BMW adds another tempting M
Performance machine to its ranks with the invigorating M235i coupe. Think of it
as an M4 lite
Sorry about the Stones reference in the
title, but a little rock 'n roll allusion doesn't hurt occasionally. It's
appropriate for the car in question, a blue BMW M235i with a turbocharged
inline six, but unlike the cockerel in the Stones ditty, this little rocket is
anything but lazy. We picked up the M235i after two fast days spent with the M3
and M4 and you'd think it would be too hard an act to follow for the M235i, but
we found that this sawn-off M can stand proudly next to its more hallowed M
brothers in the car park.
The
BMW M235i resists oversteer strongly. Sometimes too strongly
The M235i picks up from where the old 135i
coupe left off, and joins the current M135i five-door in the local line up. It
follows the new directive for BMW coupes being positioned as more exclusive,
better specified and more expensive than the conventional models they are based
upon. Where BMW charges 'just' $86,900 for the M135i, the coupe breaks the six
figure mark but does comes with a rear view camera, front and rear parking
sensors, electrically adjustable heated seats, upgraded audio, and M adaptive
suspension as standard, which are all optional on the M135i. But it still
leaves interested buyers with a $10k premium to pay for the privilege of a
better looking though less practical coupe. It does have five extra kilowatts
however, enough for BMW to shave a tenth off the claimed 0-100km/h sprint time,
down to 4.8sec. We didn't quite manage to replicate that on the day- the Launch
Control mode failed to deliver the promise - but we came close enough without
its help, and it was the only minor blemish on what is a thoroughly impressive
performance package.
M235i's
kidney grille has 16 vertical bars and leans forward very slightly as it rises,
shark-nose style
M Performance models are a bridge between
BMW's regular fare and full-blooded M machines. They are developed by BMW M
GmbH with around 30 per cent of the parts being unique, and these relate mainly
to the body, the chassis and engine tuning.
The body work comprises the new front
bumper sporting bigger vents to supply the necessary cooling air, and the aero
slits on the outer edges, and there are also side sills and a discreet boot
spoiler. M Performance cues include the dark grey 18s to match the side mirror
caps and the exhaust tips. You could never accuse the former 1 Series two-door
of being beautiful whereas the form of the new 2 is much more agreeable, and
from just about any angle. It's understated in M Performance model fashion, the
18s just the right size, and the scoops and flares not overblown.
The
BMW's optional adaptive Xenon headlights are superb on high beam and very good
on dipped
It's riding lower too, the M235i dropped
20mm on its model specific suspension settings which feature stiffer spring
rates and revised bushings and geometry on the front end. The M variable
dampers deliver a dual character of a mini GT when set to Comfort and a back
road racer when dialled up to Sport Plus mode via the centre console mounted
'Driving Experience Controller'. It's a handy switch for altering the
disposition of the M235i to suit the task, but we wish they could make room for
it on the steering wheel somehow. You also get sports steering with its
variable ratio, and bigger brakes, the front rotors moving up to 340mm in
diameter with four-piston callipers.
The
boot is 20 litres bigger than that of the old 1-series coupé. It accommodates
big suitcases with ease
The six is BMW's N55 unit with its single
twin-scroll turbo and a forged crank. It loves to spin, heading to just past
7,000rpm on the tacho. It has Valvetronic variable valve lift along with dual
vvt, while fuel is directly injected into the cylinders via solenoid-type
injectors. Turbo lag isn't really a feature of this silky operator and with
450Nm available from 1,300rpm, it provides stupendous pull no matter what gear
the eight-speed auto is in. The M235i gets five extra kilowatts, probably at
the insistence of the marketing department, coming courtesy of an ECU revision.
The engine gets a better cooling system too, and the exhaust is tuned for a
more liberal note. With the central silencer removed, the M235i gains an
exhaust flap to help silence its tone in Comfort mode, while it pops open in
Sport to let the six sing. A glorious note it is too.
