BMW M135i Sports Hatch Sport Auto
Price: £31,595 0-62mph: 4.9sec Top speed: 155mph (limited) Economy: 37.7mpg combined CO2: 175g/km Kerbweight: 1500kg Engine: 6-cyls, in-line, 2979cc, petrol turbo Installation: Longitudinal Power: 316bhp at 5800rpm Torque: 332lb ft at 1300-4500rpm (with overboost) Gearbox: 8-spd automatic A mix of dry and damp, tight bends and a narrow road should be challenge enough for a hot hatch with 316bhp to spill from its rear wheels. And if that sounds like a temptingly reckless number then you'd be right it's only 19bhp down on the output of the lately departed 1M Coupe, and the M135i's 320lb ft of torque is identical. If it comes with the optional eight-speed paddle shifter of our test car, the 135i will zoom-flick, zoom-flick, zoom-flick through the gears to 62mph in just 4.9sec. Go for the six-speed manual and the time actually rises to 5.1sec because its wider spread of ratios are less speedily swapped. Either way, this new three-door 1-series is eag