BMW loves giving customers the ability to tart up their car straight from the factory. The new BMW M135 is no exception. We got a look at the new M135 hatch wearing some fancy Portimao Blue Metallic paint and shod in, well, most of the M Performance Parts catalog. We ll say this: it certainly isn t subtle.
Up front, we get a lot of the same equipment we saw the first time we looked at the M135 with M Performance Parts. The questionable modifications start almost immediately, as the compact sports a red tow hook and canard-like additions on the side of the front bumper, underneath the headlights. A gloss black front lip is a nice touch, and the carbon fiber mirror caps give it the full M look. Don t worry, it gets better from here.
Beefier M brakes are instantly noticeable as we make our way to the side. The silver-painted caliper is quite reminiscent of the big brake kits that the U.S. M2 Competition (F87) came with as standard equipment. Larger drilled rotors should provide a pretty substantial upgrade compared to the stock units for performance driving, hopefully mitigating some fade and providing a bit more consistent performance even over longer sessions. The wheels “ and valve stem caps – even wear M Performance badging, but neither is as obnoxious as the applique on the side. Black ground effects are present, too.
In the back, the M135 gets a big cosmetic boost. A carbon fiber diffusor and M Performance Exhaust are obvious additions and both add a lot. The same goes for the wing “ despite more obnoxious M Performance text, it lends the little hatch a rally-ready appearance that is just the right amount of ostentatious.
While we d probably skip on the canards and M Performance appliques on the side, the rest looks pretty interesting. It s a shame this little hot hatch isn t coming to the US “ it would be a fun way to get around. The M135 is the range-topping 1 Series, so if you re looking for a modern-day 1M “ at least in terms of badging “ this is as close as you ll be able to get.
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
