My next toy?
This has been the talk of BMW internet forums for the last couple of weeks… BMW recently announced that they will be releasing its 1 Series Coupe next year in the US.
What makes this car so exciting? Well, BMW is finally releasing a “small” car again. Although the 3-series is supposed to be their “mid-size” coupe or sedan, the latest generations have been getting bigger and bigger. Back in the 80s, BMW’s 3-series (the E30) weighed under 3000 pounds. For example, the curb weight of the 1984 325i was 2,830 pounds.
In the 90s, BMW had the E36 3-series… a 1991 325is had a curb weight of 3,100 pounds. The horsepower also increased from 168hp to 189hp. So even though they added 9.5% more body weight, they also increased the power by 12.5%.
Finally, since 1998 BMW has been selling their E46 3-series. The E46 328is had a curb weight of 3,240 pounds. So they added almost an additional 150 pounds. A lot of that has to do with extra luxury and extra safety features… and they kept the car quick by giving it an engine that produced 193hp. Nonetheless, heavy cars don’t transition in corners as well as light cars. So even though the car will move quickly in a line, it won’t be as fast around a track.
Now finally, BMW is releasing their 1-series vehicle to us. It has an estimated weight of only 3080 lbs. Additionally, it boasts an impressive 300hp and 300 ft-lbs of torque. With that sort of power, it’ll go from 0 to 60 even faster than my M3! And the best part? The car won’t be 12 years old, like my 1995 vehicle.
So if I can figure out a way to gather together $35,000, I’ll be able to own one of these awesome vehicles. Maybe it’s time to get a second job.
specs sound nice. looks pretty decent too. i’m always keeping my eye open for what will be my car after i move out of the city. how does its performance compare to a 2007/2008 M3?
Comment by Gustad Mody — July 24, 2007 @ 11:28 am
The 2008 M3 is going to be the next generation (E92) coupe. The estimated 0 to 60 time for it is 4.4 seconds, which is just ridiculous. The M3 will also be substantially heavier than a 135i, but it’ll still corner as well (or better) because of a better suspension system.
However, all of that extra performance comes at a price. The base model is supposed to cost about $55,000… so fully loaded, it’ll be over $60,000.
Comment by jim — July 24, 2007 @ 2:57 pm
maybe you should get a suga mama.
Comment by ironchefwei — July 24, 2007 @ 3:32 pm