Hypersonic

I guess I'll get used to the rear.


My verdict: I think it's terrific. This car really is about function, simplicity, and modesty -- just like the 2002 was.



When I was about 10 (early to mid 1980s) my best friend's mother had a 2002 -- it was an old car then of course, but I always liked it -- it was so German, totally practical and pragmatic. This new 1er coupé gives me a similar feeling -- so I love it

Curb Zone

 

Osnabrueck

You better believe it.

El Zorro

I was hoping for a much more involving design for the rear
The rear lights should have been splitted, like Klier pointed out.
Even the Huckfeldt impression looks better...

On the other hand, I think the car will look better in blue or in a dark
color...

Osnabrueck

Good going Huck! Real thing looks better becasue you don't get the impression of a large flat surface on the boot.

Hypersonic

I see even in the Huck illustration there is a 2002 in the background -- this makes me sure that the 1er was intended to be a similar type of "basic" vehicle.

Osnabrueck

Yet we know that this is the spawn of modern-day BMW - a company that's guided by more industry-leading profit margins than German pragmatism. Modesty also left the building about 6 years ago. If we take the 130i 3/5 door as a working example, it's easy to see that the bang for the buck ratio will be far too steep to engender a grass-roots enthusiast base.

At around what I can only guess will be an out the door price of around $32-36k, the 135 Coupe will quickly draw halfway legitimate comparisons with the G37 and the IS350. Unless dynamic performance is reeeeaaallllyyyy good, we're going to end up with an Edmunds review that reads something like this:

PROS: Superb dynamic performance, silky-smooth engine, tons of power on tap, easy access to BMW roundel"

CONS: Rear seat and boot space are limited, steep price of options quickly eliminates entry-level value proposition.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The world's best driving subcompact comes at a price that's less than compact.

Hypersonic

CRASH!!


you know what that was Josh?

...................that was you smashing my delusions


Yeah I know I don't always view things in the real world ......you are almost certainly correct in your evaluation above -- I guess I just let my heart and sentimentality influence my point of view too much sometimes.

BMW_Owner

Shes nice... could have been nicer

I prefer the kidney grills that are attached to the actual bonnet ei X5 or 7 series compared to the detachment.. it looks cleaner and more stylish to me???

although i do prefer now the new cs concept grill... i think the 1 series could use a few cs styling cues such as tail lights and headlights to make a more dynamic style... a modern day, flame surfaced 2002

dream car anyone?

Osnabrueck

Bottom line - it's not the prerogative of modern-day BMW to give you a bang for your buck. The whole structure of their product range is "You're gonna pay for speed, and it's worth aspiring to."

We'd all like to think that, somewhere deep inside of BMW HQ, there's a high-level exec scratching his chin saying "Let's roll out a car for the fans. One that delivers the awesome BMW performance in a compact, affordable no-BS kind of package like the old 2002." Unfortunately for us, this guy doesn't exist. Instead, what we have is a BOD that understands that BMW's room and leverage to create an entry-level product that repurposes existing assets and creates low-hanging fruit that can turn a healthy profit.

In fantasyland, BMW would benevolently forego the extraordinary profits they eke from their products for the sake of warming the hearts of fans everywhere. What we're really gonna get is a car that would be great, if only the sticker was reduced by about $4,000.

Harry Plopper

Guys, BMW Group are a premium car maker. Meaning: do not expect affordable cars from BMW Group.

Being premium is a key of their success.

....

OK, 135i coupe ...

Why so much bitching about the rear? The lights from CS1 concept were used on Z4, so 1er copue/cabrio has to get something different.

Also: the rear looks much nicer IRL. The surfaces are more dynamic than seen on the pics where creases on the rear are not clearly seen (creases are also a reason why "135i" badge is position so much towards centre, and not more to the right). 3rd brake light strip is also barely visible in the latest scoop pics. It is positioned just above BMW badge (due the 3rd break light the badge is positioned so low), below integrated spoiler lip.

With all the details visible, and wearing some other color than red, and especially with rear position lights on (Celis LED) the car looks very sharp from the behind. Yet very elegant - very nice touch for such a small coupe.

1-piece tail lights looks much better IRL - IMO 2-piece configuration would distort rears composition. With 1-piece clusters the rear appears much more homogeneous & sharp.

Wait till official pics .. or even better: wait to see the car IRL. As we know current BMWs are not very photogenic.

Curb Zone