BMW Cooking Up New Hot Hatch CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News BMW Cooking Up New Hot Hatch

BMW Cooking Up New Hot Hatch

Apr. 11, 2019 12:20 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Spy Shots / 5 Comments Audi and Mercedes better watch out. The only BMW 1 Series models we received in the US were the coupe and convertible ranging from the 128i up to the hardcore 1M before they were later replaced by the 2 Series. In Europe, BMW built a hatchback bodystyle of the 1 Series, which was uniquely rear-wheel-drive whereas most hot hatchbacks are front-wheel-drive. The most exciting 1 Series hatch was the M135i, which was powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with 320 horsepower. BMW is currently working on a new 1 Series hatchback but this one won't be RWD like the outgoing generation. Instead, it will be based on a FWD Mini architecture and likely have AWD as an option. BMW already sells a FWD 1 Series sedan in China and Mexico but hasn't announced any plans to bring it stateside. This doesn't mean the 1 Series couldn't eventually arrive in the US in some form or another. Our spy photographer recently spotted what appears to be a camouflaged test mule for the sporty M135i hatchback. If we had to guess, we'd say this new M135i is powered by the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder found in the X2 M35i producing 302 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. In the X2, power is sent to an xDrive AWD system through an eight-speed automatic but the 1 Series could have a manual option. Even though the four-cylinder produces less power than the old inline-six, it is capable of ripping off a 4.9-second 0-60 time using launch control in the X2, which is quicker than the old M135i. By using a FWD-based architecture, this new M135i will likely cost less than the outgoing car as well. We doubt the M135i hatchback will make it to the US but we could see the same drivetrain in the rumored 2 Series Gran Coupe. Audi and Mercedes each sell sedans in this segment (the S3, A35, and CLA35) so it would make sense for BMW to offer something at the same price point.

Join The Discussion

Show Comments (5)

Gallery

12 Photos Tags: #BMW News #Nurburgring #Spy Shots

Related Cars

BMW X1 Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top