BMW 130I M SPORT
The car lives by its 7,000rpm redline and brings out the devil in whoever sits behind the wheel.
Perfectly respectable middle-aged men, ones charged with testing far more powerful cars than this, turned into young hooligans when presented with a 265bhp rear-wheel drive hot hatch.
These figures would have been trumpeted on the front pages of the motoring press along with a picture of the latest superstar from Maranello or Stuttgart. Today, it’s a mundane figure that barely raises the pulse on paper, but in the flesh this buzzing hornet of a car is a wholly different proposition.
Any mainstream hot hatch that accelerates to 60mph in 6.1 seconds, weighs 1,450Kg and tops out at 155mph has to be a little bit special, even in the modern age, and BMW has let it slip in casual conversation that this little animal has lapped the test track of the gods, the Nordschleife, in a time that certainly would not disgrace an M3.
Perfectly respectable middle-aged men, ones charged with testing far more powerful cars than this, turned into young hooligans when presented with a 265bhp rear-wheel drive hot hatch.
These figures would have been trumpeted on the front pages of the motoring press along with a picture of the latest superstar from Maranello or Stuttgart. Today, it’s a mundane figure that barely raises the pulse on paper, but in the flesh this buzzing hornet of a car is a wholly different proposition.
Any mainstream hot hatch that accelerates to 60mph in 6.1 seconds, weighs 1,450Kg and tops out at 155mph has to be a little bit special, even in the modern age, and BMW has let it slip in casual conversation that this little animal has lapped the test track of the gods, the Nordschleife, in a time that certainly would not disgrace an M3.
The high revving nature of the 130i, with peak power achieved at 6,600rpm, allows for smooth power delivery all the way to the redline, while the 232lb-ft of torque at 2,750rpm provides low down in-gear thrust. It’s ferocious in a straight line and lunges deep into the rev zone with the slightest tickle on the gas and begs you to hold the gear and feel the noise.
It’s one of the lairiest cars in the line-up and is almost as compulsive as the mighty M3.
The engine takes a deep breath at 4,000rpm, thanks to BMW’s VANOS variable valve timing, and all hell lets loose in a gnashing whirl of revs. It’s fast, brutal and takes time to truly master.
The first few minutes were a Staccato mess of power, brakes and opposite lock, it takes time to smooth out progress in the buzzy little 130i.
The 130i is just as fast in a straight line and significantly cheaper and the M package comprises slightly stiffer suspension, the bodykit, 18-inch wheels, fatter rear tyres and some cosmetic jewellery on the interior that all add to the flavour of this frenetic, tooth-gnashing banshee.
On some of BMW’s range, it has felt like a cynical ploy to empty the customer’s pocket of the last few coins, here it feels strangely fitting.
Extensive use of magnesium alloy in the crank case, cylinder head and other areas kept the weight to the bare bones and this is the lightest engine in its class. It’s compact, too, which helps with the legendary BMW 50/50 front/rear weight distribution.
It’s not just a case of shifting ballast, though, BMW has gone to the extremes of mixing up the metals in the suspension to ensure the basic balance is right.
With a few choice modifications to the air induction intake and exhaust systems, the engineers have extracted an extra 7hp from the three-litre inline six that proved a sexier option than the marque’s 4.5-litre V8 in the 6-Series.
The 130i has the longest wheelbase in class at 2.66metres, a wide track and short body overhangs at each corner.
Simple and basic it might be, but such things matter when it comes to slinging the car round Newbury’s B-roads.
It’s one of the lairiest cars in the line-up and is almost as compulsive as the mighty M3.
The engine takes a deep breath at 4,000rpm, thanks to BMW’s VANOS variable valve timing, and all hell lets loose in a gnashing whirl of revs. It’s fast, brutal and takes time to truly master.
The first few minutes were a Staccato mess of power, brakes and opposite lock, it takes time to smooth out progress in the buzzy little 130i.
The 130i is just as fast in a straight line and significantly cheaper and the M package comprises slightly stiffer suspension, the bodykit, 18-inch wheels, fatter rear tyres and some cosmetic jewellery on the interior that all add to the flavour of this frenetic, tooth-gnashing banshee.
On some of BMW’s range, it has felt like a cynical ploy to empty the customer’s pocket of the last few coins, here it feels strangely fitting.
Extensive use of magnesium alloy in the crank case, cylinder head and other areas kept the weight to the bare bones and this is the lightest engine in its class. It’s compact, too, which helps with the legendary BMW 50/50 front/rear weight distribution.
It’s not just a case of shifting ballast, though, BMW has gone to the extremes of mixing up the metals in the suspension to ensure the basic balance is right.
With a few choice modifications to the air induction intake and exhaust systems, the engineers have extracted an extra 7hp from the three-litre inline six that proved a sexier option than the marque’s 4.5-litre V8 in the 6-Series.
The 130i has the longest wheelbase in class at 2.66metres, a wide track and short body overhangs at each corner.
Simple and basic it might be, but such things matter when it comes to slinging the car round Newbury’s B-roads.
Now the 130i M Sport is, somewhat unbelievably, only a whisker lighter than the 630i, but this is an altogether less sophisticated machine. It’s a true hot hatch in the sense that the simple base chassis is pushed to its limits by the raw power, so it’s nervous and constantly bucking in your hands.
With the traction control off, you’re never far from opposite lock, as there’s no limited slip diff and the power is more than enough to unstuck the rear wheels and send the 1 Series sideways out of bends. Here it’s best to have ignored the active steering box on the optional extras list.
Some of the other trickery to filter down from the bigger models, though, such as brake standby and fade compensation are more than welcome. The former brings the discs closer to the pads after sudden lift-off, which can affect the braking distance just enough to save a big shunt, and ensures the pads are kept dry with occasional applications.
And the latter puts extra pressure on the brakes to compensate for any heat-related fading. It’s all pretty impressive stuff and means that the lightweight 130i can stop just as effectively as it starts.
With the traction control off, you’re never far from opposite lock, as there’s no limited slip diff and the power is more than enough to unstuck the rear wheels and send the 1 Series sideways out of bends. Here it’s best to have ignored the active steering box on the optional extras list.
Some of the other trickery to filter down from the bigger models, though, such as brake standby and fade compensation are more than welcome. The former brings the discs closer to the pads after sudden lift-off, which can affect the braking distance just enough to save a big shunt, and ensures the pads are kept dry with occasional applications.
And the latter puts extra pressure on the brakes to compensate for any heat-related fading. It’s all pretty impressive stuff and means that the lightweight 130i can stop just as effectively as it starts.
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