Another 1er opens to a rave notice.

[Duckw]

Wotan arrived Thursday. 350 miles into it, I can say this is far and away the best BMW I've owned since 1968: 2002, 2002tii, E30, E36. With the same performance as my one-time Porsche 996 (with appreciably better slalom times in R&T--66.5 mph vs 70.6 mph), the car is far more comfortable for long trips (not to mention that it's a steal at half the price). I prefer the 135 to the Cayman S as well. While the latter is of course more taut and nervous, the BMW is quicker up to 100 mph, equal in R&T's slalom, and far more flexible. The Cayman S has a fairly narrow, peaky, torque band compared with the BMW's 300 pound-feet from 1400 to 5000. The power of the 135 astounds even at running-in speeds. The dreaded understeer noted in some test reports fails to appear at any rational speed on public roads. In fact, my 135 has less push than my 996 and only the tiniest bit more than the Caymans I have driven. Throttle steering is dead easy, even with the nannies on. Point to point through familiar twisties, it's quicker than my '05 Mini Cooper S, and that's without revving over 4K on the exit. Now that the tires are scrubbing in and I've begun really to adapt to the car, I find the steering feel to be excellent. If there's a little more muted communication with the surface than in the Porsches, that's more than made up for in the far more supple ride. The 135 is what BMW does in spades: a car primarily for the road that embodies about 9/10 of the pure sports car but is more livable in real-world conditions, where surfaces are often less than ideal and a wide torque band is a great convenience in traffic. That's a trade-off I'm glad to live with, especially at the price. The 135 is a driver's car all the way. In the bare-bones configuration I have, it's well appointed rather than out-and-out luxurious. Its switch gear is the best I've ever encountered, including that in our Audi S4 Avant, wonderfully tactile but positive, of a piece with the steering. Many years ago, Karl Ludvigsen, writing about the 2002tii, wondered if BMW had "sensation engineers." Of course they do. And, like the tasters at Glen Morangie, succeeding generations of BMW engineers have worked to keep the BMW flavor alive and distinctive. Call me fanboy if you like, but I'm loving it.

[atr_hugo]

Duckw - you and I want the same thing out of a car!! Great read and thanks for helping me keep the faith while waiting for my 1er to show.

BTW, I'm naming mine 'Tetzel'; me being a lapsed Lutheran and all. This car's a bit of an indulgence. ; -)

[Duckw]

atr_Hugo,I promise you won't be disappointed.

[atr_hugo]

Ah, Glen Morangie - I'm working on a bottle of Signatory Strathmill Sherry Butt - single cask - Scotch is good for you!!

[TP 135i]

Originally Posted by Duckw

Now that the tires are scrubbing in and I've begun really to adapt to the car, I find the steering feel to be excellent. If there's a little more muted communication with the surface than in the Porsches, that's more than made up for in the far more supple ride.

Ahhh....that's what I've felt but have been unable to put into words. Excellent and thanks for the write-up.

[Duckw]

Thanks, TP 135i. I've been using one of your washday pix as my desktop. No time yet to take photos of my nearly identical beast, and lousy weather too.

[PUREPHAZED]

Originally Posted by atr_hugo

Ah, Glen Morangie - I'm working on a bottle of Signatory Strathmill Sherry Butt - single cask - Scotch is good for you!!

Was in Scotland last fall in the Highlands and my wife sneezed and this woman in that wonderful Scottish accent said "Darling don't you know you need a whiskey". so we did :smile: ...


M

PS: Had a rare Brora... sigh!