for ca 19k €
Thank we need to put our price’s up lol
Mate, if you’ve employed the suspension gurus that Bird’s have, and had your own spring rates commissioned then I definitely would.
One minor grammar nazi point, there’s no apostrophe required for ‘prices’.
Paddy Thompson we do have our own kit from Eibach for the f2x and we out sell there kit 10/1
That journalist is awesome ! Love all of his vids !
Where in the video does the M135 take on the M2. Thanks for telling us about the car though, "the body is much better controlled" "the suspension works well" "the tires are pressed into the road so you get better grip" "the car is very usable but faster then a standard M135".. This video is a bunch of obvious nonsense.
Motech M140i?