Hot hatches may be a dying breed, but there’s still variety in the compact segment for do-it-all cars. The Volkswagen Golf R and Audi S3 Sportback both got a facelift this year. The BMW M135 is new for 2024, while the Mercedes-AMG A35 went through a nip and tuck in 2023. A new Carwow video shows the four in a good ol’ drag race, fighting for hot hatch supremacy.
It’s not that we are trying to make up excuses for the BMW, but the M135 is built to European specifications. Consequently, the engineers detuned the four-cylinder engine to comply with stricter emissions regulations. On the Old Continent, the 2.0-liter “B48” unit makes only 296 horsepower instead of the full 312 hp. Torque remains unchanged, at 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters).
The M135 is the least powerful of the group, and it’s not any lighter than the other three. You see where this is going. Yes, BMW’s smallest performance car was unable to keep up the pace. The Golf R was the undisputed winner. When it launched correctly, the mechanically related S3 was right behind the VW. The only somewhat equal opponent for the 1 Series M Performance model was the AMG A35.
In the subsequent rolling races from 50 mph, it was basically a duel between the Golf R and S3. The BMW failed to even remotely threaten the VW Group cars. Those two were also better in the brake test from 100 mph. The Golf needed the shortest distance to come to a halt, winning yet another battle.
The outcome of these tests fuels the criticism BMW has been facing since discontinuing the M140i. With tighter regulations, the six-cylinder 1 Series is highly unlikely to return, but let’s hope a beefier M135 is planned. The Bavarians need to restore the pecking order in the hot hatch segment before electric cars completely take over.
Source: Carwow / YouTube
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
