Well, iDrive’s had a refresh with sharper graphics a la 7 Series. Only kidding, let’s talk about whirring bits of metal.
Power is up by 14bhp to 355bhp, while a hefty 396lb ft (a 37lb ft leap) matches the M2’s output. This is courtesy of a new 3.0-litre straight-six turbo motor that revs cleanly and crisply to 7,000rpm, sounds sweeter than anything else in the class (if you pigeonhole the £7,000 dearer five-cylinder Audi RS3 as a rung above), and is slightly greener than the motor it ousts.
BMW claims 36.2mpg and 179g/km of CO2, bettering the M135i by 0.7mpg and 9g/km. And that’s for the six-speed manual. Spec the £1,430 eight-speed ZF auto and the official claim rises to nigh-on 40mpg. As basic as it gets, you’ll pay £31,875 in total, which is still a bit of a bargain for so much power.
And the auto makes it quicker too?
Yup, thanks to those relatively seamless shifts and precisely no fear of human cock-up, an auto M140 oozes to 62mph in 4.6 seconds – 0.3 less than before. So it’s still right up there with the Golf Rs and Focus RSs. In fact, the powertrain is irreproachable. Beyond the tuneful engine note, pinpoint (for a turbo) throttle response, urgent torque and obedient gearbox, what more did you want, exactly?
0 التعليقات :
Post a Comment