The BMW 3-series is an icon, and the current generation remains one of our very favorite vehicles. It is but the latest great car in a long line of great cars fathered by none other than the vaunted 1968–1976 BMW 2002. But at the heart of what made the 2002 such a wonderful machine was not a go-fast engine or high-zoot interior, a la Three, but rather its light weight and purity of purpose; the 2002 was a car that lay in humble service to its driver, not the other way around.
BMW '1 Series' - Page 2
Following February’s announcement of the much-anticipated six-cylinder BMW 130i, BMW UK has confirmed to everyone that the September 2005 introduction of the most potent 1 Series to date the new 265 bhp BMW 130i. Taking BMW’s lightweight magnesium-alloy six-cylinder 258 bhp petrol engine as a basis, making the BMW 130i six-cylinder the most powerful engine in its class and the most powerful six-cylinder engine under a BMW bonnet, bar the M3. It is also the only car in its segment to offer a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout the optimum set-up for on-road dynamics.
BMW has long been one of the aspirational brands for young image conscious consumers. Almost a default choice for company car buyers, even at the expense of better-equipped or performing cars, BMW enjoys a rare position that almost always guarantees the success of any product it makes.
So here we have the ultimate test: a family hatch priced at almost £20k, a new contender for the junior executive crown. Does this mean that the 1-series is a hollow, cynical marketing exercise or is it worth that premium hatch price?