Autoblog

click above for more high-res pics of the BMW 135i

If you're still frothing at the mouth for anything having to do with the new BMW 1-Series coupe, some new photos have found their way onto the internet. It's still a 3-series that was left in the dryer too long, but the new shots show the car off in its best possible light. There's been a lot of talk about the 135 being a return to the roots of what propelled BMW to such greatness, with alphanumerics like E30 M3 and 2002tii flying about. The 135i certainly holds its own stylistically, even if it is not possessed of the same delicacy of line as its forebears. The 135i appears hefty, like a block of dense marble carved by a skilled artisan, and when you get right down to it, that's what it is. We've babbled enough, check out the gallery. Thanks for the tip, Horatiu!

[Source: edbmw]

A new entry-level car from a premium European brand will be washing up on our shores when the BMW 1-Series arrives carrying a price tag slightly under $30,000. Much the same way as Volvo's looking to its bobbed-tail C30 to recruit younger buyers into the fold while offering an appropriately flavored confection of a car, the 1-Series has the task of winning customers who would love a Roundel on the hood, but can't swing the 3-series. Having done the truncated poop deck on the E36 318ti, BMW decided to go with a traditional three-box profile this time around.

Where former entry-level efforts from premium European brands have not inspired drivers, the 1-Series has everyone buzzing. While the 135i gets the 335's delectable 300-HP drivetrain, good for a 5.1 second run to 60 mph, even the "entry level" 128i will have plenty of snort. The 128i will make do with 230 horses, giving up a second in the accelerative dash, yet taking it about $5,000 easier on your checkbook. We expect that BMW has learned from its 318ti experience, and the interior will not be a cheapened affair when compared to the 3-series, but will carry the same high quality materials, super comfortable seats, and impossibly tight fits. It's getting to be so you can't swing a cat without hitting a slightly-sub-30K vehicle with a spiffy emblem on the rump. We like that.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

BMW fans in the United States have long been clamoring for an opportunity to buy the 1-series, which until recently was thought to be a Europe-only car. Now that we know that a few two-door versions will be available in the U.S. in 2008, we're thrilled to see a convertible undergoing testing.

Brenda Priddy and company spied the 1-series convertible, and progress on the pint-sized droptop seems to be moving along nicely. We're likely to see similar engine offerings in the convertible as the coupe model, which will be unveiled with either the twin-turbo 3-liter or the naturally-aspirated inline-six. When the convertible will make its debut is up in the air, but expect it soon after its fixed-roof sibling.

[Source: Insideline]