BMW 1-series Coupe (2007): first official pictures

By Ben Whitworth

First Official Pictures

02 July 2007 10:50

So, is this the 1 that I want?

You betcha. When it arrives at the end of November, the 1-series Coupe - re-engineered from the ground up, powered a twin turbo engines and packing plenty of energy-saving technology – will install itself at the top of the 1-series tree. Initially here will be three models, the 120d, 124d and the range-topping 135i, available in BMW’s two familiar spec levels, SE and M Sport. Prices kick off at around £22,500 for the 12d Coupe in SE trim – about a grand more than the five-door model, rising up to around £26,000 for the 123d and onto a £32,000 for the M Sport-only 135i. BMW’s gawky 1-series has racked up 390,000 sales since it’s launch three years ago, and now that the Coupe will also be sold in America, BMW is hoping to boost that figure to over half a million, helped by the upcoming convertible version which arrives in the autumn. The 135i Coupe will be an answered prayer for many buyers blanching at the thought of handing over £50,000 for the new M3. At £33,000 is not cheap for a small coupe, but there’s arguably little else out there that delivers that kind of performance, dynamism and feel-good factor.

The 135i Coupe may not be the best looking car – Bangle’s oddly incongruous mix of curve and line still takes some squinting to grow accustomed to – but there's something fabulously desireable about its compact, squat stance. It's a striking bit of metal, hunkered down on big chunky 18inch Motorsport alloys with its standard body kit. BMW rather coyly call this a 2+2 rather than a full four seater. In truth, rear passenger accommodation is not that tight – it’s ideal for parents with young children, but swallowing four six-footers calls for some serious acts of contortionism. But forget the still-not-sure looks and check out the engine bay. Squeezed into the 135i’s nose is BMW’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight engine, the company’s most powerful six-cylinder engine on offer. It’s the same engine that’s installed in the 3-series and earlier this year picked up a gong for best engine of the year. In the 1-series line-up, it will be exclusive to the coupe.

By Ben Whitworth