2013 BMW 135is coupe review notes - AutoWeek

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: This 2013 BMW 135is is what a BMW sports sedan/coupe is supposed to feel like. Coming of age in the '80s and '90s, the E30/36 3-series was the aspirational daily driver for an import-minded enthusiast, and it was because of the characteristics this 135is possesses. Hell, the car even kind of looks like a vintage 3-series, particularly on the inside where far more black plastic resides than one would expect in a nearly $50,000 car. the difference, and in my opinion the tiebreaker, is that BMW uses a proper inline six-cylinder engine instead of the flailing-piston unbalanced V that's become so popular with packaging efficiency experts these days. Instant throttle response, a well of low-end torque and a deep exhaust bellow all greet every stab of the throttle, while the steering seems to almost follow the driver's field of vision. of course, it's the driver's inputs that are maneuvering the car, but it can be done with such intuition with the 1-series that it approaches that oft-implied ideal of telepathy. That BMW has created a driver's car here is apparent in the details. The 1-series also gets the old BMW orange center stack controls with vague button labeling, plus lower-dash plastics that would be questionable in a $15,000 Nissan Versa. Source: autoweek.com