“If you have $45,000 to spend and driving dynamics are at the forefront of your new car buying concerns, look no further than the M235i. If you want a few creature comforts for that money, you might want to keep shopping.”
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Straight line acceleration
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Handling
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Braking
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Note on exhaust gases
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A modern yet retro inspired look
We shoot most of the Digital Trends car review videos at Portland International Raceway. And, in most of the videos, I seem to be having fun on the rink, skating around, laughing and raising hell.
More often than not, though, getting truly excited about cars requires a bit of acting on my part (I’d like to thank the Academy).
While it’s true that most high-performance cars are fun to drive, like the Jaguar F-TYPE or the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, few hold up on the track. This is because they are not designed for climbs and chicanes, but for hills and full throttle between red lights.
However, the BMW M235i is a different story.
During our M235i shoot, I found myself driving nirvana on the race track. Calm, comfortable and composed, I tackled the track as hard as I could behind the wheel of the new baby Bimmer.
But the whole story of BMW’s smallest M Performance model is a bit more complicated than that.
Video review
Back to simpler times
The BMW 2002, if you’ve never driven one, is a nimble little German performance coupe. It perfectly combines unusual design with Teutonic precision and driving dynamics.
The BMW 2002, if you’ve never driven one, is a brilliant little German performance coupe.
When it first debuted in 1968, it rightfully helped ignite the BMW craze in the state. However, since their heyday, Bimmers – like almost all luxury performance cars – have become much bigger, heavier beasts. Today’s Bavarian animals are loaded with heavy performance, electronics… and German magic. These improvements made them brilliant to drive, but terribly complex.
Eager to recapture its once-simple past to reinvent its entry-level model in America, BMW looked to the 2002 model for inspiration. It shows: Like its iconic predecessor, the 2 Series is simple in its basic form. But the 235i is not a slave to history. While it was fast in 2002, it was anything but a muscular coupe, especially compared to the American pony cars of the time. The performance variant of the Series 2, the M235i, rewrites history with extra power.
Initial?
You can buy a 2014 BMW 228i for $32,100. For that, you get a 240-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, two doors, and some seats. That makes it BMW’s now entry-level car in the U.S. Above that, however, sits the M235i. And, well, it costs a little more.
$43,000 – the M235i’s base price – is a lot of money for an “entry-level” car.
While it’s true that the 2 Series is BMW’s cheapest model, the M235i can hardly be considered an entry-level model. That’s because – unlike the base 228i – the M235i is the most powerful petrol M-Performance model … ever.
And what enables him to claim that title? First of all: its engine, which is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six.
Producing 320 horsepower and 330 Nft of torque, the moment-y six will rush the little M – when mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission – to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds (5.0 for the six-speed manual) and reach top level at a speed of 155 mph.
From there, the performance variations continue with plenty of things that begin—unsurprisingly—with the letter M. These include the optional M Performance limited-slip differential, M-specific chassis tuning, which—for the U.S.—will include standard M Adaptive suspension, M Sport Braking system, variable sports steering, and Michelin Pilot Super Sports tires, which, after all, start with the letter M.
So clearly you’re getting a lot of performance equipment for your $43,000, which is perfect for the square-jawed, steely-eyed race car driver in all of us. What about the soft everyday driver in us? What does he get out of a $43,000 M235i? Honestly, not much.
The M235i is the most powerful petrol M-Performance model … ever.
Yes, you can load up your M235i with all the kinds of stuff you’d expect from a Bimmer, including iDrive with an 8.8-inch touchscreen and touch controller, USB, Bluetooth and more. This, of course, costs extra.
This is pretty annoying when you’re sitting in traffic in a $46,000 M235i and all you have to listen to is the AM or FM radio… and your thoughts. I guess you might as well listen to Siri, as she will be your only source for turn-by-turn navigation in the base M235i.
All those non-existent bells and whistles are irrelevant though. Expensive accessories are just the name of the game. BMW is still – as it likes to claim – the Ultimate Driving Machine.
So how is this subcompact machine to drive? In one word: incredible.
Nirvana
Before we hit the track to shoot a video review of the M235i, I was already in love with it, as its compact stature made it easy to maneuver through downtown Portland, and its suspension could be as compliant as it was sporty.
But on the sanctioned racing circuit, I gained a new appreciation for the car.
As I said before, I enjoy many of the performance oriented cars I drive. But when they hit the racetrack, many fall into my hands: brakes overheat, steering racks lack feedback, transmissions won’t shift, suspension systems punch holes in the kidneys.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
On the track, the M235i just thrived. He switched to Sport+ and the car came to life.
The steering was the perfect mix of weight and forgiveness. It responded quickly and allowed me to be smooth and precise with my input. The brakes applied hard and never faded. The suspension held me tight and kept my body tight. The exhaust sounded sporty and had a hint of crackle, but was never loud enough to draw too much attention or embarrass him.
And then there’s the powertrain. God, the powertrain. The eight-speed automatic remains one of the best transmissions I’ve ever encountered, and the inline six is BMW’s bread and butter, so of course it was spot on. He pushed me back into the seat and left me feeling like I could hold my own against even the most experienced drivers.
That’s what he said…
There’s no denying that the M235i is a true driver’s car – and simply magnificent. But to get the M235i, you have to really, really love driving it.
In its $43,000 base form, it’s nothing more than a weekend toy, which is great … if you can afford it.
To load it up the way I think most people would realistically want it as a daily driver, you’re looking close to the $56,000 mark. That’s a lot of money for a subcompact, M Performance or not.
Just like the small, sharp 2002 model, the M235i is basic and sporty. As much as I love the drive and the M235i, for $43,000, it just doesn’t seem like enough. For that money I want some… things.
Yep, for that money you get a bucket full of some of the most amazing German riding gear on the planet. However, when you’re not on the track, it just doesn’t matter because you can’t use it.
Tall
- Straight line acceleration
- Handling
- Braking
- Note on exhaust gases
- A modern yet retro inspired look
Falls
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn