BMW 1 Series ‘M’ won’t happen – BMW 135is instead

BMW are planning a hotter 1 Series - the BMW 135is

The rumourmill in this business is always rife with what people think is going to happen in the car industry. One of the persistent rumours over the last year has been the return of the BMW M1 moniker to a performance BMW. And we buy in to that. But we’re certain the new BMW M1 will be a supercar, probably based on the Vision ED concept.

Despite it seeming a barking mad idea, many sections of the motoring press seem convinced that the BMW M1 wil be an ‘M’ car in the 1-Series. Why would BMW screw with their history by using the moniker which was attached to the only real supercar they’ve ever built? BMW may be many things, but stupid is not one of them.

So in our opinion the M version of the 1-Series was never on the cards. But that certainly doesn’t preclude a hot 1-Series, and Inside Line are reporting that a BMW 135is is very much on the cards. Which does make a lot of sense.

The 135is would get the same N54 twin turbo found in the latest BMW Z4 sDrive35is, which manages to produce 335bhp and a decent wodge of torque (although in the new BMW 335is it only gets 320bhp). Throw in an M Sport Package for the body and suspension and you’ll have a better than warm 1-Series.

And that’s as hot as the 1-Series is ever likely to get. If BMW really wanted to they could create an M car for the 1 Series and call it the ’1M’ or the One-Series M’ or any play on words they like. But it’s not just about using the historic M1 moniker on the entry-level BMW. It’s also about protecting the 3-Series. A 1-Series based M car would seriously dent the M3 market.

And that wouldn’t be good.

By Cars UK