Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, BMW
Spring 2008: Arrival date for BMW 1-Series
The upcoming BMW 1-Series Coupe is one of those rare cars over which nearly every Autoblogger is drooling. It returns Bimmer to its roots of building relatively lightweight handlers, as well as lowers the cost of entry for an Ultimate Driving Machine to within the reach of the coupon clipping middle class. Thanks to the sharp eye of folks over at bmw128i.com, we now have confirmation from BMW via it's North American website that the 1-Series will be available to purchase in the U.S. by Spring 2008. The news comes via a flash video that plays when you visit BMW NA's website, and it's crystal clear in meaning: "Introducing the all-new BMW 1-Series. Year One of the 1 begins Spring 2008." This means that BMW dealers will likely be ready to take orders for the 1 by the end of the year. Instead of celebrating the Vernal Equinox next year with a traditional dance around the fire, you just may find us in line at your local BMW dealer.
[Source: bmw128i.com via Jalopnik]
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
YouFaceTheTick 3:50PM (7/18/2007)
Lightweight? Uh, it's gonna weigh about 3400 lbs. That's NOT light by any stretch. It's actually about as heavy as the now departed e46 3 series.
Reply
Rocket Punch 4:02PM (7/18/2007)
LOL, it is actually closer to 3500lbs. May on the moon it is light weight, but on earth it is a heavy a55 compact car.....
Kevin White 3:53PM (7/18/2007)
Relatively should be italicized and underlined and maybe bolded...
Reply
Mark 3:56PM (7/18/2007)
I just read Jeremy Clarkson's scathing review of this car so excuse me if I'm not in the group of autobloggers who are crazy about this thing. To me it's just a car for people who want to look cool in BMW but can't afford a 3 series or a 5 series. It's extremely ugly, has no space, and according to the poster above, somehow weighs 3400 lbs? I think I'll shed some more tears that VW might be leaving the states. I think I'd take a Golf over this any day.
Reply
YouFaceTheTick 4:11PM (7/18/2007)
Mark,
How the f^ck could Clarkson touch a 135 when nobody outside of BMW has driven one? Are you sure you weren't reading a review of the 130 hatch? Quite different cars, really.
Mark 4:28PM (7/18/2007)
It was a hatch and I never said he drove a 135. Autoblog's post is on the arrival of the 1 series. I believe it was a 120d (so an engine choice that's not even coming here). He rated it #2 on his dirty dozen.
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article401596.ece
Micah 4:20PM (7/19/2007)
Clarkson loathes BMW and every vehicle they produce. Even if the car performed flawlessly and was the epitome of a driver's car, it would end up on his crap list b/c it released too many endorphins into is bloodstream.
- 6:36PM (2/21/2008)
I'm late to the game in replying, but puh-leez. I can easily write a check for the 3 or 5 series but the 1 still intrigues me for its size and appearance. I wouldn't buy the Ford you have in your avatar -- it looks like it's made for the teen or early 20s market in my opinion.
friko 3:58PM (7/18/2007)
I don't like the coupe that much. We've had the hatchback for a time here in Mexico and, man, that thing is sexy. I think that you americans will rather the hb too.
Reply
bmoredlj 3:59PM (7/18/2007)
I don't think it's a bad-looking car but I'll have to reserve judgment until I drive it. That said, the only thing this has in common with the 2002 is the number of doors.
Reply
jg 4:46PM (7/18/2007)
I saw one in black. I wasn't sold on it until then. Now I want one. I think its perfect for those like me who used to own an E30, now own an E46 and don't want an E9x (too big, too expensive). Hopefully by next summer I'll be in Germany picking her up.
Reply
Mike 4:48PM (7/18/2007)
I just bought an E46 325Ci and after looking at the 2008 135 coupe I'm left wondering why anyone in the future would spend the money on a 3-series coupe.
That is a question, seriously: Why would you spend the extra money on a 3 coupe over a 1? The coupes-to-coupes the 1 and 3 don't seem that different to me...the engine options the size the 2-door loveliness...I don't get it.
Reply
Mike 6:04PM (7/18/2007)
Ok. Well, I just bought a 335i coupe, so let me attempt an answer.
First off, I think that the 335i is a better-looking car. I can also buy one today, rather than having to wait until sprint 2008. I also think there's a pretty good chance that the back-seat of a 3-series coupe will be bigger than the 1-series coupe's - which can be important if you happen to have business associates, kids, etc. Also, your question assumes that the 1-series will be a better drive than the 3-series - that's really an unknown at this point. Certainly, the 335 is an amazing car to drive. I'd imagine that the 135 will be loads of fun as well, but who knows? Obviously, it can't simply be that having the same engine means that two cars are the same - why would anyone buy a 535 when they could get a 335, for example?
Just some thoughts, but I suspect there will be plenty of reasons to justify buying a 3-series coupe, even after the 1-series shows up here...
Fred 4:54PM (7/18/2007)
I laughed when I read on Porsche's website that the Boxster is "lightweight." Calling this BMW lightweight is beyond a stretch. Since when did anything over 3,000 lbs become lightweight?
I have an Elise, by the way.
Reply
aaron 6:02PM (7/18/2007)
Relatively "lightweight", I guess is what they meant. But I've heard that once you own or at least drive an Elise, it ruins your perception of other cars, especially for the kind of people that can barely afford the Elise (a lot of them in Texas, trust me) but buy it anyway. Not an attack on you Fred, just people I know myself and those I've read about online.
New safety equipment or just regulations must have taken a toll on the 1-Series, hence the weight. Maybe I'll just keep my '02 325i until they have a 135i sedan.
YouFaceTheTick 6:47PM (7/18/2007)
Seriously, people need to stop saying safety/fed regs have something to with bloat. Mazda has several sub-3k lbs cars. Honda has a few too. Porsche has a bunch at or under 3k lbs. Audi's TT comes in under 3k. The GTI tips over 3k but not to the epic bloat of today's pudgy BMWs.
I owned an 06 e90. It's a tubby car and it feels it. Sadly, BMW will repeat their mistake with the 1 series and yet many buyers won't even get that the car could be so much better if it were 400-500 lbs lighter.
Redwood 5:01PM (7/18/2007)
I'm definitely one that is excited about this car (135i). I just hope I fit (6'7") and it's priced around $35K. The headroom seems about the same as my old E36 M3, so that's not the worry. I can't find anything on legroom though. I drove the 335i sedan by myself recently (I wasn't gentle) and loved it, but could only wonder how much more fun it would be with less weight. The quoted weight by BMW UK includes 90% of the fuel tank filled, 68kg person, and 7kg of luggage. Take away the person and luggage, and you get 3274lbs. That's 11lbs less than the old E46 330 performance package, a lot better engine, and cheaper when new. Sign me up!
Reply
YouFaceTheTick 5:23PM (7/18/2007)
European Delivery is your friend. You'll save 5k-6k on the cost and you can drive it on the autobahn before taking it home. Well worth it. ED is the only way to buy BMWs.
KJC 6:31PM (7/18/2007)
I am actually excited to test drive this car.
Hopefully, the BMW vampire dealers will not price it in the $40k range.
Reply
hans 8:11PM (7/18/2007)
people are drooling about this car? i mean no doubt itll be fun to drive, but that this is downright ugly.
Reply