View Single Post
      08-22-2012, 11:27 AM   #14
Racing Teatray
Lieutenant
Racing Teatray's Avatar
United Kingdom
218
Rep
492
Posts

Drives: BMW 440i GC
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Central London

iTrader: (0)

I don't dislike the F20. Far from it - I've ordered a 5dr manual M135i to replace my M5. But that's because it's a small practical well-made sporty 5dr car with a beefy 6-cylinder engine and a manual gearbox offering epic performance (a combination that as far as I can tell is unique in the market). It's emphatically not because I am blind to the fact that it's hardly the most attractive design. Actually, I like the overall shape and most of the design, but those headlights are a true "WTF where they thinking" moment. So, to be totally clear, if it didn't have the 6-cylinder engine or the manual gearbox, I wouldn't be buying one. I'm afraid the 125i doesn't really raise my pulse.

I totally understand mainstream "white goods" cars having four cylinder engines, and the GTI-class has traditionally had them to good effect. But cars like the M135i are not "white goods" and are not aimed at commuters or the cost-conscious, nor are they operating in GTI territory. They are surely halo models aimed at either enthusiasts or wealthy downsizers who want smaller cars that offer all the benefits of a big luxury car (including lots of effortless and cultured performance) in a small package (the Mk3 Golf VR6 showed us 20 years ago that there was a strong market for the luxury experience in a small car package). Fuel economy is not the primary concern for either as a general rule (and while we're on the topic of eco-issues, multi-cylinders are not automatically dirty (the CO2 figures for the M135i are under 170 whatever-they-call-thems: unimagineable for a 300+bhp 6-pot a couple of years ago)). And, anyway, ignoring the E30 M3, whose engine was never its highlight, most great sporting BMWs have been defined by sonorous straight sixes. It would be a pity if BMW lost sight of that.
__________________
____________________

Current: Macan GTS
Previous: 440i GC, M135i, E60 M5, Z1, 330d, 135i, Alfa 156 GTA, Mercedes 500E, Audi S3, Audi A3 quattro, VW Golf GTI 16v
Appreciate 0