[ad_1]
Here it is, in all its undisguised splendor. The 261PS front-wheel drive BMW 128ti we call “more energetic and fun than the ultra-serious, locked-in M135i.” Yes, we’ve done this the other way around, testing out a (very) lightly disguised prototype and basically finished a month before the big BMW reveal.
The headlines are like this: the same 2.0-liter engine as the M135i, but with less power. Also the same eight-speed automatic, but no more four-wheel drive. It’s more than a less powerful front-wheel drive M135i, this: BMW has completely redesigned the rear suspension, altered the steering and Torsen differential and much more to make the 128ti feel more tenacious than the 80kg heavier M135i.
Click here to find out what it was like to drive said prototype at Germany’s legendary Nurburgring, then here to learn about the five ways BMW made the 128ti more fun than the all-wheel drive M135i.
Sounds like fun right? It will go on sale next month, with prices starting at £ 32,995. That’s slightly less than the new Golf GTI, which starts at £ 33,460 (the DSG car costs £ 1,500 more), but more than the £ 32,820 Honda Civic Type R or Ford Focus ST. However, all in the same stadium. And BMW’s specs are generous, with 18-inch alloys shod in sticky Michelin rubber, big brakes, iDrive and M-Sport bumpers, skirts, and spoilers. Fortunately, you don’t need to have the ‘ti’ insignia on the windowsill or the red highlights.
We will test the finished item soon, then put it together with a Golf GTI and others for the all-important group test. Look at this space.
